or objecting to it. It was a simple toss of heads and
tails,--"Heads I win, and tails you lose"; or, to make use of a formula
more appropriate to the occasion, "Heads I live, and tails you die."
With some such process of reasoning current through the brain of Larry
O'Gorman, he stepped boldly up to the bag; plunged his fist into its
obscure interior; and drew forth--_the black button_!

CHAPTER SEVENTY.

AN UNEXPECTED TERMINATION.

The red button remained in the bag. It was a singular circumstance that
it should be the last; but such strange circumstances will sometimes
occur. It belonged to Le Gros. The lottery was over; the Frenchman had
forfeited life.

It seemed idle for him to draw the button out; and yet, to the
astonishment of the spectators, he proceeded to do so.

"_Sacre_!" he exclaimed, "the luck's been against me. _Eh bien_!" he
added, with a _sangfroid_ that caused some surprise, "I suppose I must
make a die of it. Let me see the accursed thing that's going to condemn
me!"

As he said this, he held up the bag in his left hand,--at the same time
plunging his right into its dark interior. For some seconds he
appeared, to grope about, as if he had some difficulty in finding the
button. While fumbling in this fashion he let go the mouth of the
wallet, which he had been holding in his left hand,--adroitly
transferring his hold to its bottom. This was done apparently for the
purpose of getting the button into a corner,--in order that he might lay
hold of it with his fingers.

For some moments the bag rested upon his left forearm, while he
continued his hunt after the little piece of horn. He appeared
successful at length; and drew forth his right hand, with the fingers
closed over the palm, as if containing something,--of course the dread
symbol of death. Stirred by a kind of curiosity, his comrades pressed
mechanically around, and stood watching his movements.

For an instant he kept his fist closed, holding it on high to that all
might see it: and then, slowly extending his fingers, he exhibited his
spread palm before their eyes. It held the button that he had drawn
forth from the bag; but, to the astonishment of all, it was a _black_
one, and not the _red_ token that had been expected!

There were but two men who did not partake of this surprise. One was Le
Gros himself,--though, to all appearance, he was the most astonished
individual of the party,--the other was the man who, some