ight every man had felt that he
had an equal chance, but now Bela was making distinctions. As soon as
they finished eating, they wandered outside to smoke and make common
cause against the interloper. For their usual card-game they adjourned
to Stiffy and Mahooley's.

Only Joe and Sam were left, one sitting on each side of the fire with
that look in his eyes that girls know of determination not to be the
first to leave.

Bela came and sat down between them with sewing. Her face expressed a
calm disinterestedness now. The young men showed the strain of the
situation each according to his nature. Joe glowered and ground his
teeth, while Sam's eyes glittered, and the corners of his mouth turned
up obstinately.

"The fool!" thought the latter. "To give me such an advantage. He
can't hide how sore he is. I will entertain the lady."

"That's a great little team of mine! They keep me laughing all day
with their ways. They're in love with each other. At night I picket
Sambo, and Dinah just sticks around. Well, the other night Sambo stole
some of her oats when she wasn't looking, and she was sore. She didn't
say anything, but waited till he went to sleep, then she stole off and
hid behind the willows.

"Well, say, when he woke up there was a deuce of a time! He ran around
that stake about a hundred times a minute, squealing like a pig at the
sight of the knife. Miss Dinah, she heard him all right, but she just
stayed behind the willows laughing.

"After a time she came walking back real slow, and looking somewhere
else. Say, he nearly ate her up. All the way around the bay he was
promising he'd never steal another oat, so help me Bob! but she was
cool toward him."

Bela laughed demurely. She loved stories about animals.

While he talked on in his light style Sam was warily measuring his
rival.

"It'll be the biggest job I ever tackled," he thought. "He's got
thirty pounds on me, and ring training. But he's out of condition and
I'm fit. He loses his head easily. I'll try to get him going. Maybe I
can turn the trick. I've _got_ to do it to make good up here. That
would establish me for ever."

At the end of one of Sam's stories Bela stood up. "Time for go. Both!"
she said succinctly.

Sam got up laughing. "Nothing uncertain about that," he said. He
waited for Joe by the door.

Joe was sunk in a sullen rage. "Go ahead," he said, sneering.

"After you," Sam retorted with a smile.

Joe approached him threateningly