Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1907-06-20


Plainly it was but question Of minr,
utes, SO she backed out and took her
station beside the faro-table where the
Bronco Kid was dealing. His face wore
its colcrless mask Of Indifference; his
long white hands moved slowly with
the certainty that hetokened absolute
mastery of his art He was waiting.
The ex-crap dealer was keeping cases.
The group left the roulette-table In a
few moments, Glenister among the
others. He was not the man she knew.
In place of the dreary hopelessness
with which he had left her, his face
was flushed and reckless, his collar
was open, showing the base Of his
great, corded neck, while the lust Of
the game had coarsened him till he
was again the violent, untamed, pTini-
tive man of the frontier. His self-rei
straiht and dignity were gone. He had
tried the new ways, and they were not
for him. He slipped back and the past
swallowed him.
After leaving Cherry he had sought
some mental relief by idly risking the
coins lie and double, then double again
and again. He had been Indifferent
whether he won or lost, SO assumed a
reckless disregard for the laws of pro
liability, thinking that he would short
ly lose the money he had won and then
go home. He did not want 1t. When
his luck remained the same, he raised
the stakes, but 1t did not change-he
could not lose. Before he realized 1t,
other men were betting with him, ami
mated purely by greed and the craze
Of the sport. First one, then another
joined, Till game after game was clos
ed, and each moment the crowd had
grown in size and enthusiasm so that
it's fever crept into him, innperceptibly
at first, but ever increasing, till the
mania mastered him.
He paid no attention to Cherry rs
he took his seat. He had eyes for moth
ing but the Layout She clenched
her hands and prayed for his ruin.
whats your limit, KIDD" he inquir-
ed.
Zone hundred, and two" the Kid
answered, which in the vernacular
means that any sum up to 5000 may
be laid on one card save only on the
last turn, when the amount is lessen
cd by half.
Without more ado, they commenced.
The Kid handled his cards smoothly,
surely, paying and taking bets with
machine-like calm The on-lookers
ceased talking and prepared to watch,
for now came the crucial test of the
evening Faro is to other games as
war liz to jackstraws.
For time Glenister won steadily
till there came moment when many
stacks of chips lay on the deuce.
Cherry saw the Kid Flash" to the
oase.keeper. and the next moment he
had pulled two" The deuce lost
It was his first substantial gain, and
the players paid no attention. At thu
end of half an hour the winnings were
slightly in favor of the house" Their
Glenister said, 'eThis is too slow.
want action"
''All right" smiled the proprietor
We'll double the limit
Thus 1t became possible to wager
$400 on a card, and the Kid began real
| " to play. Glenister now lost stead
lily, not in large amounts, but with
tantalizfng regularity. Cherry hat
never seen cards played like this. The
gambler was revelation to her-hi.
work was wonderful. III luck seemet
to fan the crowds eagerness, while
to add to It impotence, the cases came
wrong twice In succession, so tina
those who would have bet heavily upoI
! the last turn had their money giveI
back. Cherry. saw the confusion o
the ."hearse.driyer" even quicker thai
did Bronco. Toby was growing rat
tied. The Dealers work was too fas
for him, and yet he could offer n,
signal of distress for fear of annihila
ton at the hands Of those crowde,
close to his shoulder. In the same wa.
the owner Of the game could make n,
objection to his helpers Incompetence,
for fear that some by.stander woult
volunteer to fill the mans part-ther,
We're many present capable Of tn
trick. He could only glare balefuil.
across the table at his unfortunate con
federate,
They had not gone far on the mex
game before Cherry's quick eye detect
ed a sign which the man misinterpret
| ed. She addressed him quietly, "You',
better brush UP your plumes.''
IN spite OF his anger the Bronco XII;
smiled. Humor in him was strangsl
withered and distorted, yet here wa
a thrust he would always remenbe
and recount with s1ee in years I,
come. He feared there were othe
faro.dealers present who might under
stand the hint, but there was non
save Mexico Mullins, whose face was
study-mirth seemed to be stranglin,
him. A moment later the girl spek
to the case-keeper again.
Let me take your place; you
reins are unbuckled"
Toby glanced inquiringly at the Kid
who caught Cherry's reassuring Iool
and nodded, 30 he arose and the gir
slid into the vacant chair. This won
an would make no errors-the deafe
knew that: her keen Wits were SHARP
ened by hate-it showed In her face. 1
Glehister escaped destruction to-nigh
1t would be because human mean
could not accomplish his downfall.
1 In the mind of the new case-keepe
there was but one thought-Roy mus
4