The Red Cloud chief., 1908-01-03
TContinucd from last week. |

stamped their feet to relieve tho grin
OF strained muscles. The dealer reach
ed forth and slid the stack of bills into
the drawer az his waist without count
ing The case Keeper passed q shaking
hand over her face, and when It came
away she saw blood on her fingers
where she had sunk her teeth into her
lower lip. Glcnistcr did not rise. He
sat. heavy browCd and Sulen. his jaw
thrust forward. his hair low upon his
forehead, his eyes bloodshot and dead
'I'll sit the hand out If you'N let me
bet the finger" said he.
"Certanly." replied the dealer.
When man requests this privilege.
IL means that he will call the amount
Of his wager without producing the
visible stakes, and the dealer may ac-
ccpt or refuse according to his judg-
ment OF the bettors responsibility. II
Is safe, for no man shirks gambling
debt In the north, and thousands may
go with n nod of the head though never
a cent be on the board
There were still few cards in the
box, and the dealer turned them. pay
ing the three men who played. Glen
lister took no part but sat bulkcd over
his end Of the table, glowering from
beneath his shock OF hair
Cherry was dcathly tired. The strain
0f the last hour had been SO intense
that she could barely sit in her seat,
yet she was determined to finish the
hand AS Bronco paused before the
last turn many Of the bystanders made
bets. They were the lease players"
who risked money only on the final
pair, thus avoiding the chance of two
cards of like denomination coming to-
gethcr, In which event ('splits'' it is
called the dealer takes half the mon
ey. The stakes were laid at last and
The deal about to start when Glcnister
spoke. wait. What's this place
worth, Bronco?"
What do you meanT"
You own this OUTFIT? He waved
his hand about the room. We'll. what
does II stand youT'
The gambler hcsitated an instant,
while the crowd pricked up its ears.
and the girl turned wondering. trOu-
bled eyes upon the miner. What would
he do now?
Counting bank rolls. fixtures and
all. about S12O,OOO. Why?"
''Ill pick the ace to lose my one half
interest In the Midas against your
whole layout"
There was an absolute hush while
the realization of this offer smotc the
OnlOokers. IL took time to realize II.
This man was Insane. There were
three cards to choose from-one would
win, one would lose, and one would
have no action.
or all those present only Cherry Ma
lotte OWNED even vaguely the real rea-
son which prompted the man to do
This. " was not ''gamcness' nor alto
gether british stubbornness which
would not let him quit II was some
thing deeper He was desolatc, and
his heart was gone. Helen was lost Ia
him-wOrSe yet. was unworthy and
she was all he cared for. What did he
want or the Midas, with its lawsuits
Its intrigucS and It's trickery; lie WAS
sick Of II ALL Of the whole game and
wanted 10 get away. If he won. very
well lf he lost. the land of the aurora
would know him no more
When he pul his proposition the
Bronco Kid dropped his eyes as though
debating. The girl saw that he stu.
died the csrds in his box iutently and
that his fingers ,carcSscd the top one
ever 80 softly during the instant the
eyes OF the rest were on Glenisler
The dealer looked mp NJ last. and Cher
ry saw the glcam of triumph in his
rye. lie could not mask II from her,
though his answering words were hest.
tating. She knew by the look that
GleniSicr was Il pauper
Come on" insisted Roy hoars.ly:
'''urn the cards"
You're on
The girl felt that she was faintiny.
She wanted to scream. The triumph
Of this moment stihed her or was It
triumph, after all? She heard the
breath of the little man behind her
rattle as though he were being throt-
lied and saw The lookout pass Il shak-
Ing hand Ia his chin. then wet his
parchcd lips, She saw the man she
had helped Ia ruin hrud forward. his
lean face strained and hard, an odd
look Of pain ana WEAKNESS In his eyes.
She never forgot that look The
crowd was frozen In various attitudes
"r eaScrncSS. although il had not yet
recovered from the suspense Of The
last great wager. II knew The Midas
and what II meant, Here lay half OF
u, hidden beneath n tawdry square OF
pasteboa With maddcning dcllb.
RraIinn tho L. Ii IInnlf ihh "a, ,,ul