The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-04-03


blers. most OF them, and they play the
limit. He took out the black jack bank
roll FIRST, $4,000. then cleaned the Tub
By that time the tin horns began to
come In. It's the greatest run ever
see
Did you get ln?"
Now, don't you know that never
play anything but bank? II he lasts
long enough to reach the faro layout
I'll get mine"
The excitement Of the crowd begal
to infect the girl. even though she
looked on from the outside. The ex-
ultant voices. the sudden hush. the
tensity Of nerve II all betokened. set
her a-thrilL A stranger left the throng
and rushed to tho spot where Cherry
and Mexico stood talking. He was
small and sandy, with shifting glance
and chinless jaw. His eyes glittered,
his teeth shone ratlike through his dry
lips, and his voice was shriIl. He
darted toward them like some furtive.
frightened little animal, uHnaturally
excited.
81 guess that isn't so bad for three
betsr He shook a shesf Of banknotes
at them.
why don't you stick ?" inquired Null
Inns.
IT am too wise. Ha! l know when
to quit. He can't win steady-he don't
play any system"
"Then he has q coed chance" said
the girl
"There. he goes now" the little man
cried as the uproar arose. II told you
he'd lose.' At the voice Of the multi
tude he wavered as though affected by
some powerful magnet
But he won again." said Mexico.
mo! Did hel LOrdl 1 quit too
soon"
He scampered back into the other
room, only to return, hesitating, his
money tightly clutched.
do you s'pOse it's safe? l never
saw a man bet so reckless. guess
I'd better quit, eh?" He noted the sneer
on the woman's face, and without wait
ing a reply dashed Off again. They
saw him DANGEROUSLY fight his way in
toward post at the roulette table.
LET me through! I've got money, and
want to play itP'
"Pah" said Mullins disgustedly.
Hes one of them Vermont despera-
does that never laid bet till he was
thirty. If Glenister loses he'll hate
him for life.'
There are plenty of his sort here"
the girl remarked. His soul would fit
In flea track" She spied the Bronco
Kid sauntering back toward her and
joined him. He leaned against the
wall, watching the gossamer thread Of
smoke twist upward from his ciga
rette, seemingly oblivious to the sur
rOundings and showing no hint of the
emotion he had displayed two hours
before
This is big killing, isn't it?' said
the girl.
The gambler nodded, murmuring in
differently.
"why aren't you dealing bank? Isn't
this your shift"
IT quit last night"
"Just In time to miss this affair.
Lucky for you"
Eyes; own the place now. Bought
It yesterday"
Good heavensI Then it's your mon
ey he's winningw
"Sure, at the rate of thousand a
minute
She glanced at the long trail of dew
astated tables behind Glenister and
his followers. At that instant the
sound told that the miner had won
again, and it dawned upon Cherry that
the gambler beside her stood too quiet
", that his hand and voice were too
steady, his glance too cold to be nat
ural The next moment approved her |
instinct
The musicians, grown tired Of their !
endeav ors to lure back the dancers, |
to join the excitement and |
ceased playing. The leader laid down |
his violin, the pianist trailed up the key |
board with a departing twitter and |
quit his stool. They all crossed the |
hall, headed for the crowd, some of |
them making ready to bet. AS they |
the Bronco Kid, his lips
thinned and slid apart slightly, while
out of his heavy lidded eyes there far
ed unreasoning rage. Stepping for
ward, he seized the foremost man and
spun him about violently.
where are you goingT
why, nobody wants to dance, SC
we thought we'd go out front for
bit"
"Get back. all of your 1t was hi
lrst chance to vent the passion within
him. A glance at his maddened fea-
lures was sufficient for the musicians.
and they did not delay. By the time
they had resumed their duties, howev-
Or, the curtains Of composure had
closed upon the Kid, masking his emo
lion again. but from her brief glimpse
Cherry Malotte knew that this man
was not of ice, as some supposed. He
turned to her and said, "Do you mean