The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1908-04-10
The Spoilers.
By REX E. BEACH.
. eopyrisht. 1905. By E. BsssA.
By REX E. BEACH.
(Contiaued)


who caught CherTy's reassuring loo,
and nodded. so he arose and the gi-
slid into the vacant chair. This wo
man would make no errors, the deale
knew that; her keen wits were sharp
ened by hate-it showed in her face
II Glenister escaped destruction -
night il would be because human
means could not accomplish his down
fall
In the mind of the new case keeper
there was but one thought-Roy must
be broken Humiliation. disgrace, ruin
ridicule were to be his If he should
be downed. discredited and discoura 2
ed, then perhaps he would turn to hey
as he had in the bygone days. He
was slipping away from her-this was
her last chance. She began her du-
ties easily, and her alertness stimulat-
ed Bronco till his senses, too, grew
sharper his observation more acute
and lightning-like. Glenister swore be
meath his breath that the cards were
bewitched. He was like a drunken
man, now as truly intoxicated as
though the fumes of wine had be
logged his brain. He swayed in his
seat, the veins Of his neck thickened
and throbbed, his features were con-
gested After awhile he spoke.
81 want a bigger limit. Is this some
boys game? Throw her open"
The gambler shot a triumphant
glance at the girl and acquiesced. "All
right, the limit is the blue sky. Pile
your checks to the roof pole" He be-
gan to shuttle.
Within the crowded circle the air
was hot and fetid with the breath of
men. The sweat trickled down Glen
listers brown skin, dripping from his
Jaw unnoticed. He arose and ripped
off his coat while those standing be-
hind shifted and scuffed their feet i'm
patiently. Besides Roy, there were but
three men playing. They were the
ones who had won heaviest at first.
Now that luck was against them they
were loath to quit.
Cherry was annoyed by stertorous
breathing at her shoulder, and glanced
back to find the little man who had
been so excited earlier in the evening
His mouth was agape, his eyes wide
the muscles about his lips twitching /
he had lost back, long since, the hun
dreds he had won and more besides. |
She searched the figures walling her |
about and saw no women. They had I
been crowded out long since. 1t |
seemed as though the table formed the |
bottom of a sloping pit of human faces
eager, tense, staring. 1t was well I
she was here, she thought, else this
task might fail. She would help to
blast Glenister, desolate him, humiliate
him. All, but wouldn't she
Roy bet 500 on the popular" card.
On the third turn he lost He bet $500
next and lost. He set out a stack of
tune had turned her face. He ground
his teeth and doubled until the stakes
grew enormous. while the dealer dealt
monotonously. The spots flashed and
disappeared, taking with them wager
after wager. Glenister became con-
scious of raging, red fury which he
had hard shift to master. 1t was not
LIS AlOuCA Whdl IL liz dlu lOSt' - /
would stay until he won. He would
win. This luck would not, could not
last-and yet with diabolic persistence
he continued to choose the losing cards.
The other men Jared better till he
yielded to their judgment, when the
dealer took their money also.
Strange to say, the tickle goddess hG,I
really shifted her banner at last, and
the Bronco Kid was dealing straight
faro now. He was too good PLACER
to force a winning hand, and Glei
ter's i'll fortune became as phenomenal
as his winning had been. The girl ~.lJ
figured in this drama was keyed t. -
highest tension her eyes now or
now searching the pro9lc
ler victim Glenister continued to Il :
and lose and lose while the girl g
I'd over his swift coming ruin Wiz
1t long intervals he won q bet
,hrank and shiverel for fear he ms
sScaDe If only 10 wculld risls " . ,
he had. He would have 70 l.
,eme to her then!
The end was closer than she realized. !
The throng hung breathless upon each :
move of the players, while there was no '
found but the noise of shifting chips Z
ind the distant jangle of the orchestra. u
rhe lookout sat far forward upon his u
,erch, his hands upon his knees, his .
yes frozen to the board, a dead cigar "
linched between his teeth. Crowded 4,
lpon his platform were miners tense %
nd mOtionless as statues When
nan spoke or coughed, score of eyes
tared at him accusingly, then dropped "
o the table again -
Glenister took from his clothes bun =
lie of banknotes so thick that II re- "
ulred his two hands to compass it. =,
Dnlookers saw that the bills were on
lainly yellow. No one spoke while he ev
ounted them rapidly, glanced at the ri
ealer, who nodded, then slid them ~
onward till they rested on the king. ey
lie placed copper" ON the pile. A IN