Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1911-12-15
CHAPTER i.-continued.

Stll got that hunch. kearnl
fingered his cards a long time. AN,
I'll play it, but you've got to know
now l stand. There's my steamer, tn,
Bella-worth twenty thousand If she'
worth an unc There's Sixty Mil,
with i've thousand in stock on tn,
shelves. And you know / got a saw
mill coming in. It's at Lindermal
now, and the scow Is building. Am
Igood?"
dig in; you're sure good" wal
Daylight's answer. "And while we'r,
about 1t, | may mention casual tina
q got twenty thousand in Macs safe
there, and there's twenty Thousand
more in the ground on Moosehide
You know the ground, Campbell. Ii
they that-all in the dirt?"
There sure is. Daylight"
How much does 1t cost now?'
Kearns asked.
1.-TWO thousand to see."
We'll sure hump you If you-al
come in" Daylight warned him.
Its IN almighty good hunch,'
Kearns said, adding his slip to the
growing heap. Il can feel her crawl
In up and down my back"
Il amt got a bunch, but l got a toll
ssrable good hand" Campbell an
%nounced, as he slid in his slip: but
dts not a raising hand"
Mine u.s." Daylight paused and
wrote. II see that thousand and raise
her the same old thousand"
The Virgin, standing behind him
then did what a mans best friend was
mot privileged to do. Reaching over
Daylight's shoulder, she picked up his
hand and read it. at the same time
shielding the faces Of the cards close
to his chest. What she saw were
three queens and a pair Of Fights, but
nobobdy guessed what she saw,
Every players eyes were on her face
- she scanned the cards, but no sign
s1id she give. She laid the hand face
down again on the table and slowly
The lingering eyes withdrew from her
having learned nothing.
Macdonald smiled benevolently. 81
zee you, Daylight, and l hump this
time for two thousand. How's that
launch, Jack?"
"Still a-crawling, Mac. You got me
now, but that bunch is a rip-snortcr
Dersuadin' sort of a c%ritter. and it's
my plain duty to ride II. l call for
three thousand. And l got another
ahunch; Daylight's going to call. too"
HE sure is Daylight agreed. after
Campbell had thrown up his hand.
"He knows when he's up against 1t.
and he plays accordin'. see that
two thousand, and then I'll see the
draw"
In a dead silence, a v for the low
voices of the three players, the draw
was made. Thirty-four thousand dol
lars were already in the pot. and the
play possibly not half v To the
Virgins ~amazement, Daylight held up
his three queens, discarding his Fights
tand calling for two cards. And this
time not even she dared look at what
ne had drawn. She knew her limit
aof control. Nor did he look. The two
new cards lay face down on the table
where they had been dealt to him.
Got enough" was the reply.
"You can draw II you want to, you
hnow," Kearns warned him.
Nope; thism do me-"
Kearns himself drew two cards, but
sdid not look at them. Still Harnish let
This cards lie.
Il never bet in the teeth OF a pat
hand" he said slowly, looking at the
saloon keeper. "You-all start her roll
iang. Mac"
Macdonald counted his cards care
fully, to make doubly sure it was not
"a foul hand, wrote a sum on a paper
slip, and slid it into the pot. with the
simple utterance:
Five thousand"
Kearns, with every eye upon him.
looked at his two-card draw, counted
the other three to dispel any doubt of
holding more than five cards, and
'wrete on a betting slip.
Il see you. Mac" he said, land l
raise her a little thousand just 80 as to
keep Daylight out"
The concentrated gaze shifted to
Daylight. He likewise examined his
draw and counted his five cards.
81 see that six thousand, and / raise
her five thousand . Just to try
and keep you out, Jack"
"And l raise you fivn thousand just
to lend a hand at keeping Jack out"
Macdonald said in turn.
His voice was slightly husky and
sstrained, and a nervous witch in the
corner of his mouth followed speech.
Kearns was pale, and those who
booked on noted that his hand trem-
.Dled as he wrote his slip. But his
voice was unchanged.
II lift her along for five thou
-axnd," he said.
Daylight was now in the center.
The kerosene lamps above flung high
pights from the rash nj sweat on his