The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-06-22
CHAPTER IX.
We Compare Notes.

NT E 1Ou0u 11uC dDOuC
 X/ a block down the street. " When he saw me coming he
 pulled a fat buckskin bag from his brooches pocket, opened it's mouth and shook a quantity of it's contents by guess into the palm of his hand.
 There you are,'' said he; that's near enough. I'm pretty good guess CT. I hope you took care of the mules all right. You ought to, you're from farm.'
 q fixed 'em."
 "And the mud? How many times did you get stuck?'
 ''Not at all.''
 He looked at me with surprise.
 Would you think of that. .now?" said he "You must have loaded her light" 'I did,
 ''Did you get all the goods overT'
 "Yes."
 Well, I'll acknowledge you're a judgmaticaI young man, and if you want job with me I'll let that lawyer go I spoke to the judge about. He handed it to me then, didn't he?"' He laughed heartily. ''No? We'll, you're E1ght. A mans fool to work for any one but himself. Where's your bag? y dust2 Haven't any? forgot; you're a tenderfoot, of course" He opened his buckskin sack with his teeth, and poured back the gold from the palm of his hand. Then he searched for a moment in all his pockets and pro- duced a most peculiar chunk of gold metal. It was nearly as thick as it was wide, shaped roughly into an oc- tagon, and stamped with initials. This he handed to me.
 '1t's about fifty dollar slug said he; you can get.it weighed. Give me the change next time you see me-"
 But I may leave for the mines to- morrow I objected
 "Then leave the change with Jim Rocket of the Ell Dorado
 t'How do you know I'll leave 1t?" asked curiously.
 ~I don't,r replied McGlynn b1untly., But if you need $25 worse than you do a decent conscience then John A. McGlynn isn't the man to deny your!
 Johnny and left for the hotel.
 'T didn't know you expected any mail,'' said I.
 'I don't
 ''But thought saw you in Hne"-
 "'Oh, yes. When saw the mail sacks 1t struck me that there might be quite crowd; so came up as quick ly as I could and got in line. There were a number before me, but I got a place pretty well up in front. Sold the place for $5, and only had to stand there about an hour at that"
 Good headr' admired. '1'd never have thought of it. How have you got ten on ?'' eA
 Pretty rotten,'' confessed Johnny. 'sI tried all morning to find decent opportunity to do something or deal in something, and then I got mad and plunged in for odd jobs. I've been a regular errand boy. I made $2 carry ing a mans bag up from the ship.''
 ''How much all toIdF "Fifteen. suppose you've got your pile"
 tSThat twenty-five you saw me get is the size of it.''
 Johnny frightened. We moved up closer in a new intimacy and sense of comradeship over delinquency. It re Iieved both to feel that the other, too, had failed. To enter the Plaza we had to pass one of the larger of the gam bling places.
 "Tm going in here.'' said Johnny sud denly.
 He swung through the open doors, and I followed him.
 The place was comparatively desert ed, owing probably to the distribution of mail. We had full space to look about us, and was never more aston ished in my life. The outside of the 1 building was rough and unfinished as a barn, having nothing but size to at | tract or recommend. The interior was 1 the height of lavish luxury. A polish l ed mahogany bar ran down one side, 1 backed by huge gilt framed mirrors before which were pyramided fine | glasses and bottles of liquor. The rest ] of the wall space was thickly hung l with more plate mirrors, dozens of well executed oil paintings and strips of tapestry. At one end was a small raised stage on which 1o1led half dog en darkies with banjos and tambou- rines. The floor was covered with a thick velvet carpet. Easy chairs, some of them leather upholstered, stood about in every available corner.
 The game was roulette. Johnny and the dealer evidently recognized each other, for flash of the eye passed be | tween them, but they gave no other sign. Johnny studied the board a mo ment, then laid $22 in coin on one ot the numbers. The other players laiG out small bags of gold dust. Tht wheel spun and the ball rolled. Two of the men lost. Their dust was emp tied into a drawer beneath the table and the bags tossed back to them The third had won. The dealer deftls estimated the weight of his bet, lifting it in the fiat of his left hand, the1 spun several gold pieces toward tht winner. He seemed quite satisfied ! The gambler stacked a roll of twenty dollar pieces, added one to them anS thrust them at Johnny. I had not re alized that the astounding luck of win ming off a single number had befallel him.
 ''Ten to one $22or' he muttered t me.
 The other three players were layin,