by OMNICAdmin
his companions had shot one another,
keeper of three lunatics to keep them mimicked distress at their quarrel.
amused. While each man was determined
“Remember we’re sort of partners in
to do his best to win, not one of them
business—what they call allies.”
believed the winner would gain anything
“Yes,”
retorted
Spritz with blunt
tangible—so little trust did they have in
honesty, “yes, we’re allies because one of
one another.
us alone ain’t heavy enough to stop others
In fact, if there were anything at all
from trading here.”
at stake it was the off-chance that the losers
“Cut the cards, Bill. Everybody
would keep their words.
ante,” Miller interjected.
Even Nugent, who had intended to
Spritz, about to deal the first card,
play fairly, decided that he would be a fool
paused, squeezing the pack between his
to do so. But Nugent’s character was far
huge paws.
too complex for a superficial analysis. And
“Seems to me you’re trying to run
yet the men were as serious and intent as
things?”
any three men might be who delighted in
“Well, is everybody to ante, or
stud-poker; Miller giving each man ten not?”
chips, taking ten himself, then
“Everybody ante, of course—but
ostentatiously closing the box. After which
you don’t have to tell us.”
he directed the boy to take the box, with
Miller was a long way from being a
the remaining chips, back to the cabin.
coward, but a profitless quarrel did not
appeal to his intelligence. He therefore
FIRST jack deals.”
made no answer, in spite of Nugent’s
He began to deal ’round the cards,
questioning glances—Nugent being quite
Adventure
6
ready to take sides against the bullying
“Well,” Miller sneered slightly,
Sprite—contenting himself with lighting a
“what are you going to do?”
cigar.
Nugent was watching him closely.
Then Spritz dealt the cards, three
“Allowed a bit of time, ain’t I?” he
exposed and three buried. He looked at his
asked nastily, sparring for that useful
hole-card, and turned his exposed card face
commodity.
down—passing out, having only a deuce
“All you want,” Miller puffed
and a seven. He picked up the pack, deeply at his cigar, and grinned as he waiting to deal when the others had made
looked at the exposed cards.
their bets. Miller’s exposed card was a six-
Nugent was thinking. All he had of
spot, Nugent’s was a jack.
value was the pair of jacks—his hole-card
“You’re high,” Miller remarked.
being a deuce. Of course, he had Miller
“I see I am.”
beaten in sight, for Miller only showed a
Nugent had looked at his hole-card,
pair of sixes. But what had he in the hole?
and was now studying his opponent.
There was the point and the little detail
“Bet a “couple,” he added suddenly.
which raises stud-poker to the height of one
“See
it.”
of the greatest games in the world—its
Miller pushed two chips toward the
brother draw being of as low a scientific
center of the table and nodded to Spritz,
order as roulette.
who dealt again.
Nugent could see every card in his
This time he dealt Nugent another
opponent’s hand but one, just as Miller
jack, and Miller a seven. It looked like a
could see all of Nugent’s cards but one. But
good place for Captain Miller to get out,
Miller appeared to be confident of the
but when Nugent, apparently trying to coax
issue, while Nugent was not. Yet Nugent
him along, bet one chip, Miller at once
knew he had the best hand unless Miller’s
pushed one chip to the center, grinning at
hole-card was a six, a seven or a ten. If a
Spritz’s look of surprise as the latter began
six, he had three sixes; if a seven or a ten,
to deal again.
he held two pair—in either case enough to
The deal gave Nugent a queen and
beat Nugent.
Miller another six. Nugent was still high
But then the chances in Nugent’s
with a pair of jacks and a queen in sight
favor were the better—for he certainly had
against his opponent’s pair of sixes and a
the highest pair. But Miller’s confident
seven; and it looked, unless Miller quit, as
manner, and his ready calling, made it
if he would be trusting to his luck to “draw
appear that his hole-card improved his
out.”
hand. On the contrary, unless Nugent was a
A bit annoyed at having as he player of a rare sort, his hesitancy at this thought coaxed his opponent to stay and
last bet was proof that he had nothing but
better his hand, Nugent now decided rather
the pair of jacks.
thoughtlessly to make him pay to stay. He
“I check,” Nugent spoke suddenly,
accordingly bet four of his remaining six
meaning he passed the bet to his
chips. To his surprise and secret alarm,
opponent—about the best thing he could do
Miller at once saw the bet, and Spritz dealt
after waiting so long, and taking into
the last two cards—Nugent a four and account the limited number of chips.
Miller a ten. Nugent was still high in sight,
Miller at once pushed his remaining
and it was therefore his bet.
chips to the middle of the table. He didn’t
Dirty Jim
7
say a word.
wanted to appear.
Nugent shifted about in his chair
It was not the first time Miller had
uneasily. Spritz leaned forward, interested.
outwitted him. There were matters of trade,
The game had gripped the players—not one
and other things, studding the years of their
of them was thinking about the stake. acquaintance, which irked when they came Nugent sought Miller’s eyes as if to read
to the surface of consciousness. His face
through them the secret of his hole-card.
flushed until the blood could be seen
Then, still keeping his eyes on Miller’s, he
creeping under his blond hair. Miller, on
lifted his remaining chips as if to bet them.
the contrary, was cool and comfortable. It
“Sure you don’t want to draw was a favorite pose of his to seem unmoved down, Miller?” he asked, his voice by success. He pulled deliberately at his quavering slightly with excitement.
mustache.
“Quite sure.” Miller was laconic.
“Cut,” repeated Nugent.
And Nugent shook his head, with a
&nb
sp; “Might be a good idea.” Miller’s
forced smile, retaining his chips on his side
tone was silky, but it made Nugent the
of the table.
more savage, as it was meant to do.
“I won’t bet ’em,” he snarled.
Nugent dealt the cards, giving
“You’ve got either two pair or threes. Take
himself an ace and a king—above the
the pot.”
average hand. But he was cautious. He had
Miller, with a slightly insulting only one chip left after the ante, and he gesture, raked in the pot; and as he pushed
hoped for at least a pair when he was
his cards away he turned over the buried
forced to ask for a show-down. So he
one. It was an ace.
passed, remarking that he would—
“——!” Nugent was furious. “I had
“Just deal this hand, and watch.”
you beat.”
And now Tom Spritz determined to
“Why didn’t you call, then?”
show that he knew the game. The fact of
Miller began to stack his chips, his having a pair of aces back to back—the while the other, on the verge of starting a
best hand he could possibly hold at that
row, slammed the cards together and began
stage of the deal—helped him to that
to shuffle clumsily. Spritz laughed shortly.
determination. It was true that he only had
“You ought to have called,” he eight chips in his stack against Miller’s advised.
seventeen, but, to use an old saying, he had
“The ——! I suppose you would?”
chips enough for a good player.
“Of course—anybody could see he
Miller had a queen in sight and it
was bluffing,” returned Spritz.
was up to Tom to bet. He bet two chips and
“Well, we’ll see. But you can never
Miller called. Nugent gave each man
tell how a hand looks unless you’re playing
another card—Miller another queen, Spritz
it.”
a ten.
He anteed one of his two chips, and
“Big hands out, eh, Tom?” Miller
pushed the pack to Miller to be cut. It
spoke genially.
looked as if Captain Nugent would have to
“You bet,” Spritz grinned back, and
play not only very good stud-poker but also
bet another chip, which Miller called.
play in very good luck if he were to have
the privilege of kidnaping the Salvation
THEN Nugent dealt Spritz another ten and
Army girl. And he was more angry than he
Miller a four. Spritz laughed loudly. He
Adventure
8
had aces up while Miller only had a pair of
he’s going to speak to Sydney Dick
queens in sight, with a four. It looked like a
about?”
cinch. He pushed all his chips to the center,
“What does it matter?” returned
but Miller saw them without hesitating.
Nugent cheerfully. “Dick’s probably
“the ——!” cried Spritz. “It’s a drunk.”
showdown, you know—but you’ve got lots
But Sydney Dick was not drunk,
of chips.”
and to him the word of Spritz was above
He turned over his hole-card, any law. The orders he received that showing that he had two pair. But Miller,
afternoon were unusual, but he accepted
without a sound, showed a queen in the
them as if he were not a bit surprised—
hole—three queens, the better hand.
which he wasn’t. Then Spritz went back to
“For God’s sake!” Spritz cried to
his guests.
Nugent “Give me another ace, Bill.”
The game had changed somewhat.
“I’ll do my best,” Nugent laughed
When Sprite left Nugent had only a chip
as usual, but he only dealt a six to Spritz
left, hence a show-down for the ante was in
and then as if to add insult to injury gave
order. But Nugent’s luck had come to his
Miller another four, making a full hand.
rescue—for freeze-out is not poker in the
“Like killing a louse with a legitimate sense of the word—and when hundred-ton gun,” remarked Miller as he
Spritz returned from his conference with
raked in the pot.
his mate Nugent had five chips in front of
Spritz, his fists clenched, was ready
him and was shuffling the cards to deal.
to spring at Miller’s throat, but a certain
Miller, of course, had twenty-five chips.
idea restrained him.
Nugent dealt, and it was his bet—he
“Guess I’m out of it,” he remarked
having a king in sight, and Miller a nine.
as quietly as he could. “Well, you chaps
Nugent bet one chip, but Miller, perhaps
will stay to supper.”
intending to force matters, raised him four.
They remonstrated, each anxious to
For a moment Nugent hesitated—lifting his
win and get away. But Spritz insisted.
hole-card and looking at it in the curious
“Besides,” he added, “it may take
way stud-players do when they know quite
some time for this game to finish.”
well what the card is—then he pushed his
“Don’t look like it when I look at
four remaining chips to the middle of the
my stack,” answered Nugent with affected
table.
sorrow. “But where are you going, Tom?”
“Might as well turn ’em face up—
“Got to speak to the mate,” replied
it’s another show-down,” suggested Miller.
Spritz, getting out of his chair.
Nugent did not answer. He turned
“Going to his room to weep,” over his hole-card, showing the queen of grinned Miller.
spades, Miller did the same, showing
“Don’t you wish you had a chance
another nine. The odds were all in favor of
of being a bridegroom, like us, Tom?”
Miller: two nines against a king and a
Spritz laughed quite naturally.
queen of different suits. Then Nugent dealt
“I told you I hadn’t thought of it
Miller another nine, cursing as he did so,
before you fellows came aboard,” he lied as
and dealt himself the ten of clubs. The
he left the poop.
game appeared to be over and Miller
“The —— he didn’t.” Miller was
pretended to rake in the chips.
shuffling the cards. “Now, I wonder what
“Hold on!” rasped Nugent. You
Dirty Jim
9
haven’t won yet.”
with you?” asked Spritz impatiently.
“Pretty near, though,” interrupted
“Who’s playing this hand?” asked
Spritz, dropping heavily into his chair.
Miller nastily.
Nugent glared, but did not reply.
“That’s so,” agreed Nugent
Then his face cleared and very deliberately
unexpectedly. “I have an ace in the hole,
he dealt again, giving his opponent the ace
you know.”
of hearts and him
self the ace of diamonds.
“I think so,” admitted Miller,
“Might be worse,” he grunted.
turning down his card.
“Don’t see that you’ve got
“Ha, ha!” Nugent laughed loudly,
anything. Just a straight, open in the disregarding the fact that he had only one middle,” retorted Miller.: “But deal the —
chip belonging to his opponent in the pot
— things—what are you waiting for?”
he took in. “Got you that time—measly
“This.” Nugent dealt with one of
little deuce in the hole—you had me beat.
those curious prophetic feelings of Ha, ha! Where’s your nerve?”
certainty called a sure hunch, giving Miller
Miller did not answer, but Spritz
the two of spades and himself the jack of
reminded Nugent about the time he had
the same suit.
laid down a pair of jacks, and an argument
“Funny, ain’t it?” he laughed as he
began which Miller terminated by saying
scooped the chips over to his side; and as
sharply as he offered the pack—
he spoke he felt sure that he was going to
“Cut!”
beat Miller at stud—to do which was worth
Nugent cut the cards and Miller
more than getting the girl, at that moment.
began to deal. The luck appeared to be
But Miller had still the greater changing, for Nugent’s exposed card was a number of chips, which perhaps caused two of spades while Miller’s was an ace of him to over-bet his hand. At any rate when
