On the very next hand something still more remarkable happened. The first man after the age stayed in and all the others remained. Observing Darleton’s cards, Merry saw he held the deuce, six, seven, and king of diamonds and the seven of spades. He split his pair, casting aside the seven of spades, and drew to the four diamonds. The card that came in was the ace of diamonds, giving him an ace-high flush. Two of the other players took two cards each; but Merry decided that one of them was holding up a “kicker”—that is, an odd card with his pair. This estimation of his hand Frank formed from the fact that the man had not raised the original bettor before the draw, although sitting in a fine position to do so. Had the man held threes he would have raised. It was likely he had a small pair and an ace, and also that he knew the style of play of the original bettor and believed this person was likewise holding a “kicker,” probably for the purpose of leading the other players into fancying he had threes. This being the case, Darleton’s ace-high was a fancy hand and would be almost certain to rake down the pot. Even supposing it possible that both players who called for two cards held three of a kind, it was not, in the natural run of the game, at all likely they had improved their hands. Still when the original bettor tossed four blue chips into the pot and one of the others called, Darleton dropped his handsome flush, declining to come in and, remarking: “I didn’t catch.” He lied, for he had “caught” and filled a flush. What was his object in lying? A moment later the original bettor lay down three jacks and a pair of nine spots. The hand was superior to Darleton’s flush. Beyond question Darleton knew he was beaten, and therefore he chose to pretend he had not filled his hand. But how did he know? ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER IX THE TRICK EXPOSED. “The cards must be marked!” was the thought that again flashed through Frank Merriwell’s mind. But if they were marked and it was impossible to detect the fact, there was no way of exposing the crooked player. If they were marked, however, Merry believed there must be some way of detecting it. Frank kept very still. Slipping his hand into an inner pocket, he brought forth something he had purchased that very afternoon, after talking with Morton concerning Darleton’s success at poker and his methods. Quietly he adjusted his purchase to the bridge of his nose. He had bought a pair of smoked glass goggles! The cards were being shuffled. The goggles changed the aspect of the room, causing everything to look dim and dusky. The man who was dealing tossed the cards round to the different players. As this was being done, Frank detected something hitherto unseen upon the cards.