"Excuse me," he said, turning very red. "Got my foot caught. I'm as awkward as a cowboy at a dance. Well, here's luck." Everybody drank the beer, and Lillie began to hum a little song. In about a minute Violet reeled around in her chair and tumbled off on the floor in a confused heap of white muslin, blondined hair and black stockings. Captain Clancy seemed much vexed. He shot a steel blue flash from his eyes at Lillie and said something very much like "d--n it" to himself. "Great heavens!" cried Mr. Simmons, "this lady has fainted. Call a doctor, or get some water or somethin' quick." "Say," said Lillie, lighting a cigarette, "don't get woozy. She'll sleep it off. You gents get out for a while. Say, J-Mister, tell the bartender to send Sam up as you go out. Good night." "We had better go," said the captain. Mr. Simmons, with many protestations of sympathy and anxiety, was led away by Captain Clancy downstairs, where he delivered the message, and thence out into the cool night air. He was feeling pretty strongly the effects of the beer he had drunk, and leaned heavily upon the captain's arm. Captain Clancy assured him that the lady would be all right in a little while, that she had merely drunk a little too much beer, which had affected her rather suddenly, and succeeded in restoring Mr. Simmons to his former cheerful spirits. "It is not yet half past eleven," said the captain. "How would you like to go up into one of the gambling rooms just to look on a while? It is a very interesting sight." "Just the thing," said Mr. Simmons. "They are not new things to me at all. Twice I have been in 'em in San Antone. Saw a feller win $18 one night in this game you play with little buttons on little boards." "Keno, I believe," said the captain. "Yes, that's it--keno." * * * * * I shall not undertake to describe the locality of the apartments to which our visitors next went. Gambling houses are almost unknown in Houston, and as this is a true story, the attempt to give a definite location to such an institution in a city of the well known morality of Houston would meet with incredulity. Neither is it clear how they managed to find such a place, both of them being strangers, but by some accidental blunder, Captain Clancy led Mr. Simmons up a brightly lighted and carpeted stair into a large apartment, where a goodly crowd of men were gathered, trying their luck at the different games usually found in a well appointed gambling house. The stairway opened into the room nearly at the end farthest from the street. Immediately in front of the two gentlemen when they entered was a room in which were two or three round tables and chairs, at that time unoccupied.