Three men did so, sorting out the cards as they went along. Soon came another excited cry: "Here are two queen of hearts!" "The card he brought from his pocket!" "He is a swindler of the worst sort!" "He must have cheated me!" "And me too!" "He got fifty dollars from me!" "A hundred and ten from me!" "Let us make him shell out!" "We will make him shell out!" said Maybe Dixon, firmly. "He has got to pay us back every cent he took from us." He turned to Sag Ruff. "Will you do it--or will you have this?" And he shook the pistol in the gambler's face. "I'll pay up," answered the swindler, weakly. "Don't shoot me, and I'll give up to the very last penny!" CHAPTER XI SAG RUFF'S THREAT For the time being the excitement was high in the gambler's shack and Mark thought that somebody would surely be shot. The men present affirmed that they had lost about a thousand dollars between them, whereas Sag Ruff had only nine hundred dollars on hand with which to make a settlement. "Where is the rest of the money?" demanded one man. "Lost it," answered the gambler. "Fellow named Hi Wilson got it from me." "I reckon that's right," said another. "He played with Hi night before last and Hi went off with over three hundred dollars. He was too sharp-eyed for this rascal." "I'll fix this," said Maybe Dixon. "He owes us one thousand. Nine hundred is a thousand with ten per cent. off, as the schoolmasters say. Everybody gits wot is comin' to him less ten per cent. Ain't I right, Perfesser?" The last to a man who had once taught in Yale College, and who was now as eager to hunt gold as anybody. "That is correct," answered the professor, with a nod of his bald head. "Make the Perfesser the bookkeeper," said another man, and this was done, and in a very few minutes the money was divided in the proper ratio. During the proceedings the gambler looked glum. He gave Mark a savage glance. "I'll remember you, sonny!" he hissed, in a low tone. "I'll remember you too," answered Mark, but the gambler's remark caused him to shiver. He knew that Sag Ruff was angry enough to kill him if given the opportunity. It was after midnight, yet the camp was alive with people. The news had spread that somebody had exposed a swindler, and a crowd began to collect. Sag Ruff wanted to run away, but Maybe Dixon and some of the others would not let him go. "We are not done with you," said one man. "Why not? I've given up all I've got," growled the swindler. "We are going to teach you a lesson," said another. "Ride him on a rail!" "Duck him in the river!" These and several other suggestions rang out. Torches were procured, and in a few minutes one man found a long tent pole, which answered very well for a rail. Sag Ruff was hoisted on this and marched through the camp. Then he was taken to a pond filled with dirty water and tumbled in head first. "Now don't show your face on this trail again!" shouted several.