Frontier and pioneer life -- West (U.S.) -- Fiction; Western stories
"Five better," said Hewley, winner again four times in the last five.
"Ten," said Wingo.
"And twenty," said the Secretary and Treasurer.
"Call you."
"Three kings."
"They are good, suh. Gove'nuh, I'll take a hun'red mo'."
Upon this the wealthy and weary Treasurer made a try for liberty and
bed. How would it do, he suggested, to have a round of jack-pots, say
ten--or twenty, if the member from Silver City preferred--and then stop?
It would do excellently, the member said, so softly that the Governor
looked at him. But Wingo's large countenance remained inexpressive, his
black eyes still impersonally fixed on space. He sat thus till his chips
were counted to him, and then the eyes moved to watch the cards fall.
The Governor hoped he might win now, under the jack-pot system. At noon
he should have a disclosure to make; something that would need the most
cheerful and contented feelings in Wingo and the Legislature to be
received with any sort of calm. Wingo was behind the game to the tune
of--the Governor gave up adding as he ran his eye over the figures of
the bank's erased and tormented record, and he shook his head to
himself. This was inadvertent.
"May I inquah who yo're shakin' yoh head at, suh?" said Wingo, wheeling
upon the surprised Governor.
"Certainly," answered that official. "You." He was never surprised for
very long. In 1867 it did not do to remain surprised in Idaho.
"And have I done anything which meets yoh disapprobation?" pursued the
member from Silver City, enunciating with care.
"You have met my disapprobation."
Wingo's eye was on the Governor, and now his friends drew a little
together, and as a unit sent a glance of suspicion at the lone bank.
"You will gratify me by being explicit, suh," said Wingo to the bank.
"Well, you've emptied the toddy."
"Ha-ha, Gove'nuh! I rose, suh, to yoh little fly. We'll awduh some mo'."
"Time enough when he comes for the breakfast things," said Governor
Ballard, easily.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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