It was hard to figure chances on a draw like that, but Hennessy reckoned they would size him up for two pairs and he threw in ten dollars, thinking that he would call any raise he might get. He hadn’t looked at his draw, but did not count on having bettered. Krags saw the ten, having three sevens which he had not bettered, and a proper respect for Long Mike’s one-card draw. Bains surrendered, and Long Mike raised it ten, having bettered his hand with a six spot that made a small straight. Hennessy investigated and found he had caught another ace, which was, of course, enough to go back on; but Long Mike was not the player he was after, so he simply saw the raise, hoping for nothing more than a call from Krags. That gentleman, however, folded his cards. He had the name of knowing extremely well how to lay down when he was beaten. So nobody was badly hurt. The next chance fell to Smithers on Long Mike’s deal, there being another jack-pot, and he opened for one dollar and a half, there being that amount in the pot. The struggle was longer this time, for everybody stayed and three men bettered. He threw in a white chip for a feeler, and Hennessy raised it five dollars on three queens. Krags stayed, having aces up, and Stumpy raised again with a flush. Bains made good, having filled a straight, and Long Mike lay down. He had three little ones, but a double raise scared him out. Smithers looked at his hand doubtfully. He had opened it on kings and fours and had caught a seven in the draw, but deciding, whether it was good poker or not, to make a bluff, he came back with twenty dollars more. It was almost good, too, for it looked as if he had made a full house, and Hennessy dropped his three queens without a whimper, though he would have called if Stumpy had not raised him on the round before. Krags lay down, and Stumpy did some thinking. It took nerve to call even with a flush, but finally he said: “Ye may have it, I don’t know, but Oi’ll see it annyhow,” and threw in his chips. “That’s good,” said Bains, and Smithers had to show his two pairs. “Tried to blow me, hey?” said Stumpy, tauntingly, as he raked in the chips. “Ye may do that in La Crosse, but it don’t go here.” And Smithers had nothing to say. The next two deals were uneventful, and then Krags took the deck. His thick muscular fingers were well kept and white, after the usual rule as touching the hands of professional gamesters, and one who looked closely would have seen that they were singularly deft as well. As it happened there were three men at the table who were looking closely, and when he passed the cards over to Hennessy for the cut, that player riffled them three times before cutting them, whereat Stumpy grinned with glee, and Long Mike looked serene and satisfied.