Cassidy, Hopalong (Fictitious character) -- Fiction; Western stories
Fisher glanced at his hand and became instant prey to a turmoil of
thoughts. Four queens, with an eight of clubs! He looked across at the
calm, reflective dealer who was rubbing the disgraceful stubble on his
chin while he drew two cards partly from his hand and considered them
seriously. He seemed to be perplexed.
"I been playin' this game for more years than I feel like tellin',"
Bill grumbled, whimsically; "but I ain't never been able really to
decide one little thing." Becoming conscious that he might be delaying
the game he looked up suddenly. "Have patience, friend. _Oh_, then it's
all right! You ain't discarded yet," he finished cheerfully. Throwing
away the two cards he waited.
"Gimme one," grunted Fisher, discarding, "an' I'm sayin' fifty
dollars," he continued, shoving the money out without glancing at the
card on the table. "How many you takin'?" he asked.
"Two," answered Bill, looking at him keenly. He glanced down at the
single back showing on the table before him and grinned. "Th' other's
under it," he explained needlessly. "Well, I'm still an imitator," he
chuckled. "Here's yore fifty, and fifty more. I'm sorry I ain't playin'
in my own town, so I could borrow when it all gets up."
Whatever Fisher's thoughts were he hid them well, and he was not to
be the first one to weaken and look at the draw. He had a reputation
to maintain, and he saw the raise and returned it. Bill pushed out a
hundred dollars and Fisher came back, but his tenseness was growing.
Bill considered, looked down at his unknown draw, shook his head and
picked up one card. "I'm feelin' the strain," he growled, seeing the
raise and repeating it. He glanced up at the crowd, which had grown
considerably, and smiled grimly.
Fisher evened up and raised again, watching his worried opponent, who
scowled, sucked his lips, shook his head and then, with swift decision,
picked up the other card. "I can't afford to quit now," he muttered.
"Here goes for another boost!"
His opponent having wilted first and saved the gambler's face, Fisher
picked up his own draw and when he saw it he stiffened, his thoughts
racing again. It was no coincidence, he decided. In all of his
experience he had known but two men who could do that, and here was
a third! But still there was a hope that there was no third, that it
was a coincidence. And there was quite a sum of money on the table.
The doubt must be removed and the truth known, and another fifty, sent
after its brothers was not too big a price to pay for such knowledge.
He pushed the money out onto the table. "I calls," he grunted.
Bill dropped his little block of cards and spread them with a sweep of
one hand, while the other was ready to make the baffling draw which
had made him famous in other parts of the country. Fisher glanced at
the four kings and nodded, all doubts laid to rest--the third man sat
across from him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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