The Transient spread out a club flush. "Do you know?" he said confidentially--"do you know, I was actually glad to see that hand when I first picked it up?" "Won't you fellows _never_ learn to play poker?" said the Judge severely. "Why don't you stay out till you get something?" He laid his hand down. "Four tens and most five! The Curse of Scotland and Forty Miles of Railroad! _For_-ty miles, before the draw--and gone into the hands of a deceiver!" "Oh!" Leaning over, Steve touched the ten of spades lightly. "So _that's_ why I couldn't fill my hand!" he remarked innocently. "Get out!" snorted the Judge. "No use throwing good money after bad. I wouldn't call you, not if I had five tens!" He slammed in his hand. The Eminent Person thoughtfully took out the hundred he had saved. "Some one press the button, and I'll do the rest," said Steve. He removed the side-money, placidly ignoring the "pot" of some fifteen hundred dollars, for which the Transient, having his money all in, was entitled to a showdown. The Transient's jaw dropped in unaffected amazement. Dealer and Stockman drummed their fingers on the table unconcernedly. And the Judge saw a great light. "You, _Thompson_!" he roared. "Turn over that hand! I feel that you have treated this Court with the greatest contemptibility!" He pawed the discard with frantic haste, producing the seven of hearts. "Why, you pink-cheeked, dewy-eyed catamaran! What----_have_ you got, anyway?" "Why, Judge," said Steve earnestly, "I've got a strong case of circumstantial evidence." He turned over the eight of hearts; then, after a pause, the ace, king, queen and jack of spades; and resumed the stacking of his chips. "I discarded that seven of hearts," he said, smiling at the Merchant. A howl of joyous admiration went up; the Transient raked in the pot. "The Crime of the Century!" bellowed the Judge. "I'm the victim of the Accomplished Fact! Cash my checks! I'm going to join the Ladies' Aid!" "Aw, shut up," gasped the Transient. "No sleep till morn where youth and booty meetsh! Give ush 'nother deck!" But Steve, having stacked his chips, folded the bills and put them in his pocket. "What's the matter with you, you old fool?" demanded the Eminent Person affectionately. "You can't quit now." Steve rose, bowing to right and left, spreading his hand over his heart. "Deeply as I regret and, as I might say, deplore, to quit a good easy game," he declaimed, "I must now remove myself from your big midst. For a Lalla-Cooler can only be played once in one night. Besides, I've always heard that no man ever quit ahead of the game, and I'm going to prove the rule. I will never play another card, never no more!" "What--not in your whole life?" said the Stockman, chin on hand, raising his eyebrows at the last word.