Adventure, July 1, 1928 — page 29: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

‘breeches and an oilstained hat. THE DUKE AND THE DUCATS It was a short, stalwart man in puttees, Derringer went aside with him while the two flyers went downstairs to the Le Mac- Dowell was furious. “They know our signals,”: ‘Daly said shortly. “Of course they do! That means that Henry Ivers told ’°em. He got us into this—why, the son of a gun worked it so that we suggested it ourselves! It means—” ““May mean several things,” Daly cut in incisively. “‘We can’t stay away too long. We’re ten thousand out between us.” “There must be a way to get these birds!’ Tex interrupted savagely. “We can try this, and quit when we’re even if we feel like it. There might be a big pot, if we’re in luck, before they get wise. Listen.” It took but a few seconds to explain. They were back at the table within two minutes, and Daly announced easily: “Well, we’ve had a council of war and we decided we couldn’t make money without money. How about eight thou- sand more apiece, Mr. Donnelly?” “There speaks a man after my own heart!” Donnelly chuekled, his fat face beaming with artificial geniality. ‘“Fif- teen thousand each, and everything is hotsy totsy. How about the rest of us getting our stacks even, eh? I’ve got more than that myself. Dave, you’re not up to that and neither are you, Slats.” All agreed while the Duke thought— “All set for bigger killings.” HILE the chips were being count- ed, another man entered and called Derringer aside fora talk. Fora moment Derringer seemed to hesitate. Then— “T’ll play a few more hands, and then Ill be there,” he said harshly. Daly studied him curiously. That hawklike face was as rugged as a bleak chff. Tall and thin and bony, there was a sort of natural ferocity, under iron control, obvious in him. He was 23 playing with wolfish enjoyment in the game. During the next three hands it became more obvious that the three were playing together, if more evidence was needed. When they were in a pot together, without either flyer in it, they played without interest and called the first small bet on good hands. They had no interest in winning. On the fifth hand after the interruption Daly opened his cards warily. His face did not change in the slightest as he looked down at an ace full. The time had arrived. He signaled Tex a pair of queens, using the first system of signals. The new set, which their three opponents could not possibly know, indicated his real hand. Tex signaled nothing, by both systems. The Verona men figured that one pair was all they had between them. It was Harris’ deal, and Derringer, luckily, opened. Tex raised him one hundred dollars. “They’ll figure we’re off on a raise and re-raise thing or nothing, and will be out to get us,” Daly assured himself. His heart was pounding. His eyes, though, had that film dropped across them, and his face never changed. Donnelly just stayed, and Daly raised five hundred. MHarris and Derringer came in. “They’re set to take our bluff!’ Daly thought, and as he darted a look at MacDowell that towering gentleman was a picture of utter bliss. He re-raised, and it went on, Daly and MacDowell doing all the reraising, until each man had put four thousand dollars into the pot. It was time to strike, and it was Harris who did it after a look at Donnelly. “T’ve just been sitting around saying nothing on the best hand,” he mumbled. “Now she really goes up for them that wants to draw. Here goes my stack!” It wasn’t quite his stack, but it was enough to exhaust the four thousand odd dollars which the flyers had in front of them. comicloooks.com