“But to get down to cases, as the preachers says:  Old Andy he don’t cantankerate none noticeable.  When he feels needful of a jamboree he goes down to the bank an’ fills his pockets an’ a couple of valises with change, an’ gum-shoes down to John D. Swab’s, an’ they hunt up Charley Carnage an’ a couple of senators an’ a rack of chips an’ they finds ’em a back room, pulls off their collars an’ coats an’ goes to it.  They ain’t no kitty only to cover the needful expenses of drinks, eats, an’ smokes—­an’ everything goes, from cold-decks to second-dealin’.  Then when they’ve derove recreation enough, on goes their collars an’ coats, an’ they eat a handful of cloves an’ get to work on the public again.  They’s a lot of money changes hands in these here sessions but it never gets out of the gang, an’ after you get their brands you c’n generally always tell who got gouged by noticin’ what goes up.  If coal oil hists a couple of cents on the gallon you know Andy carried his valises home empty an’ if railroad rates jumps—­the senators got nicked a little, an’ vicy versy.  Now you an’ me ain’t captains of industry, nor nothin’ else but our own soul, as the piece goes, but ’tain’t no harm we should try a law-abidin’ recreation, same as these others, an’ mebbe after some practice we’ll get to where the Guggenhimers will be figgerin’ how to get the western hemisphere of North America back from us.

“It’s like this.  Me an’ you’ll stop in an’ get us a couple of drinks.  Then we’ll hunt us up a hash-house an’ put a big bate of ham an’ aigs out of circulation, an’ go get us a couple more drinks, an’ heel ourselves with a deck of cards an’ a couple bottles of cactus juice, an’ hunt us up a place where we’ll be ondisturbed by the riotorious carryin’s-on of the frivolous-minded, an’ we’ll have us a two-handed poker game which no matter who wins we can’t lose, like I was tellin’ you, ’cause they can’t no outside parties horn in on the profits.  But first-off we’ll hunt up a feed barn so Ace of Spades can load up on oats an’ hay while we’re havin’ our party.”

An hour later the Texan deposited a quart bottle, a rack of chips, and a deck of cards on a little deal table in the dingy back room of a saloon.

“I tell you, Pedro, they’s a whole lot of fancy trimmin’s this room ain’t got, but it’s quiet an’ peaceable an’ it’ll suit our purpose to a gnat’s hind leg.”  He dropped into a chair and reached for the rack of chips.

“It’s a habit of mine to set facin’ the door,” he continued, as he proceeded to remove the disks and arrange them into stacks.  “So if you got any choist just set down acrost the table there an’ we’ll start the festivities.  I’ll bank the game an’ we’ll take out a fifty-dollar stack an’ play table stakes.”  He shoved three stacks of chips across the table.  “Just come acrost with fifty bucks so’s we c’n keep the bank straight an’ go ahead an’ deal.  An’ while you’re a-doin’ it, bein’ as you’re a pretty good Greaser, I’ll just take a drink to you——­”