mindful of some other grave oversight on the part
of "Zeke."

Johnson did not reply until after three or four
rounds of the cards. "Zeke told you a lot of
things that hour you sat with him alone," he rejoined,
with broad sarcasm. "Zeke must like
you!"

"Mebbe," agreed Glover, accepting the remark
with all seriousness. "He says as how Fort Wingate
is out, and I remarks that sich a move about
terminates the performance. He agrees with me
--?? says fust squint them renegades gits at regular
troops they'll hunt gopher-holes as places o' ginerous
salvation."

The others remained silent. The game was
going decidedly against Jim. It had gone against
him from the first -- as he had known it would.
Yet he continued to play, watchful of his opponent,
keen to note any irregularities. Yet he had
discovered nothing that might be interpreted as
cheating. Still he was losing, and still, despite
all beliefs to the contrary, he entertained hope,
hope that he might win. If he did win, he told
himself, Johnson was enough of a white man to
accept the defeat and leave the horse where he
was. Yet his chips were steadily dwindling; the
cards persistently refused to come his way; only
once thus far had he held a winning hand. But
he played on, becoming ever more discouraged,
until, suddenly awaking to an unexpectedly good
hand, he opened the pot. The raises followed back
and forth swiftly, but he lost again. And now

[[180]]

p179 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p180w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p181

v?