"I can't open it," he growled.
"Nothin' doin'," said the second gambler.
Steadman remained staring at his deuce of hearts.
"By me!" remarked the third gambler. Then Ralston picked up his hand. He felt as he used to feel when under the student lamp in his college room he had calculated the chances of filling a bobtail straight as against a four flush. The others were watching him eagerly. Four jacks closely backed one another in his hand. He could hardly suppress a grin.
"Ye-es, I'll open it," he remarked hesitantly. He toyed with the yellows and the browns. Then his fingers slipped across the pile. "I'll let you all in easy," he said affably, "for a little white seed."
The gambler across the table bit his lip.
"Well, I'm in!" exclaimed Farrer with an affectation of light-heartedness. "It's just about my limit."
The other three pushed in their chips without comment. Each of them took one card. Ralston took one. Farrer took four.
"Ah!" sighed the latter, half to himself.
"Well, this looks pretty good to me," said the first gambler with a slight smile, pushing in a brown chip.