Stover was staggered for a moment, but, as Crowfoot reached out to gather in the pot, Buzzsaw uttered a yell and sprang from his chair, seizing the redskin. On the other side South-paw Pope did the same, and Clinker, upsetting his own chair, came quickly to their assistance.
Crowfoot had started to rise. As he did this a pack of cards slipped out of his clothes somewhere and fluttered over the floor. Gentle Willie grabbed up several of them and looked at the backs.
“What do you think!” he cried. “These cards are like the odd one in the pack we’ve been using! The Injun substituted that odd card!”
“Kill him!” raged Buzzsaw.
CHAPTER XXVII.
SHANGOWAH’S BACKERS.
When young Joe and Dick arrived at the room of the Indians in the Sunset House they were astonished to find it empty. The door had remained locked, but old Joe Crowfoot was not to be found in that room. Young Joe even looked beneath the bed in search of him.
“He’s gone,” said Dick. “He’s not here.”
“But how could he get out?” muttered the young Indian, puzzled and dismayed. “I had the key, and the door was locked, as you saw.”
Merriwell thrust his head out of the window and looked down to the ground. The room was a second-story one.