Locke shook his head. “No indigestion would ever give a fellow feelings like that. Besides, I was fit as a fiddle before I went into that card game. Something was put into that beer, Jack; take my word for it.”
“But who would do such a thing? You say Elgin you’re sure wasn’t even in the room. Did you notice anything queer about any other man’s behavior?”
For an instant Lefty hesitated, the thought of Fargo’s odd remark, with its odder inflection, in his mind. The next instant he gave a start as the big backstop strolled lazily up and paused beside his chair.
“Sort of off your feed to-day, ain’t you, kid?” Fargo inquired, with a grin.
“I certainly am,” Lefty answered. He hesitated a second, and then went on with deliberate purpose: “I reckon midnight poker games with all the fixings don’t agree with me.”
“Cut out the fixings and the poker won’t hurt a baby,” the catcher returned swiftly. “It’s all right for the regular bunch to make fools of themselves swilling hard stuff if they want to, but you kids can’t afford to do that sort of thing. I was watching you last night and wondering if you was going to fall for that nonsense.”
A flash of sudden comprehension leaped into Locke’s mind and brought the color swiftly to his face.
“So that was why you said I’d had enough!” he exclaimed.
Fargo looked slightly puzzled. “Sure! Why did you think I said it?”