“I reckon it’s no good givin’ yez b’yes good advice,” said Long Mike as it came his turn again. “The best thing I can do for yez’ll be to take your money. Yez may learn that way, when to lay down.” And once more he raised it the limit.
“It’s all right y’ are,” said Stumpy. “Sure it’s downright dishonest to be lettin’ thim play furder. Let’s kape thim out.” And he raised again.
But the others wouldn’t be kept out. The one-eyed man raised, and Gallagher, getting his turn again, said:
“I’ll give yez all warnin’. I’ll raise this pot ivery toime it cooms to me. Kape on now. Ruin yersel’s av ye loike.” And his money went in with a bang.
Long Mike looked puzzled.
“Sure yez ahl must have straights or flushes or such trash, an’ guns wudn’t kape yez out. Wudn’t it be best to take off the limit? We’re losin’ time this way and th’ boat’ll be in soon. What d’ yez say?”
“That’d suit me fine,” said Stumpy. “I have yez all bated a mile, an’ the sooner I get th’ money the betther for me.”
“Take it off,” said the one-eyed man, and Gallagher, who had been growing more and more excited, declared that his pile would go on his hand in one bet.
“Well,” said Long Mike, “it’s five dollars more I’ll make it.” And he put up the money.
“I have siventeen dollars an’ fifty cents here,” said Stumpy, producing an old wallet and counting out the bills. The odd half-dollar he fished out of his pocket, and placing the whole amount in the middle of the table, together with a few chips that he still had left, he said: “That’s my pile. Av yez want to see my hand, ye’ll match thot.”