Roy did, much to his own amusement.
"I'll tell you what I'll do," said Hynard suddenly. "I'll bet you five dollars I can do it this time, Baker."
"Very well, I'll go you."
The money was put up, the shells shifted, and Hynard made his choice. He got the right shell.
"There's where I lose five dollars," said Mr. Baker, with regret, passing the bill to Hynard.
"You try him," whispered Tupper to Roy. "You can guess right every time. Bet him ten dollars. You can't make money easier."
All at once the real meaning of what had just taken place was revealed to Roy. The men wanted him to gamble, under the guise of a trick. And he was sharp enough to know that once he bet any money, the shell he would pick out would have no ball under it. In fact, had he taken the bait and bet, Mr. Baker, by a sleight-of-hand trick, would not have put the ball under any shell so that, no matter which one Roy selected, he would have been wrong, and would have lost, though they might have let him win once or twice, just to urge him on. Understanding what the trick was, he exclaimed:
"I don't think I care to bet any money. I have proved that I have quick eyesight, and I think that's all you wanted to know," and, turning away he went back to his chair, at the farther end of the car.