Evan was coaxed no further, but stayed behind the boys and watched their plays. By and by he asked the teller about certain cards.
"Just a minute and I'll show you," said Sid. "Raise you five—pay me—ace high!"
"By Jupiter," grumbled Marks, "my heap looks like the Farmers Bank clearing."
"See," smiled the teller, while the others enjoyed Marks' ill-luck rather than his joke, "I made enough that time to retrieve half an hour's losses."
Evan looked across at the C man.
"How about Marks, though?" he asked, half-seriously.
"Don't worry about muh," cried Marks, "I see a 'straight' coming this time."
The C man laughed so hard and colored so quickly on seeing his hand that the other boys gaped at him and played carefully. He finally bluffed them out with a pair.
In the laughter and uproar that followed, Evan was studious. He had seen through the play, of course; but the excitement rather than the humor of it appealed to him. Here, he said within himself, was entertainment, company and economy combined. None of the boys were losing much, could lose much, and the pleasure they took out of it was surprising. Still, Evan was not fond of the idea of taking the smallest sum from his companions. He knew how hard they worked for it.
"Well, what about it?" asked the teller, suddenly, looking up at Nelson.