McAfee swept the discarded hand face upward, and the crowd bending
forward to look saw four aces, and a king.

"That was the Judge's hand," he declared soberly. "I saw it myself
before he called you, and told him to stay."

Kirby laughed, an ugly laugh showing his white teeth.

"The hell, you did? Thought you knew a good poker hand, I reckon.
Well, you see I knew a better one, and it strikes me I am the one to
ask questions," he sneered. "Look here, you men; I held one ace from
the shuffle. Now what I want to know is, where Beaucaire ever got his
four? Pleasant little trick of you two--only this time it failed to
work."

Beaucaire uttered one mad oath, and I endeavored to grasp him, but
missed my clutch. The force of his lurching body as he sprang forward
upturned the table, the stakes jingling to the deck, but Kirby reached
his feet in time to avoid the shock. His hand which had been hidden
shot out suddenly, the fingers grasping a revolver, but he did not
fire. Before the Judge had gone half the distance, he stopped, reeled
suddenly, clutching at his throat, and plunged sideways. His body
struck the upturned table, and McAfee and I grasped him, lowering the
stricken man gently to the floor.




CHAPTER V