Men spoke, some laughed, but in their laughter was no mirth. It
was more like the sound of choking. They stamped their feet to
relieve the grip of strained muscles. The dealer reached forth and
slid the stack of bills into the drawer at his waist without
counting. The case-keeper passed a shaking hand over her face, and
when it came away she saw blood on her fingers where she had sunk
her teeth into her lower lip. Glenister did not rise. He sat,
heavy-browed and sullen, his jaw thrust forward, his hair low upon
his forehead, his eyes bloodshot and dead.

"I'll sit the hand out if you'll let me bet the 'finger,'" said
he.

"Certainly," replied the dealer.

When a man requests this privilege it means that he will call the
amount of his wager without producing the visible stakes, and the
dealer may accept or refuse according to his judgment of the
bettor's responsibility. It is safe, for no man shirks a gambling
debt in the North, and thousands may go with a nod of the head
though never a cent be on the board.

There were still a few cards in the box, and the dealer turned
them, paying the three men who played. Glenister took no part, but
sat bulked over his end of the table glowering from beneath his
shock of hair.

Cherry was deathly tired. The strain of the last hour had been so
intense that she could barely sit in her seat, yet she was
determined to finish the hand. As Bronco paused before the last