in here?"

"Oh, it doesn't get so awfully cold; and as for a light, I can get a
dish of lard and put a rag in it which we can light! That won't be a
very good light; but I think we can get along."

The boys found that it was no small task to make the cards. First they
had to cut the cardboard. This John did with a very sharp knife. Next,
they drew hearts and diamonds and other necessary markings. To be sure,
the set of cards was a very crude one when it was finished; and when the
boys began to shuffle them in the pack, they were disappointed because
of the bulky appearance and wished for a more perfect set. But John
had done a good job in cutting them out, and the marking answered the
purpose very well. So night after night, by the aid of the flickering
and sputtering light, furnished by the rag burning in the saucer of
lard, the two boys, with heads bent low, sat scheming and planning,
each striving to get ahead of the other in the game.

Long before Will's visit was ended, both boys had become so skillful in
playing that the one could scarcely get the better of the other unless
one in some way cheated. This caused them to try many underhanded tricks
and encouraged them to bet and gamble; and in course of time they had
exchanged as wagers the greater part of their simple belongings. Taking
advantage of one another became a part of the game and seemingly was the
principal aim. And the evenings that they did not spend in dancing were
spent in indulging in these dangerous amusements. (Card-playing--as does
also dancing--wields an influence that is very harmful, especially to
the young. As the interest in the game increases, the players' desire
for things that are good and wholesome is lessened. One player sees only
the pleasure that he derives from getting the better of the one he is