States to marry my girl, but I'm blamed if I don't put up my swag for
one turn of the cards."

He sent for his "dust," and piled the long, buckskin bags criss-cross
before Faro Sam's table.

"I'll copper the jack, gentlemen," he shouted. "All on the jack!"

Teddy Karn's face turned a pasty hue, and the tip of his tongue slid
along his puffed lips, but the lines of Faro Sam's face never changed,
and his eyes retained the blank impassivity of a snake's as he slipped
his cards. There was a sudden, tense silence. The girls pressed forward
with hurried breathing and the men waited, rigid as stones.

Somebody's mongrel paced to the middle of the platform and scratched for
fleas, with soft thumping on the floor. That was all.

Suddenly a man swore! A woman's voice shrilled hysterically! Faro Sam
rose to his feet ceremoniously. "The house is yours."

"By Jinks!" yelled Curly, "I've coppered the jack! I've broken the bank!
I've - "

One of the doors swung open quietly. Silence dropped once more, with the
speed of tropical night, upon the blare of the place.

The gambler's ghost stood there silhouetted against the light from a log
fire outside. There were pink streaks down his dirty face, washed by
tears, and his young shoulders drooped woefully. The dog came forward
and licked his twitching fingers.