sim'lar. Thar's fifty dollars on the king coppered; an' fifty
dollars on the eight open. Turn your kyards, an' turn 'em squar'. If
you don't, I'll peel the ha'r an' hide plumb off the top of your
head."

"Cherokee looks at the Lizard sorter soopercillus an' indifferent;
but he don't say nothin'. He goes on with the deal, an', the kyards
comin' that a-way, he takes in the Lizard's two bets.

"Durin' the next deal the Lizard ain't sayin' much direct, but keeps
cussin' an' wranglin' to himse'f. But he's gettin' his money up all
the time; an' with the fifty dollars he lose on the turn, he's shy
mebby four hundred an' fifty at the close.

"'Bein' in the hole about five hundred dollars,' says the Lizard, in
a manner which is a heap onrespectful, ' an' so that a wayfarin'
gent may not be misled to rooin utter, I now rises to ask what for a
limit do you put on this deadfall anyhow?'

"'The bridle's plumb off to you, amigo,' says Cherokee, an' his
tones is some hard. I notices it all right enough, 'cause I'm doin'
business at the table myse'f at the time, an' keepin' likewise case
on the game. `The bridle's plumb off for you,' says Cherokee, 'so
any notion you entertains in favor of bankruptin' of yourse'f quick
may riot right along.'

"'You're dead shore of that?' says the Lizard with a sneer. `Now I
reckons a thousand-dollar bet would scare this puerile game you
deals a-screechin' up a tree or into a hole, too easy.'