CHAPTER VII
A GAME ON THE TRAIN
The three men in the compartment looked up as Phelan Baker and Royentered. They exchanged significant glances, but the boy from theranch did not notice them. Then the men made room for the new-comerson the richly upholstered couches.
"Ah, how are you, Baker?" said Isaac Sutton. "Glad to see you."
"Allow me to introduce a friend of mine," said Mr. Baker presenting Royto the three men in turn. "He can tell you all you want to know aboutranch life," for, by skillful questioning Mr. Baker had learned moreabout Roy than the lad was aware he had told.
"That's good," remarked Jerome Hynard. "I may decide to buy a ranch,some day."
"Would you say it was a healthy sort of life?" asked Dennison Tupper,who was quite pale, and looked as if he had some illness.
"It was very healthy out where I was," answered Roy.
"I guess one look at you proves that," put in Mr. Baker, in an admiringtone. "You seem as strong and hardy as a young ox."
"Yes, and I eat like one, when I'm on a round-up," said the boy.
There was considerable more conversation, the men asking Roy manyquestions about western life, and showing an interest in the affairs ofthe ranch. Roy answered them to the best of his ability, and naturallywas pleased that the men should think him capable of giving theminformation.
Finally, when the conversation began to lag a bit, Dennison Tupperremarked:
"Perhaps our young friend would have no objections if we gentlemenplayed a game of cards to pass away the time."
"Certainly I have no objections to your playing," said Roy, who hadoften watched the cowboys at the ranch play various games.
Once more the four men exchanged glances. Mr. Baker produced a pack ofcards and soon the travelers were deep in the game. They did not seemto be gambling, only playing for "fun" as they called it.
"Oh, I believe I'm tired. I'm going to drop out," suddenly remarkedMr. Baker.
"Oh, don't do that," expostulated Sutton.
"No, you'll break up the game," remonstrated Tupper.
"Of course. Three can't play whist very well," added Hynard in ratherungracious tones. "Be a good fellow and stay in the game, Baker."
"No, I'm tired."
"Perhaps our young friend from the ranch will take your place,"suggested Sutton. "Will you--er--Mr. Bradner? We'll play for love ormoney, just as you like. You must be a sport--all the western chapsare. Come on, sit in the game, take Mr. Baker's place and don't let itbreak up."
It was a cunning appeal, addressed both to Roy's desire to be ofservice to his new friends, and also to his vanity. Fortunately he wasproof against both. Roy had watched the men playing cards, and, to hismind they showed altogether too much skill. They acted more likeregular gamblers than like persons playing to pass away an idle hour.He was at once suspicious.
"No, thank you," he said. "I never play cards, for love or money."
Something seemed to annoy at least three of the men, and they looked atMr. Baker.
"Why I thought you said--" began Tupper, winking at the man who hadfirst made Roy's acquaintance.
"Dry up!" exclaimed Hynard. "That's all right," he added quickly tothe boy. "We don't want any one to play against his will. It's allright. We only thought maybe you'd like to pass away the time. I daresay Baker will stick in the game now."
"Oh, yes, I'll stay to oblige you, but I don't care for it," andpretending to suppress a yawn, Mr. Baker again took his seat at thesmall card table. A little later Roy left the apartment, going back tohis place in the parlor car.
"I don't like those three men," he said to himself. "I believe theyare professional gamblers. Mr. Baker seems nice, but I wouldn't trustthe others."
As for the four men whom Roy had left, they seemed to lose all interestin their game, after the boy from the ranch was out of sight.
"Humph!" exclaimed Hynard. "That didn't work, did it?"
"No more than Isaac's attempt last night to get--" began Tupper, butSutton silenced him with a gesture.
"Hush! Not so loud!" he said. "Some one may hear you."
"Leave it to me," said Mr. Baker. "I think I can get him intosomething else soon. You fellows lay low until I give you the tip."
The rest of that morning Roy saw nothing of the men whose acquaintancehe had made. He got into conversation with several other passengers,some of whom were interesting characters. One man, who had traveledextensively, pointed out, along the way, the various scenes of note,telling Roy something about them.
It was after dinner when Mr. Phelan Baker, followed by his threefriends, entered the parlor car. They took seats near where Roy hadchanced to rest.
"Traveling is rather dull, isn't it?' began Mr. Baker.
"I don't find it so," replied Roy.
"No, that's because it's your first journey. Wait until you havecrossed the continent a dozen times, and you'll begin to wish you'dnever seen it."
"It seems to me there is always something of interest," said the boy.
"Probably there is, if your eyesight is good, and you can see it. I'mgetting along in years, and I can't see objects as well as I oncecould."
"I suppose you must have pretty good eyesight, haven't you?" askedSutton, abruptly taking part in the conversation. Roy and the four menwere all alone in one end of the car, the other passengers, with butfew exceptions, having gotten off at various stations.
"Well, I reckon I don't need glasses to see the brand on a steer,"replied Roy.
"That's so, and I guess you have to be pretty quick to distinguish thedifferent branding marks, don't you?"
"You do when you're cutting out a bunch of cattle after a round-up.They keep moving around so it's hard to tell which are yours, and whichbelong to another ranch."
"What did I tell you?" asked Sutton in triumph of Hynard, who sat nextto him.
"Well, you're right," admitted the other.
Roy looked a little surprised at this conversation. Mr. Bakerexplained.
"My two friends here were having a little dispute about eyesight," hesaid. "Mr. Sutton said you had the best eyesight of any one he eversaw, and were quick to notice anything. He said you had to be to workon a cattle range."
"And Mr. Hynard said he believed he had as good eyesight as you," putin Tupper.
"I told him he hadn't, and we agreed to ask you," went on Sutton.
"That's all right. His saying so doesn't prove it," remarked Hynard,in a somewhat surly tone.
"Of course not, but it doesn't take much to see that he has bettereyesight than you, and is quicker with it. He has to be to use alasso, don't you, Mr. Bradner?"
"Well, it does take a pretty quick eye and hand to get a steer whenhe's on the run," admitted Roy.
"And you can do it, I'll bet. Hynard, you're not in it with this lad."
"I believe I am!"
"Now don't get excited," advised Mr. Baker, in soothing tones. "We caneasily settle this matter."
"How? We haven't got a lasso here, nor a wild steer," said Hynard."Anyhow I don't claim I can throw a lariat as well as he can. I onlysaid I had as quick eyesight."
"Well, we can prove that," went on Mr. Baker.
"How?"
"Easy money. Let's see. This windowsill will do."
From his pocket Mr. Baker produced three halves of English walnutshells, and a small black ball, about the size of a buck shot. Itseemed to be made of rubber.
"Here's a little trick that will prove any one's eyesight," he said."The eye doctors in New York use it to test any person who needsglasses. A doctor friend of mine gave me this."
"How do you work it?" asked Hynard, seemingly much interested.
"This way. I place these three shells on the windowsill, so. Then Iput the little ball under one. Watch me closely. I move it quitefast, first putting it under one shell, then the other. Now, I stopand, Hynard, tell me which shell it's under! I don't believe you can,I think my young friend can do s
o."
"All right," agreed Hynard.
"Which shell is the ball under?" asked Mr. Baker, drawing back, andleaving the three shells in a row; they all looked alike, yet Roy wassure the ball was under the middle one.
"It's under there!" exclaimed Hynard, putting his finger on the endshell nearest Roy.
"Is it?" asked Mr. Baker with a laugh, as he raised it up, and showednothing beneath. "Now let Mr. Bradner try."
"I think it's there," spoke the boy, indicating the middle shell.
"Right you are," came from Mr. Baker, as he lifted the shell, anddisclosed the ball.
"Well, it's easier to pick the right one out of two, than out ofthree," remonstrated Hynard.
"All right. I'll give him first pick this time," and once more Mr.Baker manipulated the shells and ball.
"Now where is it?" he asked Roy quickly. The boy, who was quite takenwith the new trick, was eagerly leaning forward, watching with eyesthat little escaped, the movements of Mr. Baker's fingers.
"It's there," he said quietly, indicating the shell farthest away fromhim.
"What did I tell you?" asked Mr. Baker, lifting the shell and showingthat Roy was right.
"He's got you beat, Hynard," said Sutton.
"Well, I'll bet he can't do it again."
Roy did, much to his own amusement.
"I'll tell you what I'll do," said Hynard suddenly. "I'll bet you fivedollars I can do it this time, Baker."
"Very well, I'll go you."
The money was put up, the shells shifted, and Hynard made his choice.He got the right shell.
"There's where I lose five dollars," said Mr. Baker, with regret,passing the bill to Hynard.
"You try him," whispered Tupper to Roy. "You can guess right everytime. Bet him ten dollars. You can't make money easier."
All at once the real meaning of what had just taken place was revealedto Roy. The men wanted him to gamble, under the guise of a trick. Andhe was sharp enough to know that once he bet any money, the shell hewould pick out would have no ball under it. In fact, had he taken thebait and bet, Mr. Baker, by a sleight-of-hand trick, would not have putthe ball under any shell so that, no matter which one Roy selected, hewould have been wrong, and would have lost, though they might have lethim win once or twice, just to urge him on. Understanding what thetrick was, he exclaimed:
"I don't think I care to bet any money. I have proved that I havequick eyesight, and I think that's all you wanted to know," and,turning away he went back to his chair, at the farther end of the car.