Trent dealt them out, looked at his own hand, and, keeping a pair of queens, took three more cards.

He failed to improve, and threw them upon the floor.

With frantic eagerness Monty grovelled down to see them--then with a shriek of triumph he threw down a pair of aces.
"Mine!" he said.

"I kept an ace and drew another.

Give me the brandy!" Trent rose up, measured the contents of the bottle with his forefinger, and poured out half the contents into a horn mug.