I don't want to take credit to myself, but I reckoned on them Excelsior boys bein' fools, and took the chances." "And what if I happen to know that the Excelsior boys ain't blastin' to-day ?" said the Right Bower, sarcastically.
As the Judge had evidently based his hypothesis on the alleged fact of a blast, he deftly evaded the point.

"I ain't saying the Old Man's head ain't level on some things; he wants a little more sabe of the world.
He's improved a good deal in euchre lately, and in poker--well! he's got that sorter dreamy, listenin'-to-the-angels kind o' way that you can't exactly tell whether he's bluffin' or has got a full hand.

Hasn't he ?" he asked, appealing to Union Mills.
But that gentleman, who had been watching the dark face of the Right Bower, preferred to take what he believed to be his cue from him.

"That ain't the question," he said virtuously; "we ain't takin' this step to make a card sharp out of him.

We're not doin' Chinamen's work in this race to-day for that.