"_And_ a pretty good one.

Bet your fool heads off! You've got to beat a hectic flush to finger this pot!" The Merchant laid down three sevens, of diamonds, spades and clubs.
"Any one got the seven of hearts ?" he wondered.

The Judge called.
Steve, squeezing his hand carefully, drew out the seven of hearts, flashed it at the Merchant, replaced it, and stayed.
The Eminent Person, after due consideration, saw the five hundred and raised it to a thousand.

"To dissuade you all from drawing out on me," he explained, stroking his mustache with deliberate care.
The Stockman called without comment.

The Judge hesitated, swore ferociously, and finally called.
Steve squeezed his cards with both hands for a final corroborative inspection, scratched his head and rolled his eye solemnly around the festal board.
"Eleven hundred dollars of my good coin in there now, and here I sit between the devil and the deep, blue sea.