THE THIRD MAN
Kane's gambling-hall was in full blast, reeking with the composite
odor of liquor, kerosene lamps, rank tobacco, and human bodies, the
tables well filled, the faro and roulette layouts crowded by eager
devotees. The tenseness of the afternoon was forgotten and curses
and laughter arose in all parts of the big room. The two-man Mexican
orchestra strumming its guitars and the extra bartenders were earning
their pay. Punchers, gamblers, storekeepers, two traveling men, a squad
of cavalrymen on leave from the nearest post, Mexicans, and bums of
several races made up the noisy crowd as Johnny Nelson pushed into the
room and nodded to the head bartender.
"Well, well," smiled the busy barman without stopping his work. "Here's
our SV foreman, out at night. Thought mebby you'd heard of some
yearlin's an' hit th' trail after 'em."
"I don't reckon there was ever a yearlin' in this section," grinned
Johnny.
"That so? There's several down at th' other end of th' bar," chuckled
the man of liquor. "That blonde you left th' forty dollars for has
shore been strainin' her eyes lookin' for you. Says she knows she's
goin' to like you. Go back an' sooth her. Gin is her favorite."
"I ain't lookin' for her yet," replied Johnny. "That's somethin' you
never want to do. It's th' wrong system. Don't pay no attention to 'em
if you want 'em to pay attention to you. Let her wait a little longer.
Where's that Thompson feller? I like th' way he plays draw, seein' as
how I won some of his money. Seen him tonight?"
"Shore; he's around somewhere. Saw him a little while ago."
Johnny noticed a quiet, interested crowd in a far corner and joined it,
working through until he saw two men playing poker in the middle. One
was Bill Long and the other was Kane's best card-sharp, Mr. Fisher, and
they were playing so intently as to be nearly oblivious of the crowd.
On the other side of the ring, sitting on a table, was Red Thompson,
his mouth partly open and his eyes riveted on the game.
The play was getting stiff and Fisher's eyes had a look in them that
Johnny did not like. The gambler reached for the cards and began
shuffling them with a speed and dexterity which bespoke weary hours of
earnest practice. As he pushed them out for the cut his opponent leaned
back, relaxed and smiled pleasantly.
"I allus like to play th' other fellow's game," Bill observed. "If he
plays fast _I_ like to play fast; if he plays 'em close, _I_ like to
play 'em close; if he plays reckless, _I_ like to play reckless; if he
plays 'em with flourishes, _I_ like to play 'em with flourishes. I'm
not what you might call original. I'm a imitator." He slowly reached
out his hand, held it poised over the deck, changed his mind and
withdrew it. "Reckon I'll not cut this time. They're good as they are.
I like yore dealin'."
Fisher yanked the deck to him and dealt swiftly. "I'm not very bright,"
he remarked as he glanced at his hand, "so I'm gropin' about yore
meanin'. Or didn't it have none?"
"Nothin', only to show that I'm so polite I allus let th' other feller
set th' pace," smiled Bill. "As he plays, I play." He picked up the
cards, squared them into exact alignment and slid them from the table
and close against his vest, where a deft touch spread them for a quick
glance at the pips. "They look good; but, I wonder?" he muttered.
"Reckon that's best, after all. Gimme two cards when you get time."
Fisher gave him two and took the same number.
"I find I'm gettin' tired," growled Bill, "an' it shore is hot an'
stiflin' in here. As it stands I'm a little ahead--not more'n fifty
dollars. That bein' so, I quit after this hand and two more. There
ain't much action, anyhow."
"If yo're lookin' for action mebby you feel like takin' off th'
hobbles," suggested Fisher, carelessly.
"Hobbles, saddles an' anythin' else you can think of," nodded Bill. "Do
we start now?"
Fisher nodded, saw the modest bet and doubled it.
Bill tossed his four queens and the ace of hearts face down in the
discard and smiled. "Didn't get what I was lookin' for," he grinned
into the set face across from him. "Got to have 'em before I can play
'em."
Fisher hid his surprise and carelessly tossed his four kings and the
six of diamonds, also face down, into the discard, fumbled the deck
as he went to pass it over and spilled it on top of the cards on the
table. Cursing at his clumsiness, he scrambled the cards together and
pushed them toward his opponent. "My fingers must be gettin' all
thumbs," he growled as he raked in the money. What had happened? Had he
bungled the deal, or wasn't four queens big enough for the talkative
fool across from him?
Bill smilingly agreed. "They do get that way at times," he remarked,
shuffling with a swift flourish which made Johnny hide a smile. He
pushed the pack out, Fisher cut it, and the flying cards dropped
swiftly into two neat piles almost flush on their edges, which seemed
to merit a murmur of appreciation from the crowd. Johnny shifted his
weight to the other leg and prepared to enjoy the game.
Fisher glanced at his hand and became instant prey to a turmoil of
thoughts. Four queens, with an eight of clubs! He looked across at the
calm, reflective dealer who was rubbing the disgraceful stubble on his
chin while he drew two cards partly from his hand and considered them
seriously. He seemed to be perplexed.
"I been playin' this game for more years than I feel like tellin',"
Bill grumbled, whimsically; "but I ain't never been able really to
decide one little thing." Becoming conscious that he might be delaying
the game he looked up suddenly. "Have patience, friend. _Oh_, then it's
all right! You ain't discarded yet," he finished cheerfully. Throwing
away the two cards he waited.
"Gimme one," grunted Fisher, discarding, "an' I'm sayin' fifty
dollars," he continued, shoving the money out without glancing at the
card on the table. "How many you takin'?" he asked.
"Two," answered Bill, looking at him keenly. He glanced down at the
single back showing on the table before him and grinned. "Th' other's
under it," he explained needlessly. "Well, I'm still an imitator," he
chuckled. "Here's yore fifty, and fifty more. I'm sorry I ain't playin'
in my own town, so I could borrow when it all gets up."
Whatever Fisher's thoughts were he hid them well, and he was not to
be the first one to weaken and look at the draw. He had a reputation
to maintain, and he saw the raise and returned it. Bill pushed out a
hundred dollars and Fisher came back, but his tenseness was growing.
Bill considered, looked down at his unknown draw, shook his head and
picked up one card. "I'm feelin' the strain," he growled, seeing the
raise and repeating it. He glanced up at the crowd, which had grown
considerably, and smiled grimly.
Fisher evened up and raised again, watching his worried opponent, who
scowled, sucked his lips, shook his head and then, with swift decision,
picked up the other card. "I can't afford to quit now," he muttered.
"Here goes for another boost!"
His opponent having wilted first and saved the gambler's face, Fisher
picked up his own draw and when he saw it he stiffened, his thoughts
racing again. It was no coincidence, he decided. In all of his
experience he had known but two men who could do that, and here was
a third! But still there was a hope that there was no third, that it
was a coincidence. And there was quite a sum of money on the table.
The doubt must be removed and the truth known, and another fifty, sent
after its brothers was not too big a price to pay for such knowledge.
He pushed the money out onto the table. "I calls," he grunted.
Bill dropped his little block of cards and spread them with a sweep of
one hand, while the other was ready to make the baffling draw which
had made him famous in other parts of the country. Fisher glanced at
the four kings and nodded, all doubts laid to rest--the third man sat
across from him.
He slowly pushed back as the crowd, not knowing just what to expect,
scattered. "I'm tired. Shall we call it off for tonight?" he asked.
Without relaxing Bill nodded. "Suits me. I'm tired, too; an' near
suffocated. See you tomorrow?"
Fisher grunted something as he arose and, turning abruptly, pushed
through the thinning crowd to get a bracer at the bar, while the winner
slowly hauled in the money. Gulping down the fiery liquor the gambler
wheeled to go into the dark and deserted dining-room where he could sit
in quiet and go over the problem again, and looked up to see the other
gambler in his way.
"What did you find out?" asked the other in a low voice.
"I found th' devil has come up out of h--l!" growled Fisher. "Come
along an' I'll tell you about it. He's th' third man! Old Parson Davies
was th' first, but he's dead; Tex Ewalt was th' second, an' I ain't
seen him in years--cuss it! I wondered why this man's play seemed
familiar! He's got some of Tex's tricks of handlin' th' cards."
"Shore he ain't Tex?"
"As shore as I am that you ain't," retorted Fisher; "but I'm willin' to
bet he knows Tex. Come on--let's get out of this hullabaloo. He's got a
nerve, pickin' _my_ cards, an' dealin' 'em alternate off th' top an'
bottom, with _me_ watchin' him!"
"We got to figger how to get it back," thoughtfully muttered the other,
following closely. "Everythin's goin' wrong. They went after Nelson an'
got somebody else; they stirred up th' T & C by robbin' th' bank, an'
then had to go an' make it worse by gettin' Ridley! I'm admittin' I'm
walkin' soft, an' ready to jump th' country right quick."
Fisher sank into a chair in the dining-room. "An' if Long hangs around
here much longer Kane'll ditch me like a wore-out boot. A couple more
losses like tonight an' he'll plumb forget my winnin's for th' past two
years. An' me gettin' all cocked to strike him for a bigger percentage!"
Out in the reeking gambling-hall Bill put his empty glass on the bar
and slid a gold piece at the smiling head man behind the counter.
"Spend th' change on th' ladies in th' corner," he said. "It allus
gives me luck; an' I had such luck tonight that I ain't aimin' to take
no chances losin' it. Reckon I'll horn in on th' faro layout," and he
did, where he managed to lose a part of his poker winnings before he
turned in for the night.
Up late the next morning he hastened into the dining-room to beat
the closing of the doors and saw the head bartender eating a lonely
breakfast. The dispenser of liquors beckoned and pushed back a chair at
his table.
Bill accepted the invitation and gave his order. "Well," he remarked,
"yo're lookin' purty bright this mornin'."
"I'm gettin' so I don't need much sleep, I reckon," replied the
bartender. "Did yore folks use a poker deck to cut yore teeth on?"
Bill laughed heartily. "My luck turned, an' Fisher happened to be th'
one that got in th' way."
"He says you play a lot like a feller he used to know."
"That so? Who was he?"
"Tex Ewalt."
"Well, I ought to, for me an' Tex played a lot together, some years
back. Wonder what ever happened to Tex? He ain't been down this way
lately, has he?"
"No. I never saw him. Fisher knew him. He says Tex was th' greatest
poker player that ever lived."
"I reckon he's right," replied Bill. "I'm plumb grateful to Tex. It
ain't his fault that I don't play a better game. But I got an idea
playin' like his has got to be born in a man." He ate silently for a
moment. "Now that I'm spotted I reckon my poker playin' is over in
here. Oh, well, I ain't complainin'. I can eat an' sleep here, an' find
enough around town to keep me goin' for a little while, anyhow. Then
I'll drift."
"Unless, mebby, you play for th' house," suggested the bartender. "What
kind of a game does that SV foreman play?"
"I never like to size a man up till I play with him," answered Bill.
"I was sort of savin' him for myself, for he's got a fat roll. Now I
reckon I'll have to let somebody else do th' brandin'." He sighed and
went on with his breakfast.
"Get him into a little game an' see how good he is," suggested the
other, arising. "Goin' to leave you now." He turned away and then
stopped suddenly, facing around again. "Huh! I near forgot. Th' boss
wants to see you."
"Who? Kane? What about?"
"He'll tell you that, I reckon."
"All right. Tell him I'm in here."
The other grinned. "I said th' _boss_ wants to see _you_."
"Shore; I heard you."
"People he wants to see go to him."
"Oh, all right; why didn't you say so first off? Where is he?"
"Thorpe will show you th' way. Whatever th' boss says, don't you go on
th' prod. If yore feelin's get hurt, don't relieve 'em till you get out
of his sight."
"I've played poker too long to act sudden," grinned Bill, easily.
His breakfast over, he sauntered into the gambling-room and stopped in
front of Kit Thorpe, whose welcoming grin was quite a change from his
attitude of the day before. "I've been told Kane wants to see me. Here
I am."
Thorpe opened the door, followed his companion through it and paused to
close and bolt it, after which he kept close to the other's heels and
gave terse, grunted directions. "Straight ahead--to th' left--to th'
right--straight ahead. Don't make no false moves after you open that
door. Go ahead--push it open."
Bill obeyed and found himself in an oblong room which ran up to the
opaque glass of a skylight fifteen feet above the floor, and five feet
below the second skylight on the roof, in both of which the small panes
were set in heavy metal bars. The room was cool and well ventilated.
Before him, seated at the far side of a flat-topped, walnut desk of
ancient vintage sat a tall, lean, white-haired man of indeterminate
age, who leaned slightly forward and whose hands were not in sight.
"Sit down," said Kane, in a voice of singular sweetness and penetrating
timbre. For several minutes he looked at his visitor as a buyer might
look at a horse, silent, thoughtful, his deeply-lined face devoid of
any change in its austere expression.
"Why did you come here?" he suddenly snapped.
"To get out of th' storm," answered Bill.
"Why else?"
Bill looked around, up at the graven Thorpe and back again at his
inquisitor, and shrugged his shoulders. "Mebby you can tell me," he
answered before he remembered to be less independent.
"I think I can. Anyone who plays poker as well as you do has a very
good reason for visiting strange towns. What is your name?"
"Bill Long."
"I know that. I asked, what is your name?"
Bill looked around again and then sat up stiffly. "That ain't
interestin' us."
"Where are you from?"
Bill shrugged his shoulders and remained silent.
"You are not very talkative today. How did you get that Highbank horse?"
Bill acted a little surprised and anxious. "I--I don't know," he
answered foolishly.
"Very well. When you make up your mind to answer my questions I
have a proposition to offer you which you may find to be mutually
advantageous. In the meanwhile, do not play poker in this house. That's
all."
Thorpe coughed and opened the door, and swiftly placed a hand on the
shoulder of the visitor. "Time to go," he said.
Bill hesitated and then slowly turned and led the way, saying nothing
until he was back in the gambling-hall and Thorpe again kept his
faithful vigil over the checkered door.
"Cuss it," snorted Bill, remembering that in the part he was playing
he had determined to be loquacious. "If I told him all he wanted to
know I'd be puttin' a rope around my neck an' givin' him th' loose end!
So he's got a proposition to make, has he? Th' devil with him an' his
propositions. I don't have to play poker in his place--there's plenty
of it bein' played outside this buildin', I reckon. For two-bits I'd
'a' busted his neck then an' there!"
"You'd 'a' been spattered all over th' room if you'd made a play,"
replied Thorpe, a little contempt in his voice for such boasting words
from a man who had acted far from them when in the presence of Kane. He
had this stranger's measure. "An' you mind what he said about playin'
in here, or I'll make you climb up th' wall, you'll be that eager to
get out. You think over what he said, an' drift along. I'm busy."
Bill, his frown hiding inner smiles, slowly turned and walked defiantly
away, his swagger increasing with the distance covered; and when
he reached the street he was exhaling dignity, and chuckled with
satisfaction--he had seen behind the partition and met Kane. He passed
the bank, once more normal, except for the armed guards, and bumped
into Fisher, who frowned at him and kept on going.
"Hey!" called Bill. "I want to ask you somethin'."
Fisher stopped and turned. "Well?" he growled, truculently.
Bill went up close to him. "Just saw Kane. He says he has got somethin'
to offer me. What is it?"
"My job, I reckon!" snapped the gambler.
"Yore job?" exclaimed his companion. "I don't want yore job. If I'd 'a'
knowed that was it I'd 'a' told him so, flat. I'm playin' for myself.
An' say: He orders me not to play no more poker in his place. Wouldn't
that gall you?"
"Then I wouldn't do it," said the gambler, taking his arm. "Come in an'
have a drink. What else did he say?"
Bill told him and wound up with a curse. "An' that Thorpe said he'd
make me climb up th' wall! Wonder who he thinks he is--Bill Hickok?"
Fisher laughed. "Oh, he don't mean nothin'. He's a lookin'-glass.
When Kane laughs, _he_ laughs; when Kane has a sore toe, _he's_ plumb
crippled. But, just th' same I'm tellin' you Thorpe's a bad man with a
gun. Don't rile him too much. Say, was you ever paired up with Ewalt?"
Bill put down his glass with deliberate slowness. "Look here!" he
growled. "I'm plumb tired of answerin' personal questions. Not meanin'
to hurt yore feelin's none, I'm sayin' it's my own cussed business what
my name is, where I come from, who my aunt was, an' how old I was when
I was born. I never saw such an' old-woman's town!"
Fisher laughed and slapped his shoulder. "Keep all four feet on th'
ground, Long; but it _is_ funny, now ain't it?"
Bill grinned sheepishly. "Mebby--but for a little while I couldn't
see it that way. Have one with me, after which I'm goin' up an' skin
that SV man before you can get a crack at him. He's fair lopsided with
money. If I can't play poker in Kane's, I shore can send a lot of folks
to his place with nothin' left but their pants an' socks!"
"Don't overdo it," warned Fisher. "Come on--I'm headin' back an' I'll
leave you at Quayle's."
"How'd you ever come to let that yearlin'-mad foreman keep away from
yore game?" asked Bill as they started up the street. "Strikes me you
shore overlooked somethin'."
"Does look like it, from a distance," admitted Fisher, grinning.
"Reckon we was goin' too easy with him; but we didn't know you was
goin' to turn up an' horn in. We never like to stampede a good prospect
by bein' hasty. We felt him out a little an' I was figgerin' on amusin'
him right soon. There's somethin' cussed queer about him. We're all
guessin', an' guessin' different."
"Yes?" inquired Bill carelessly. "I didn't notice nothin' queer about
him. He acts a little too shore of hisself, which is how I like 'em.
You ain't got a chance to get him now, for I'm goin' to set on his fool
head an' burn a nice, big BL on his flank. So any little thing that you
know shore will come in handy. I'd do th' same for you. I'm through
spoilin' yore game in Kane's, an' I didn't take yore job. What's so
queer about him?"
Fisher glanced at his companion and shook his head. "It ain't nothin'
about cards. He figgered in a mistake that was made, an' don't know how
lucky he was. Th' boss don't often slip up--an' there's a white man an'
some Greasers in this town that are cussed lucky too. They blundered,
but they got what they went after. An' nobody's heard a word about th'
gent that was _un_lucky, which makes me suspicious. I got a headache
tryin' to figger it." He shook his head again and then exclaimed in
sudden anger: "An' I've quit tryin'! Kane was all set to throw me into
th' discard as soon as you come along. He can think what he wants to,
for all I care. But let me tell you this: If you win a big roll in this
town, an' th' one you got now is plenty big enough, be careful how you
wander around after dark. I reckon I owe you that much, anyhow."
Bill stopped in front of the hotel. "I don't know what yo're talkin'
about, but that don't make no difference. Th' last part was plain. Come
in an' have somethin'."
Fisher looked at him and smiled. "Friend, I'd just as soon be seen
goin' in there _now_ as I would be seen rustlin' a herd; an' it
might even be worse for me. Let it go till you come up to our place.
_Adios._"