"No," Deacon declared positively. "I counted every card I took in.
That's the one thing I was correct on. I've twenty-six, and you've
twenty-six."
"Count again," Grief said.
Carefully and slowly, with trembling fingers, Deacon counted the
cards he had taken. There were twenty-five. He reached over to the
corner of the table, took up the rules Grief had written, folded
them, and put them in his pocket. Then he emptied his glass, and
stood up. Captain Donovan looked at his watch, yawned, and also
arose.
"Going aboard, Captain?" Deacon asked.
"Yes," was the answer. "What time shall I send the whaleboat for
you?"
"I'll go with you now. We'll pick up my luggage from the _Billy_ as
we go by. I was sailing on her for Babo in the morning."
Deacon shook hands all around, after receiving a final pledge of good
luck on Karo-Karo.
"Does Tom Butler play cards?" he asked Grief.
"Solitaire," was the answer.
"Then I'll teach him double solitaire." Deacon turned toward the
door, where Captain Donovan waited, and added with a sigh, "And I
fancy he'll skin me, too, if he plays like the rest of you island
men."