Big Burke swore deep in his chest, and all waited.
"For 'double nought' to win, '11' must be opposite. Try it yourself
and see."
"But the system?" Moran demanded impatiently. "We know you can pick
winning numbers, and we know what those numbers are; but how do you do
it?"
"By observed sequences. By accident I chanced twice to notice the ball
whirled when '9' was opposite. Both times '26' won. After that I saw
it happen again. Then I looked for other sequences, and found them.
'Double nought' opposite fetches '32,' and '11' fetches 'double
nought.' It doesn't always happen, but it USUALLY happens. You notice,
I say 'usually.' As I said before, I have my suspicions, but I'm not
saying anything."
Big Burke, with a sudden dawn of comprehension reached over, stopped
the wheel, and examined it carefully. The heads of the nine other
game-owners bent over and joined in the examination. Big Burke
straightened up and cast a glance at the near-by stove.
"Hell," he said. "It wasn't any system at all. The table stood close
to the fire, and the blamed wheel's warped. And we've been worked to a
frazzle. No wonder he liked this table. He couldn't have bucked for
sour apples at any other table."
Harvey Moran gave a great sigh of relief and wiped his forehead.
"Well, anyway," he said, "it's cheap at the price just to find out that
it wasn't a system." His face began to work, and then he broke into
laughter and slapped Smoke on the shoulder. "Smoke, you had us going
for a while, and we patting ourselves on the back because you were
letting our tables alone! Say, I've got some real fizz I'll open if
all you'll come over to the Tivoli with me."
Later, back in the cabin, Shorty silently overhauled and hefted the
various bulging gold-sacks. He finally piled them on the table, sat
down on the edge of his bunk, and began taking off his moccasins.
"Seventy thousan'," he calculated. "It weighs three hundred and fifty
pounds. And all out of a warped wheel an' a quick eye. Smoke, you
eat'm raw, you eat'm alive, you work under water, you've given me the
jim-jams; but just the same I know it's a dream. It's only in dreams
that the good things comes true. I'm almighty unanxious to wake up. I
hope I never wake up."
"Cheer up," Smoke answered. "You won't. There are a lot of philosophy
sharps that think men are sleep-walkers. You're in good company."
Shorty got up, went to the table, selected the heaviest sack, and
cuddled it in his arms as if it were a baby.
"I may be sleep-walkin'," he said, "but as you say, I'm sure in mighty
good company."