TUKNING THE TABLES 7 



We'll win sure, and I'll give you half of it." Jumping 

 up before the two, and the passengers who had gath- 

 ered about, I said, " Gentlemen, I am sure we are all 

 greatly indebted to you for this bit of entertainment. 

 I never saw it played so well before in my life. Don't 

 you think " 



Here my voice was drowned in a roar of laughter 

 from the passengers. Putting on a heavy scowl, Mr. 

 Slim said to me, " Look here, you have insulted me, sir, 

 and we will have a settling at the next station." 



" Come, now," I said, " I think I have let you off 

 pretty easil}~ ; get out of this car, or I will give you 

 into the hands of men who take care of such as you 

 for a business." 



By this time every one was pretty well excited, and 

 if the train had not stopped some one might have been 

 hurt. Derisive shouts and laughter followed the 

 sharpers, and they left the car, hurling back all the vile 

 invectives their vocabulary contained. 



We reached Omaha early the next morning, where 

 we were to take the emigrant train, which did not leave 

 until four o'clock in the afternoon. Omaha is a good- 

 sized city on the western bank of the Missouri River. 

 I spent the day in looking about ; but when one is 

 travelling, and expects to lose a boat if delayed, a 

 day's waiting at any place will have few attractions for 

 him. The emigrant train is the slowest known way of 

 getting over the country, excepting the ox-team. It 



