The Angler's Story 57 



big hands up. " Hold up, kid, you '11 wake up 

 that old lion, or lucivee. Hold up, kid, an' I '11 

 tell you about my poker hand. You see Redding, 

 Lou Doyle, your pap, an' me, was sittin' in a 

 game at Alec's old saloon, the Siesta. Alec held 

 a straight flush, all but one card. Your pap 

 held four aces and a king, an' I ain't givin' 

 you no taffy, it 's a fact." Clancy reiterated 

 this, as to his astonishment the baby stopped 

 crying. And as the sun came out of a cloud 

 he saw or imagined that the little blue eyes were 

 fastened wonderingly on his. 



" Red held four queens, an' it was my deal. 

 I found I had a canary bunch, every doggone 

 card in the deck. There was n't a thing for me 

 to do, kid, but stand pat an' bluff the lights 

 outen 'em, so I took one card, creatin' the im- 

 pression that I had four of a kind. Red called 

 for Well, I '11 be dogged," continued Clancy 

 after a brief pause ; " I ain't no spellbinder, 

 that 's dead sure," and he bent over the little 

 face. The baby's eyes were closed, it was fast 

 asleep. " You dern little cuss," he muttered 

 softly, " I 'm goin' to get you to Grubville, an' 

 don't you forget it," and he stared at the little 

 face, his own growing a deeper and deeper red. 

 " I 'm damned if I ain't a good mind to kiss it 

 for its dead mammy; but I never kissed a baby 

 in all my life; I might scare it to death." 



Clancy glanced furtively around, as though to 



