Dailey, seated at a table, the everlasting pack of cards in front of him, beamed upon Fanning and Johnny as they entered. "Thought mebby nobody was goin' to show up tonight," he said. "Dave's scared of me."
"I never did care much for wild animals," retorted Dave. "An' I says that you shore go wild when you sees a deck of cards. If you'd only win somethin' once in a while, I wouldn't have a word to say."
"That's what makes him wild," chuckled Fanning. "Ben, how much has Nelson taken away from you?"
"Not very much, an' I more than got it back from th' others," retorted Dailey. "If I only had his luck with my skill--but what's th' use?" he asked, shrugging his shoulders.
"You shore has got to have plenty of luck with _yore_ skill," jibed Dave, "or you wouldn't even have a shirt left."
"Lemme ask you somethin' seein' that you know so much about poker," said Fanning. "How far should a man back two pairs?"
"Them assassins? You get up to this table, you scoffin' innocent, an' I'll show you when you ought to let loose of two pair," chuckled Dailey. "Who's this comin'? Fraser! Come over here, Bill, an' help me rope a couple of tenderfeet into a little game of draw. They're shy tonight."
"Who's th' other, besides me?" inquired Fraser, leaning against the bar.
"Huh!" snorted Dailey. "All right, then; help me rope in th' other two."
"If I'm goin' to be yore come-on, what do I get out of it?" laughed Fraser.
"Every cussed thing you can get an' hold onto, but you'd better sand yore hands. Here's another sheep: Hello, Gurley! Yo're just in time to get a seat--I allus did like a five-handed game. Come on! Come on! Don't be afraid of th' iron!"
"Make it four-handed for a little while," said Johnny. "That'll give Dailey a chance to stack it up in front of him all ready for me. I ain't as good at draw as some down here, but I can allus take it away from Ben, somehow. How's things on th' Triangle, Gurley?"
"Slowin' fast since them Double X fellers moved off. They made me wear out four cayuses a day. When will they finish up?"
"Purty soon, I reckon," answered Johnny, turning to Fraser. "You fellers are lucky. You don't get many strays over th' mountain, or through that canyon, I reckon."
"Not any that I've noticed," replied Fraser. "But we've been plumb lazy in our round-ups. We got an awful sight of brandin' to do next time."