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Rh "There's a thousand more in the bank now than there was at the start," offered the dealer tonelessly, "Come again, friend. The roof's off for you."

"He's just gettin' started, pardner," grunted Rice. "Look out for him."

As the ball left the quick fingers, Steele cut his stack of twenties in half, dropping five hundred on the red where the odds are not so great against a man. The dealer allowed himself a smile; it was his thought that Steele had begun to lose a little of his nerve, that he was going to play just as near safe as a man can play who dallies with roulette. But he looked up for a swift reappraisal as Steele placed the other five hundred out on the table, playing number five again.

"Should I win you can cover it?" he was asking quietly.

Embry pushed his way up to the table; Flash Truitt and he stood side by side. Embry spoke a quiet word in Truitt's ear. Truitt answered Steele's question, saying quickly:

"We can cover."

The ball was slowing down, flirting with the numbers. Steele stood the chance of losing his whole second thousand, or of winning five hundred with the one bet on the red if red came, losing the other bet and so breaking even on the play … and stood the long chance of winning seventeen thousand dollars if number five was chosen by the ivory pellet as its resting place.

Now he did not watch the table, but keenly studied Joe Embry's face. He had had one inspiration to-night; now he believed that another had come to him.