âI tell you what Iâll do,â he said. âThe stage wonât be no good to me until Powder Keg amounts to somethinâ . . . Iâll bet a coach and team against whatâs on the table, draw and show down.â
His offer was a sufficient warning of his strength. However, I still liked my aces. A pair of them pack a lot of power in a two-handed game, and I had the feeling that my luck had not run out . . .
I counted my aces as casually as pounding pulses would permit. âCan you beat âem?â
His face showed me he could not . . . âHow about loaninâ me your pony?â