The hour was late when Slim left Mort's office. As he entered the saloon, he glanced around quickly, looking for Jess. He was taken back when he saw Jess and Jim playing poker. It was the unexpected. They weren't saying much. But the look on Jim's face showed he was not happy.
There was a stack of bills in front of Jess, that just kept growing, every time Jess dealt the cards. For a long time, Slim leaned against the bar watching the game.
The bartender handed Slim a mug of beer. "Your ranch hand sure has been lucky in that game. Don't often see a fellow that lucky."
Slim took a sip, his eyes glancing over the mug's rim. Slim scrutinized Jess' every move.
Now there were just two players. Jim and Jess. The others had dropped out. A small crowd of boisterous cowboys commentated loudly as each men bet. The pot grew and grew.
"Got to a be hundred in there," one of the on lookers stated loudly.
Jim tossed fifty dollars into the center of the table. Gasps were heard.
Jess raised his eyebrows with surprise. "That good a cards huh?"
"Harper, you can't be lucky every hand."
The crowd grew silent. Jim's suspicion hung over the table like an angry storm cloud. Slim's body tensed. He moved forward until he was standing near Jess. Slim's hand rested on the butt of his gun.
Jess counted out a hundred dollars from his stack of bills. "Tell you what. You got-what?-fifty dollars left in front of you? Let's say winner takes all. Here's the fifty you raised. And I'm raising you fifty. Let's just see who has the luck."
More gasps as cowboys shook their heads with wonder.
Jim bit his lip as he studied his cards.
"Of course if you ain't got the cards...or the stomach for such a high pot," Jess taunted.
A mask of anger formed on Jim's face. "It's going to give me great pleasure to beat you, Harper." Jim threw the rest of his stack of money into the center of the table.
One of the men whistled softly.
Jim showed his cards, laying them flat on the table. His eyes crinkled with laughter. "Beat that, Harper." He started to rake in the money.
"I sure will," Jess said as he showed his cards.
"Well I'll be," one of the men replied. "Who'd have thought. You're some player Jess."
"Or a cheat!" Jim snarled.
Suddenly no one spoke. Men backed away. Slim's body tensed sure that Jess would react to the accusation.
"Mister, I'd be very careful what you call me," Jess replied, his glare fixed on Jim.
"Every time you dealt them cards, Harper, you won!" Jim replied, "There ain't no way a man could have that kind of luck!"
Slim was sure that Jess would react. He pulled his gun slightly out of his holster, ready to draw it all the way out.
"You didn't have to play that hand but you did," Jess fired back. "You don't want people to think you're a sore loser, do you?"
"I'm saying there's no way you could have won without salting the deal!"
Slim felt a cold chill go up his spine. He knew Jess would draw. He had seen his friend react from far less insult.
But Jess remained calm. "I'll tell you what," Jess said. "We'll play one more hand. I'll let one of these men deal. You choose who. I'll throw in all the money I've won tonight. You just have to match it. And we'll see who's the better poker player."
Cowboys pushed against each other to get a better view.
"Sounds fair to me," one of the men remarked. "'Sides if Jess was cheating, I sure never saw it."
Jim glanced from face to face at all the men and saloon girls around him. Slim's eyes roved from Jim to Jess and back to Jim. His hand still held his gun posed, ready to fire.
"You know I ain't got no money left," Jim stated. "But I'll write an IOU. It's good."
Jess shook his head no. "I don't take credit. I learned some men don't come through when they promise."
"You calling me a liar?" Jim's temper rose even more. His face reddened so much that he looked as if he had a sunburn.
Jess replied, "Tell you what...I'll meet you here tomorrow night."
"Jess, you got work-" Slim began.
Jess continued, "This time tomorrow night. Can you get some money by then? Of course, if you can't, I understand. I know how some men are." It wasn't what Jess said but the tone he used.
Jim's breathing quickened. His face was now flushed a deep red. "I'll meet you here tomorrow night. You and me."
"Let's make the pot worth the trip," Jess said.
"It will be. How much you got there?"
Jess quickly added up the money on the table, "About two hundred and seventy five."
"I'll have that much tomorrow."
Jess nodded.
Jim started to turn away.
Jess added, "Of course, if you don't show, I'll understand. I mean this type of poker playing ain't for everyone. Some fellows might not have the guts for it or the money. Takes courage, you know."
Jim hit the table with his fist. "I'll be there! I said I would! I ain't backing down. And I'll have the money! You just be sure you show!" Jim pushed his way through the crowd.
"Okay boys, drinks are on me." Jess held up two bills. The bartender grabbed the money so quick that Jess was startled.
As the bartender and the other men moved away from the table, Slim sat down. "Have you gone loco?"
Jess sipped his beer. "Slim, what I do on my own time-"
"You know what I'm talking about!"
"Let's talk outside," Jess suggested. He led Slim out onto the boardwalk, several feet away from the saloon's swinging doors. Jess looked around carefully. They were alone.
Slim said angrily, "Jess, you ain't never lied to me. So I'm going to ask you straight out. Did you cheat playing cards?"
"Why would you think that?" Jess asked.
"Jim's right. You had luck in there like I ain't never seen. And I'm remembering how the first day you showed up at my place you tried to teach Andy a way to win at poker by dealing off the bottom of the deck. Did you do that tonight, Jess?"
Jess nodded slowly. "Yeah, I cheated."
Slim's fist hit Jess right in the jaw. Jess fell back against the hitching post. "I told you when I hired you that I wouldn't tolerate cheating or lying."
Jess rubbed his chin. "I ain't lying. I told you the truth!"
"You stole a fellow's winnings by cheating!"
"Slim, if you'll just listen-"
"You ain't got nothing to say that would make me think it's all right to steal money. That money you put in your pocket don't belong to you."
"No it belongs to Jim. I made sure when I was dealing that only he'd get cards he'd bet on. The others dropped out. I knew they would by what I dealt them."
"Just 'cause our spreads don't get along; don't make it right that you cheat Jim in cards. You did it 'cause it was Jim you were playing against, didn't you?"
"Yes! But Slim, if you'd just listen-"
"I took a chance on you, Jess. Weren't many that would take a drifter into their home. Treated you as part of the family. I trusted you as a good friend. And I see now I shouldn't have. You get your gear in the morning and ride on." Slim turned away.
Jess grabbed Slim's arm, stopping him from leaving. "Wait a minute! You firing me?"
Slim replied, "You just be thankful that I ain't going to the law about this. I won't have no cheat on my spread. I want you gone before breakfast."
"You ain't even going to let me explain?" Jess asked.
"By sunrise, Jess, I want you off my place. And if you show up for that game tomorrow night, I'll tell Mort how you won." Slim jerked his arm away from Jess's grasp. He turned and walked away.
Jess watched until the night's shadows swallowed Slim. He heard Slim's horse, Alamo, walk then gallop down the street. He knew Slim was heading back to the ranch.
