Soul Catcher (57 page)

^{Overall, though, he was feeling pretty good about things. He was nearly $150 to the good and needed only a few more winning hands to have enough to wager for his horse. But then, feeling cocky, he got careless, bet far too much on a pair of tens, and promptly lost to the crookback's three treys.}

^{"Told you, you gonna have to watch him," the bespectacled man said.}

^{After that, Cain played with, what was for him anyway, unusual circumspection. Even when he won the next hand, taking in nearly two hundred dollars, and Dr. Chimbarazo offered to play with no betting limit, Cain replied with uncharacteristic caution. "I'd just as soon keep it as it is," he told his opponent.}

^{They played another half dozen hands, with Cain winning twice as much as he lost. He soon had more than enough to wager for his horse.}

^{"I'll play for Hermes now," he said.}

^{"For who?" asked the crookback.}

^{"My horse."}

^{"You mean
my
horse. Very well."}

^{To the others, Cain added, "Y'all are my witnesses. If I win, the horse is mine, free and clear."}

^{"I'll see that Doc abides by the rules," said the sheriff.}

^{So they began the last hand.}

^{Cain anted up four hundred dollars, the agreed-upon value of the horse, while the crookback put up the sham bill of sale. With each successive round they raised each other another twenty dollars. For Cain, things started out on a positive note. Of the first three cards he was dealt, he found himself in possession of a pair of tens, both faceup, and a queen in the hole. Dr. Chimbarazo, though, quickly followed with a second ace to match one already faceup. He looked across the table at Cain's pair of tens and gave off the faintest hint of a smile. But it was, Cain believed, a hollow smile, one meant more as a bluff than a sign of genuine confidence. Nonetheless, the small man raised him the maximum each round. Cain was sure he was bluffing and matched his bet. He felt even better when, on the next round, he drew another lady to go with the one already in his hand.
Two pairs.
He glanced across at Dr. Chimbarazo, who was now sucking on his lower lip.
Yes,
he thought.
I have the little bastard now.
Immediately after that, though, Cain began second-guessing himself. What if he were holding a third ace in his hand? What if Cain were to lose everything? Still, he figured if he was going to strike out for the West as planned, he'd need a good horse as well as enough funds, both traveling money and a grubstake once he'd arrived. He had a feeling, though, something in his gut that made him feel lucky. This time it was Cain who raised his opponent. The small man counted the money sitting in the pile in front of him. It was barely enough to stay in the hand.}

^{More confident than ever, Cain offered, "You still want no limit?"}

^{Dr. Chimbarazo stroked his goatee.}

^{"Will you take a bank check, sir?"}

^"Cash."

^{"These men will vouch for me."}

^{"Doc's good for it," said the sheriff.}

^{Cain thought for a moment. Even if the crookback cheated him with the check, he figured he'd get his horse back and still stand to come out of the game with almost a thousand dollars in winnings.}

^{"I'll let you make it out for whatever I bid. Not a penny more."}

^{"That's very decent of you, sir. No limit then. Deal the cards, Mr. Sprague."}

^{Cain felt he had him right where he wanted him. On the next- to-last round, he couldn't believe his luck--he drew a third queen, giving him a full house. Unless the crookback was holding four aces or had a full house himself, Cain couldn't lose now. So he took all of his remaining money and pushed it toward the center of the table.}

^{The small man raised his eyebrows, looked at his cards, and then across at Cain. He sighed and brought his lips together in a pout.}

^{"Are you going to stay?" Cain asked, smiling.}

^{"Just a moment, sir," he said.}

^{Finally, Dr. Chimbarazo took out his checkbook and wrote a draft for the exact amount that Cain had bid.}

^{"I match your bid, sir," the crookback said.}

^{The final round of cards was dealt. His opponent glanced at his last hole card and then at Cain.}

^{"I call," Cain said.}

^{However, instead of showing what he was holding, the little man said, "It's my bid." He reached into an inner pocket of his coat and took out a billfold, from which he removed a stack of bank notes.}

^{Cain stared across the table at him in disbelief.}

^{"What the hell's this?" he asked.}

^{"It's my turn to bid," said the crookback calmly. He removed several bills and tossed them in the pot. "I raise you five hundred."}

^{"You said you were broke," Cain cried.}

^{"I said no such thing, sir. I merely asked if you would take a bank check."}

^{"And I let you, assuming you didn't have cash."}

^{The small man shrugged, pursing his lips.}

^{Turning to the other men, Cain said, "He can't do that."}

^{"Doc never said he was out of cash," replied the dealer.}

^{Cain then looked to the sheriff.}

^{"That's right, son. He didn't."}

^{Suddenly Cain realized he'd been had. The little man had tricked him. He didn't have anywhere near five hundred to bet. It was the crookback who was smiling now.}

^{"Your bet, sir," he said to Cain. "Or are you going to fold?"}

^{Cain saw not only his grubstake vanishing before his eyes, but his horse, as well. Now he'd never get to California, unless he brought the girl back and collected the reward. Everything he'd hoped for, everything that had been within his grasp, was now slipping through his fingers. He was about to fold when the crookback said, "Of course, there is one other possibility."}

^{"What's that?"}

^{"You could put up your runaway."}

^{Cain stared across at Dr. Chimbarazo, wishing he'd snapped his neck when he'd had the chance. He shook his head.}

^{"You
do
have her still?"}

^{Cain remained silent, thinking.}

^{"I would permit you to put her up against my wager in full."}

^{"She's not mine to bet. She belongs to a Mr. Eberly of Henrico County, Virginia."}

^{"Are you quite sure?"}

^{"I'm sure," Cain replied, pushing away from the table and rising. "I'll have my weapons now," he said to the sheriff.}

^{"You'd bess pick 'em up in the morning, son," the sheriff said. "Give you a chance to cool off."}

^{Cain turned and started for the door.}

^{"How about for just one night with her?" the crookback offered.}

^{The other men whistled or clucked in astonishment.}

^{"Lordy, that must be some kinda woman," said the dealer.}

^{"Never thought I'd see the day Doc lost his wits over poontang," added the stout Negro. "And colored poontang at that."}

^{The others laughed.}

^{Cain hesitated with his hand on the doorknob. He wondered what the small man was up to--all of that for just one night? It didn't make sense. Either he was dead sure of what he was holding or Rosetta had some powerful hold on him, one that went well beyond dollars and cents. He'd seen men gamble wildly for such things before. A favorite hunting dog. A piece of land that wasn't worth beans to anyone except them. Some mining claim that had long been panned out. Could the crookback have been so all-fired-up for Rosetta that he'd lost his wits? If so, Cain was sure he could beat him. When men played with their hearts, or their cocks, instead of their heads, they were easy marks. Then again, perhaps the man's dare was merely cold calculation, the certainty of the victor. Cain thought for a moment. He warned himself not to, that what he was planning was dangerous. Then again, he couldn't think of another way to get his horse back and keep Rosetta safe.}

^{"What's it going to be?" the crookback asked again. When Cain still didn't reply, the little man said, "Suit yourself," and reached out to draw in his winnings.}

^{"Wait," Cain said, turning back to the table. "Just one night with her?"}

^{"Just one night," he replied, a malignant gleam in his dark eyes.}

^{Cain took a seat.}

^{"First," the small man said to Cain, "I will need to know where she is."}

^{"She's with the others outside of town."}

^{"How do I know you're telling the truth?"}

^{"You have my word," he said, glancing at the sheriff.}

^{"He's a veteran. His word's good enough for me," the man replied.}

^{"Very well. But if you lose, I shall require you to produce her immediately," Dr. Chimbarazo said, looking at the others at the table.}

^{"Don't worry," said the sheriff.}

^{"I just want some assurance," the little man countered.}

^{"We'll make sure he holds up his end."}

^{"And I have her until daybreak," the man added.}

^{Cain had worked out a plan in his head if he lost. He would bring the crookback and whoever accompanied him on a wild-goose chase into the woods and lose them, then double back and get Rosetta and take off. It was a plan not without risks, but he saw no other way of getting his horse back. And he sure the hell was not going to give Rosetta over to the little son of a bitch. He'd kill him first. He'd kill them all if he had to.}

^{"Stop yakking and let's play," Cain said.}

^{"All right, show us what you got," said the little man.}

^{Taking a deep breath, Cain turned his hole cards faceup.}

^{"He's got a full house, queens and tens," said the dealer. "What're you holding, Doc?"}

^{Cain stared across the table at the crookback. The smug, ivory smile on his round pie-face rapidly faded, changing first to incredulity, then to embarrassment, and finally to rage. His mouth hardened in anger and his eyes turned into small hard things, like acorns. Then he turned his hole cards faceup.}

^{"His full house trumps your three aces, Doc," the dealer said.}

^{"He . . . he cheated," the crookback stammered.}

^{"Now, Doc, he whupped you fair'n square," said the sheriff.}