THE RISE OF GINGER GILLETT
it was a matter that shouldn't come to votin'.
"'How'll we avoid it?' asked Ginger.
"'Easy,' said I; for, you see, I knew the town and its nature better than he did. And in the silent hours of the early mornin' I'd evolved a plan to get him in. I wanted him, for Keeley was too much in with the deadly new respectable element that was down on gamblers. The gospel-sharp was for him; and out of four law-sharps, three said Keeley every time.
"And therefore I eelaborated my scheme to Ginger, and he said whatever happened he'd stand by me so long as I played a straight game. He knew me. And I arranged a little private gatherin' of them that favoured Ginger in place of Green, and I put the kyards face up on the table that would win the game. And then we started playin'. Did we run down Keeley? No, not by a Standard Oil tank-full! We went round sayin' that Keeley was a fine man, and a real son o' Texas, and as hard as they were made, and an elegant fit for the post-hole left vacant by the un-
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