The meal was finally concluded. Oscar had placed his end of it well and appeared about as jolly as a man should appear who had imbibed his share of several bottles of wine.

"What shall we do?" asked Girard. "I don't wish to go to bed; I prefer having a nice time. Can't we go somewhere and have a jolly little game of draw?"

Oscar was not loath. He desired to let the men draw him, believing that while they were playing their little trick he might work a little on his own hook.

"Hang it!" said our hero, "I am not in the habit of staying away from my home all night, but since I've started in I don't care what I do for the rest of the night."

"Where can we go?" asked Thatford.

"To some hotel. We will take a room," suggested Oscar. His suggestion was only a "flyer." He knew the men did not wish to go to a hotel. It was a part of their game to draw him to some place where they could open up the scheme they had in their minds.

"I have a friend who always keeps open house."

Thatford laughed and said:

"Yes, a pretty close friend. You want us to go to your bachelor quarters."

"Well, why not at my rooms? We can play as long as we please and turn in when we get ready."

"I have taken advantage of your hospitality so often I'd rather cry off," said Thatford.

"Oh, nonsense! come on. What do you say, Dunne?"

The intimacy under the influence of the wine had progressed so far that the men addressed each other as though they had been friends for years.

Wine softens down the austerities and makes apparent friends with great readiness. It was decided to go to the bachelor rooms of Girard, and the three men pa.s.sed to the street. Oscar meantime became quite gay and very plainly showed the effects of the wine, but really he was fearfully on the alert, and when we write fearfully we mean it just as we write it; for he did not know at what moment one of the men might plunge a knife through his heart or send a bullet through his brain. He knew that their purpose was a dire one, and the only question was, how would they work out their plan? Keen were his glances under his seeming inebriety, and he beheld the men exchange glances, and also recognized looks of triumph, intimating, "We've done it well. He is ours."

The three men walked on and at length halted in front of a house which our hero had once had under suspicion.

"Here we are," said Girard.

"All right," responded Oscar.

"Say, my friend," suggested Thatford, "we must not play for large stakes. Remember I am not a rich man; I can't lose like some of you golden bucks."

"I never play for big stakes," said Girard.

The men entered the house and Girard said:

"My gambling box is on the top floor. There I don't annoy my neighbors."

"All right," said Oscar. Our hero was seemingly in a very complaisant mood. The men ascended to the top floor. Girard ushered his guests into a room which contained a full equipment for a game of draw. There were shaded lights, a polished table, and by touching a b.u.t.ton he summoned a lackey to serve in attendance, and our seemingly half-boozed Oscar scanned the face of the lackey and perceived that indeed a very cunning game was being played. Cards, cigars, liquor, and all the paraphernalia were introduced, even to chips, and the game commenced. Our hero had started in to buy a big wad of chips, but he was restrained.

Indeed, the rascals were working the game for all it was worth in the way of a total blind, until the moment when they intended to open up.

The game had proceeded for about half an hour when the attendant entered the room and made a whispered announcement to Girard. The latter appeared to be annoyed, but said:

"All right, show them up;" and turning to his guests he added:

"It's awful annoying, but a couple of my friends, knowing my habit, have dropped in. They will want to come in the game."

"The more the merrier," said Oscar.

Thus he spoke, but he realized all the same that the chances for his escape were lessening. Two more men would make it five against him, including the attendant, whom our hero had set down as a "stool" in disguise, and the inquiry arose in his mind:

"What can their game be? They have certainly gone carefully about it and have made great preparations to do me; but how do they intend to do it?"

The two men were introduced into the room. They came in seemingly in quite a merry mood, but a moment later one of them fixed his eyes on our hero, stared in a surprised way and finally asked:

"Girard, where did you come across that individual?"

There was a tableau at once.

"What do you mean? Of course you know the man."

"Here, my good fellow, I'd like to know what _you_ mean?" demanded Girard.

"Do you call that man your guest?"

"I do."

"Do you know him well?"

Girard appeared very much confused and did not answer.

"Answer; do you know that man well?"

"No, I met him to-night."

All this time Oscar sat silent, but really appeared like a man who had been detected in something mean.

"You don't know him well?"

"I do not."

"You met him to-night?"

"Yes."

"Who introduced him to you?"

"No one. We became acquainted by chance. But see here, this gentleman is my guest and I want you to explain."

"Oh, I'll explain."

"Please do."

"I denounce that man."

"You denounce him?"