“Room for a little one?” he asked.  And place was readily made for him.

For a little while the game of poker went on in the same quiet way as before.  But suddenly something extraordinary must have happened.  All the gentlemen, except Captain Irwin and one of the players, laid down their cards, and the unpleasantly penetrating voice of Captain Irwin was heard.

“You are an old fox, Captain McGregor!  But I am aware of your tricks and cannot be taken in by them.  Therefore, once more, six hundred rupees!”

Every poker-player knows that, so far from being considered dishonourable, it is a chief sign of skill in the game, where each man plays for his own hand, for one to deceive the rest as to the value of the cards he holds.  The name of “bluff,” which has been given to this game, is itself sufficient to show that everyone has to try his best to puzzle his adversaries.

But this time Irwin appeared to have met his match in McGregor.  For the Captain replied calmly:  “Six hundred and fifty.  But I advise you not to see me, Irwin.”

“Seven hundred.”

“Seven hundred and fifty.”

“Thousand!” shouted Irwin with resounding voice, and leant back in his chair smiling, as if certain of victory.

“You had better consider what you are about,” said McGregor.  “I have given you warning.”

“A convenient way to haul in seven hundred and fifty rupees.  I repeat:  A thousand rupees.”

“One thousand and fifty!”

“Two thousand!”

All the gentlemen present in the tent had risen and stood round the two players, who, their cards concealed in their hands, watched each other with sharp glances.  Hermann Heideck, who had stepped behind Irwin, noticed on the right hand of the Captain a magnificent diamond ring.  But he also perceived, by the way the bright sparkle of the stone quivered, how the gambler’s fingers trembled.

Captain McGregor turned to his companions.  “I take the gentlemen to witness that I have advised my comrade Irwin not to see me at six hundred.”

“To the devil with your advice!” Irwin interrupted almost furiously.  “Am I a boy?  Will you see me at two thousand, McGregor, or will you not?”

“Very well, since you insist upon it—­three thousand.”

“Five thousand.”

“Five thousand five hundred.”

“Ten thousand.”

One of the higher officers, Major Robertson, laid his hand lightly upon the shoulder of the rash gambler.

“That is too much, Irwin.  I do not care to interfere in these things, and since you do not belong to my regiment, I can only speak to you as a comrade, not as a superior.  But I am afraid you will be in difficulties if you lose.”

Angrily the Captain fired up—­

“What do you mean by that, sir?  If your words are intended to express a doubt as to my solvency—­”

“Well! well—­I did not mean to offend you.  After all, you must know best yourself what you are justified in doing.”