Uncle Jim lit another candle to reinforce the fading light, and the deal fell to Uncle Billy.  He turned up Jack of clubs.  He also turned a little redder as he took up his cards, looked at them, and glanced hastily at his partner.  “It’s no use playing,” he said.  “Look here!” He laid down his cards on the table.  They were the ace, king and queen of clubs, and Jack of spades,—­or left bower,—­which, with the turned-up Jack of clubs,—­or right bower,—­comprised all the winning cards!

“By jingo!  If we’d been playin’ four-handed, say you an’ me agin some other ducks, we’d have made ‘four’ in that deal, and h’isted some money—­eh?” and his eyes sparkled.  Uncle Jim, also, had a slight tremulous light in his own.

“Oh no!  I didn’t see no three crows this afternoon,” added Uncle Billy gleefully, as his partner, in turn, began to shuffle the cards with laborious and conscientious exactitude.  Then dealing, he turned up a heart for trumps.  Uncle Billy took up his cards one by one, but when he had finished his face had become as pale as it had been red before.  “What’s the matter?” said Uncle Jim quickly, his own face growing white.

Uncle Billy slowly and with breathless awe laid down his cards, face up on the table.  It was exactly the same sequence in hearts, with the knave of diamonds added.  He could again take every trick.

They stared at each other with vacant faces and a half-drawn smile of fear.  They could hear the wind moaning in the trees beyond; there was a sudden rattling at the door.  Uncle Billy started to his feet, but Uncle Jim caught his arm.  “Don’t leave the cards!  It’s only the wind; sit down,” he said in a low awe-hushed voice, “it’s your deal; you were two before, and two now, that makes your four; you’ve only one point to make to win the game.  Go on.”

They both poured out a cup of whiskey, smiling vaguely, yet with a certain terror in their eyes.  Their hands were cold; the cards slipped from Uncle Billy’s benumbed fingers; when he had shuffled them he passed them to his partner to shuffle them also, but did not speak.  When Uncle Jim had shuffled them methodically he handed them back fatefully to his partner.  Uncle Billy dealt them with a trembling hand.  He turned up a club.  “If you are sure of these tricks you know you’ve won,” said Uncle Jim in a voice that was scarcely audible.  Uncle Billy did not reply, but tremulously laid down the ace and right and left bowers.

He had won!

A feeling of relief came over each, and they laughed hysterically and discordantly.  Ridiculous and childish as their contest might have seemed to a looker-on, to each the tension had been as great as that of the greatest gambler, without the gambler’s trained restraint, coolness, and composure.  Uncle Billy nervously took up the cards again.

“Don’t,” said Uncle Jim gravely; “it’s no use—­the luck’s gone now.”