Chapter 2 Summary

As a blizzard begins outside the Hotel, the farmer and Scully's son begin playing another game of High Five. After a brief quarrel, the farmer leaves the game and that causes the Swede to break into his high pitched, somewhat nervous, laugh,

A new card game is formed with the Swede and the Easterner as partners, while Johnnie, Scully's son, and the cowboy are paired. The cowboy turns out to be a raucous player who is very animated and this thrills Johnny, while the other two at the table are somewhat sullen. During a lull in the game, the Swede suddenly says to Johnny, "I suppose there have been a good many men killed in this room." This outbreak causes the others in the room some surprise.

The boy asks what he means by that, and the Swede answers that he is certain...