Cletus lost another dollar, then another one.
“Wait, I’m going to get another beer,” Cletus said.
Falcon watched Cletus walk over to the bar and order a beer. While Cletus was at the bar, he spoke to one of the men who had come into the saloon with him. Then, carrying the beer, he returned to the table.
“I hear tell you are Falcon MacCallister,” Cletus said.
“Yes.”
“I’ve heard of you.”
“Have you?”
“My name is Cletus Clinton. I reckon you’ve heard of me as well.”
“I have,” Falcon said.
“Damn!” Cletus replied with a broad grin. “I figured you’d heard of me. I reckon all us famous people have heard of each other.”
Falcon suppressed a smile. At that moment, the man Prentiss had identified as Deke Mathers came over to the table. This was the same man Cletus had spoken to when he went to the bar to buy his beer.
“Mr. MacCallister, is it true they’s a whole town named just after you?” Deke asked.
“It’s not named after me,” Falcon replied. “It was named after my father.”
Cletus watched Deke engage Falcon in conversation. This was by design, for Cletus wanted Falcon’s attention diverted away from the three cards just for a moment.
With Falcon’s head turned, Cletus reached across the table and put a small, barely noticeable crease on one corner of the ace. Let Falcon switch the cards around all he wanted, Cletus would make no attempt whatever to follow them. He would simply select the card with the creased corner.
“You going to play cards, or are you going to talk all day?” Cletus asked.
Falcon turned back to the table. “Why, I’m going to play cards, Mr. Clinton,” Falcon said, smiling easily.
“Good,” Cletus said. “Only, this time, let’s bet enough for me to get even.” He put a ten dollar bill on the table.
“That’s a pretty steep bet for a little friendly game like this, isn’t it?” Falcon asked.
“If it’s too rich for you, just say so,” Cletus said.
Falcon drummed his fingers on the card table for a moment. By now, several other patrons of the saloon had wandered over to the table, and what had started out as a quiet, two-man game was quickly turning into a spectator sport.
“So, what are you going to do, Mr. MacCallister?” Cletus asked. “Are you going to play or not?”
“I’ll play,” Falcon said, reaching into his own pocket to bring out a ten dollar bill to match the bet.
Cletus took one last look at the creased card. So far, Falcon hadn’t noticed it.
“Hey, I’m bettin’ Cletus gets it this time,” Deke said, putting a dollar down on the table.
“You’re on,” someone said.
“I’ll bet on Cletus.”
“I’m bettin’ on MacCallister.”
Within a few moments, there were several dollars in side bets on the table, and by now, nearly everyone in the house was aware of the game.
Falcon picked up the three cards, shuffled them around a few times, then put the cards down on the table. He started moving them around, in and out, over and under with such lightning speed that the cards were nearly a blur. Then he stopped and the three cards lay in front of him, waiting for Cletus to pick the ace.
With a smug smile, Cletus reached across the table to make his selection. Then suddenly, he froze in mid- motion and the smile left his face. He hand hung suspended over the table.
“Go on, Cletus, pick out the ace. You can do it,” Deke said.
Cletus stared at the three cards with a sickly expression on his face. All three cards now bore that same creased corner. Falcon had not only seen it, he had, somehow, managed to duplicate it on the other cards with such exactness that Cletus had no idea which card he had marked.
Falcon reached across the table and put his hand on Cletus’s shoulder, using his thumb to lift the vest away, ever so slightly.
“Is there something wrong?” Falcon asked. “You look a little piqued.”
Cletus glared at Falcon. Irritated, he pushed Falcon’s hand away from his shoulder, then reached down to turn up one of the cards.
The card he turned up was a jack.
“Damn!” he said.
There was a collection of cheers and groans from the others around the table, many of whom had their own bets riding on the outcome.
“I guess I’m just lucky,” Falcon said as he reached for the money.
“No, wait a minute!” Cletus said. “I don’t believe the ace is even on the table.”
