"[...]an' Ma's ... well, Ma's got a real bad cold an' she's camped there for the night. But, shucks, boys, what's the odds, when there's fire in the fire place an' grub in the grub box an' as fine a line of licker as you can find any place I know of. An' a deck or two of cards an' the bones to rattle for them that's anxious to make or break quick ... Hap Smith ought to been here before now. You wouldn't suppose...." He broke off and looked at those of the faces which had been turned his way. His thought was plain to[...]".