Norfleet: the actual experiences of a Texas rancher's 30,000-mile transcontinental chase after five confidence men. Page: 122 of 369
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CHAPTER XIV.
A SCRAP OF PAPER.
I took another step toward the front door.
Steel, who was recovering his poise to some extent,
deliberately kept in front of me, matching his backward
steps to my forward ones.
Johnson called across the room to me to get in on
the game and do a little betting on some of the fast
horses.
From Steel's attitude and his measured distance
from me I knew he was working to get me in the right
position and then let me have it. I did not believe him
armed. This somewhat relieved my mind.
As far as I knew not one of the men in this outfit
knew my real identity. I had never seen or heard of
any one of them. Evidently their game was to "roll"
men for the money they had on them. They probably
thought I had at least a substantial amount. I had intended
they should.
Steel echoed Johnson's invitation for me to play the
horses. As he repeated the request for me to gamble,
he stepped slightly to one side of me and back a little.
Keeping my eye on him, I asked of anyone who cared
to answer:
"What day of the week is this?"
One of the wooden images sitting on the bench
replied that it was Sunday.
"Sunday!" I exclaimed in a tone of regret. "Well,
that's too bad. Gentlemen, when I was a young man I
promised my mother that I would never bet a dollar on
the Sabbath! I have always kept my promise. This
lets me out. However, I'll see you all again!"
I evened my distance with Steel so that he was on
a line with me, not in front nor behind, but exactly even
at my side. He instantly edged toward my back.
This movement flashed a warning across my mind.
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Norfleet, J. Frank, 1864-. Norfleet: the actual experiences of a Texas rancher's 30,000-mile transcontinental chase after five confidence men., book, 1924; Ft. Worth, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth5864/m1/122/: accessed April 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .