By this time several persons from the neighboring tables and the
adjoining rooms, hearing the language of strife, came rushing in.
Kingsley beheld their approach without concern. There were several
old gamblers among them, but the greater number were young ones.
"Gentlemen," said Kingsley, "I am very glad to see you. You come
at a good time. I am about to expose a scoundrel to you."
"You shall answer for this, sir," stammered Cleveland, in equal
rage and confusion.
"Answer, shall I? By Jupiter! but you shall answer too! And you
shall have the privilege of a first answer, shall you?"
"Mr. Kingsley, what is the meaning of this?" was the demand of a
tall, dark-featured man, who now made his appearance from an inner
room, and whom I now learned, was, in fact, the proprietor of the
establishment.
"Ah! Radcliffe--but before another word is wasted put your fingers
into the left breeches pocket of that scoundrel there, and see what
you will find."
Cleveland would have resisted. Kingsley spoke again to Radcliffe,
and this time in stern language, which was evidently felt by the
person to whom it was addressed.
"Radcliffe, your own credit--nay, safety--will depend upon your
showing that you have no share in this rogue's practice. Search
him, if you would not share his punishment."
The fellow was awed, and obeyed instantly. Himself, with three
others, grappled with the culprit. He resisted strenuously, but in
vain. He was searched, and from the pocket in question three dice
were produced.
"Very good," said Kingsley; "now examine those dice, gentlemen, and
see if you can detect one of my initials, the letter 'K,' which I
scratched with a pin upon each of them."
The examination was made, and the letter was found, very small and
very faint, it is true, but still legible, upon the ace square of
each of the dice.
"Very good," continued Kingsley; "and now, gentlemen, with your
leave--"
He opened his hand and displayed the three dice with which Cleveland
had last thrown.
"Here you see the dice with which this worthy gentleman hoped
to empty my pockets. These are they which he last threw upon the
table. He counted handsomely by them! I threw, just before him,
with those which you have in your hand. I had contrived to mark
them previously, this very evening, in order that I might know them
again. Why should he put them in his pocket, and throw with these?
As this question is something important, I propose to answer it to
your satisfaction as well as my own; and, for this reason, I came
here, as you see, prepared to make discoveries."
He drew from his pocket, while he spoke, a small saddler's hammer and
steel-awl. Fixing with the sharp point of the awl in the ace spot
of the dice, he struck it a single but sudden blow with the hammer,
split each of the dice in turn, and disclosed to the wondering, or
seemingly wondering, eyes of all around, a little globe of lead in
each, inclining to the lowest numeral, and necessarily determining
the roll of the dice so as to leave the lightest section uppermost.