THE PROFESSOR'S YAR& 047
and Backus knew them all, and had afflicted them all with his pet
topic. As 1 moved away, I saw one of the gamblers approach and
accost him; then another of them; then the third. I halted;
waited; watched; the conversation continued between the four men;
it grew earnest; Backus drew gradually away; the gamblers followed,
and kept at his elbow. I was uncomfortable. However, as tbey
passed me presently, I heard Backus say, with a tone of persecuted
annoyance—
* But it ain't any use, gentlemen; I tell you again, as I've told
you a half a dozen times before, I warn't raised to it, and I ain't a-going
to resk it.*
I felt relieved. * His level head will be his sufficient protection,*
I said to myself.
During the fortnight's run from Acapulco to San Francisco I
several times saw the gamblers talking earnestly with Backus, and
once I threw out a gentle warning to him. He chuckled comfortably
and said—
* Oh, yes 1 they tag around after me considerable—want me to
play a little, just for amusement, they say—but laws-a-me, if my
folks have told me once to look out for that sort of live-stock, they've
told me a thousand times, I reckon,'
By-and-bye, in due course, we were approaching San Francisco.
It was an ugly black night, with a strong wind blowing, but there
was not much sea. I was on deck, alone. Toward ten I started
below. A figure issued from the gamblers* den, and disappeared in
the darkness. I experienced a shock, for I was sure it was Backus,
I flew down the companion-way, looked about for him, could not find
him, then returned to the deck just in time to catch a glimpse of him
as he re-entered that confounded nest of rascality. Had he yielded
at last 1 I feared it. What had he gone below for !—His bag of
coin I Possibly. I drew near the door, full of codings. It was a>
crack, and I glanced in and saw a sight that made me bitterly wish I
had given my attention to saving my poor cattle-friend, instead of
reading and dreaming my foolish time away. He was gambling.
Worse still, he was being plied with champagne, and was already
showing some effect from it. He praised the * cider,* as he called it*
and gftfci aow that he had got a taste of it he almost l>eli-eved ha