"John D. Fitzgerald - The Great Brain At the AcademyUC - 4" - читать интересную книгу автора (Fitzgerald John D)

said. "What is this, some kind of a joke?"

The moment Tom spotted the marked deck of cards he
had put his great brain to work on how to take financial
advantage oг the situation. He looked at Mr. Walters.

"If I can prove this deck is marked, will Mr. Harrison
have to return all the money he has won?" he said.

"He certainly will," the conductor said.

Then Tom looked at the three losing poker players.
"I figure it should be worth a dollar apiece to you to know
how these cards are marked so you can get your money
back," he said.

Mr. Baylor nodded his head. "You figure right, boy,"
he said.

Tom held the deck with the faces down and dealt out
five piles of cards with just four cards in four of the piles
and the rest in the fifth pile.

"This deck has a small diamond design on the back
like most playing cards," Tom said. "The diamonds are
arranged at the place where the cards are manufactured,
so anybody who knows the secret can tell how many high
cards the other players have by looking at the backs."

He pointed at one of the piles. "These four cards
have full diamonds across the top and bottom edges, which
means they are the four aces," he said.

Mr. Baylor turned the four cards over, revealing the
four aces.

Tom pointed at another pile. "These four cards have
half diamonds across the top and bottom edges, which
means they are the four kings," he said.

18

Mr. Baylor turned over the four kings,
"And this pile." Tom said, "has quarter diamonds
across the top and bottom edges, which means they are the
four queens."

Mr. Baylor turned over the four queens.
"This last pile of four cards," Tom said, "has full dia-
monds down both sides, which means they are the four