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

jacks." He turned over the four jacks himself. "All the
other cards in the deck have staggered full and half dia-
monds on all four edges. Mr. Harrison could tell by look-
ing at the backs of your cards whether you had an ace,
king, queen, or jack as a hole card playing stud poker, and
playing draw poker he could tell how many high cards you
held in your hands."

Mr. Baylor slammed his fist down on the suitcase.
"You low-down skunk of a card cheat," he said to Mr.
Harrison. "I'm going to drag you off this train at the next
stop and beat you to a pulp."

"Simmer down," Mr. Walters said- "As soon as Mr.
Harrison returns all the money he has won from you gen-
tlemen I will take him to the caboose and handcuff him to
a seat. He and the deck of cards will be turned over to the
police when we get to Salt Lake City. It will then be up to
you men to go to police headquarters and sign a com-
plaint."

And that is how Tom spotted a card shark and made
himself three dollars richer on his first train trip. Papa
had once said that if Tom fell down into a deep hole,
instead of breaking a leg The Great Brain would probably
discover a gold mine. But the way Tom ended his first let-
ter almost made a nervous wreck out of me waiting for his

19

next to arrive. And here is why-

"This has been a long letter, J.D.," Tom wrote. "So I
will have to wait until my next letter to tell you about the
rest of my first train ride and the most exciting experience
of my life. When you tell the kids in Adenville about it
they will all turn green with envy."

20

CHAPTER TWO

Tom at the Throttle

ALL WEEK I WONDERED what could possibly
have happened to Tom on his first train ride that made it
the most exciting experience of his life. When I finally re-
ceived his second letter I understood why he had said that
all the kids in town would turn green with envy. When I
showed the kids the letter they didn't actually turn green