The Gilded West
an excerpt

“Deck, you hit the tables yesterday?” Skookum Jim asked expectantly.

Declan nodded quickly. “A silly little man from California was a very sore loser I’m afraid. Lucky for me he was silly enough not to carry a gun too.” He shrugged, not concerned. “Have you heard of any games coming up?”

Skookum Jim looked out to sea and then back again. They had done this before, he and Deck. Not long after they had started working together they had discovered a mutual love of cards, and an even greater mutual love of taking other mens’ money. They didn’t cheat, they were just very good at watching and listening. Skook, down here at the docks in the center of it all, often heard about games with big stakes, and he kept his ears open when a particularily large sum was at stake.

“The boys that own the big ships that just come back from the Yukon, well, they’re just weighed down with gold these days and feelin' awful generous. They were at the Crooked Pine last night getting into a heap of trouble. Word has it though, that they’re planning a big game for the end of the week, when some Tillicum of theirs comes to visit.” Skookum Jim finished.

“Have you seen Bill today?” Declan asked, turning to gaze out at the blue ocean.

Skook shook his head. “Haven’t had time to see that friggin’ fancy King George man. If you see him, ask about the game. He’ll know more than a crazy old half-breed like me.” Skook grinned and shook his long dark hair, he was missing one of his front teeth and it gave him a rather scary countenance. “Oh, and tell’im I want my five dollars back, will ya? He’s always forgetting it whenever I see’im, eh.”