one
o’clock in the morning
Chesterman stifled every emotion , discounted every hope , said as little as possible , never relaxed his faint twisted smile . Ramon made some spectacular winnings , but Chesterman wore him down as surely as a slow hound wears down a deer despite its astounding bursts of speed . Ramon was sure to lose in the long run because he was always piling up odds against himself by the long chances he took , while his bluffs seldom deceived his cool and courageous opponent . The finish came at one o'clock in the morning . Chesterman was pale with exhaustion , but otherwise unchanged . Ramon was hoarse and flushed , chewing a cigar to bits . He held a full house and determined to back it to the limit .