On the docks, armed men are loading up a wagon. Matthew Younger is watching from hiding, and two men come up and hold him at gunpoint. They demand to know who Matthew is, and he explains that river pirates are robbing him. The two men say that they're Pinkertons, and they order the pirates to surrender. The pirates return fire just as Yancy and Pahoo come out of Yancy's office around the corner. The Pinkertons kill one pirate and the others run to the waiting wagon. Yancy recognizes one of them, Marble Fingers, and Marble Fingers tells Yancy to drop by the Bucket of Blood tavern sometime before leaving with his comrades. The Pinkertons run over with Matthew, who holds Yancy at gunpoint, figuring that he's working with the pirates. Yancy knows Matthew by reputation, and the head agent Crenshaw orders Yancy to come quietly.
The Pinkertons take Yancy and Pahoo to the calaboose. The jailer plays cards with Yancy until John arrives, and the turnkey asks Yancy to look serious as he hides the wine and cards. John and Matthew come in, and John tells Yancy that he's a free man. Matthew tells John that his best isn't good enough and storms out, and John explains that he's had a fortune in goods stolen in the last month. Yancy refuses to identify the pirates, noting that his value to John as a secret agent would be finished if he did. John concedes the point and leaves.
The next day, Yancy goes to a café and a woman, Desiree Lachapelle, calls him over. It takes Yancy a moment to recognize her, since the last time he saw her was when she was 17. Matthew is sitting with her and Desiree explains that he's her guardian. Matthew explains that he has an obligation Desiree's late father and won't let her keep company with an unsavory character. Desiree tells him to take a stroll and Yancy will walk her home, and Matthew irritably leaves.
Desiree asks Yancy for help about the grave robbers. They broke into her father Renee's tomb and stole everything he was buried with, including the watch his wife gave to him. Yancy says that he'll keep an eye out for him and takes her home.
That night, Yancy and Pahoo go to the Bucket of Blood and find Marble Fingers at a table with a woman. When Yancy comes over, Marble Fingers introduces his new girl, Black-eyed Sue Brogan. She pulls away and calls Marble Fingers a loudmouth, and Marble Fingers slaps her. Yancy punches him and kisses Sue's hand, and tells the pirate that he did it because it's bad luck to hit a lady. Sue breaks a wine bottle over Marble Fingers' head and calls him a grave robber, and when Marble Fingers swings at her, Yancy punches him again. Marble Fingers swings at him and Yancy decks him. The pirate finally concedes that Sue is a lady, and Sue thanks Yancy for his intervention.
Yancy asks for the time, and then grabs the watch that Marble Fingers takes out. He draws a gun and confirms that it belongs to Renee and pockets it. The other pirates listen in as Yancy accuse Marble Fingers of grave robbing. Yancy has Marble Fingers walk them to the door, calls all of the pirates grave robbers, and leaves. When the pirates start to go after him, Marble Fingers tells them that Yancy will have his lights turned off sooner then he thinks.
As Yancy and Pahoo walk down the street, a shot rings out. Sue runs toward them and the two men duck into the shadows and then pull Sue to cover. A pirate chases after her, and Pahoo knocks him out. They go to the club and everyone stares at Sue. Yancy escorts her to the back parlor and Sue tells him that they caught her listening to their plans to kill Yancy. There's a gentleman involved, and when Sue heard their plans, she climbed out the window and she ran. A man named Biloxi will come after Yancy the next night at the club, and shoot him dead over a game of cards. Sue assures Yancy that she can identify Biloxi.
Francine comes in and says that only club employees are allowed in if their females. Yancy explains that sue is saving his life and Sue admits that she likes him. Francine agrees to let Sue sty there and they'll make her look like a lady. She takes Sue up to start with a bath, after Yancy confirms that she knows Biloxi ad that he uses a .31 pistol.
The next day, Yancy goes to Desiree's home and gives her Renee's watch. She kisses him in gratitude, and Matthew comes in. He orders Yancy out, but Desiree says that Yancy is welcome there and Matthew isn't. She points out that Matthew is running Renee's insurance company and paying for the losses Matthew is taken for stolen property. Matthew says that he's only insured for 50%, and he had $10,000 merchandise stolen the other night. Yancy points out that if Matthew hadn't lost his stock, he'd have a 505 profit, and Matthew takes offense. The gambler drops the matter and bids Desiree goodbye. Matthew accuses Yancy of getting the watch from his confederates like Marble Fingers, and Yancy asks how he knew that Marble Fingers had the watch. The older man claims that he just guessed, but Yancy isn’t convinced and leaves.
That evening, Yancy returns to Francine's club. He slips a .31 pistol to Pahoo and asks Francine to deal him a hand of poker. Biloxi comes in and Pahoo slams into him, knocking Biloxi's gun on the floor. The Pawnee quickly switches it for the one Yancy gave him, and Biloxi sits down at the card table with Yancy and Francine. They invite him to join, and Biloxi soon has four kings to Yancy's three aces and a hole card. Yancy raises on the bet, and Biloxi calls him. The gambler reveals his fourth ace, and Biloxi reveals the fifth ace in the hole, draws the switched gun, and "shoots" Yancy. Biloxi runs out and Francine has Yancy taken to the back parlor. She and Sue check on him, and Sue reports that Pahoo is following Biloxi to Green Acres Cemetery.
Yancy goes to Green Acres, having figured out Matthew's plan: he's stealing from himself and hiding the goods in the tombs. He then lets the pirates steal the other tombs to throw off the police. Once Matthew collects the insurance, he can move the goods across the Mississippi and sell them. Matthew is supervising the pirates moving his goods out, and Yancy steps out and holds Marble Fingers and Biloxi at gunpoint. Matthew returns and trains a gun on Yancy, ordering him to drop his weapon. Yancy figures that Desiree's company will go broke paying Matthew's insurance claims, and Matthew tells Yancy to get into the nearby tomb. Pahoo is waiting inside and shoots Marble Fingers and Biloxi dead. The Pinkertons arrive with John and arrest Matthew, and Yancy bids them all a good night.
Later, Desiree goes to the club and Pahoo points out that Yancy is in the back parlor. She goes into the back and says that she came to see Yancy because he wouldn't come to the house. Desiree thanks him for saving her estate, but says that there are more important things than money. She admits that she's a bachelor of sorts herself and departs with Yancy,
Written by Gadfly on Jul 12, 2017