The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1864-07-01
THE GAME OF BRAG.

Tor tho day, found myself IN hrst
class carriage, occupied by FIVE gentle
men, playing at this redoubtable game !;
and without having the least desire to
join them, / watched their proceedings
with some attention, and was reward
ed by witnessing what was admitted
by ali to be an unprecedented occur
renee, and one well worthy, if not Of
immortal verse, at least of printed
record. For the first twenty minutes
l should mention, they played whist
of course with two packs Of cards
but upon the remonstrance of the
gentleman who found himself cut out
and obliged to make room for the fifth
man at the railway rug, which was
their card table, they changed that
game to brag.
While my moral nature was shocked,
1 could not help being interested by
the secretiveness of each competitor,
by the air of confidence with which
they backed an indifferent hand, by the
affected hesitation with which they
continued to brag upon a good one,
and by, their close scanning of one
anothers countenances, in which moth
ing but cunning and avarice were to
be traced And yet, in the sense of
playing for high stakes, they were not
gambling. A sovereign or thirty shil-
lings was the most that had been lost
by any person, when presently, the
rest having thrown up their hands,
two players began to back their cards
at such considerable higher sums, as
to arouse everybody curiosity to know
what they were stalking on.
Let me look at you, Jones, cried
one; I'm not playing, you know, and
Smith will never be able to tell any
thing by my face
That is true, my dear fellow, re
piled Jones coolly. If want of ex-
preston could beget confidence, one
could trust i'll your face as well as any
mans. But / can't let you see my
cards, Smith; brag five pounds
i brag ten, was the response. And
allow me to warn you as friend not
to back yourself extravagantly, for
you'll lose, my Jones, and you're a
family man.
Here took place burst of laughter;
this was a new ruse indeed, to affect
interest in the state of an adversary
pocket, in order to make him give III.
We'll, replied Jones, you're bach
elor, it is true, but you connot afford
to lose twenty-five pounds, and that
is the amount of my next brag.'
I brag twenty-five pounds also, res
marked Smith cheerfully.
Then l viii brag fifty pounds, re-
turned Jones; and rather than go on,
l solemnly tell you, you should give a
nuutueti ~ ivol. CT ny l..asl-'
L wouldn't give farthing to look
at your hand answered the other
scornfully. / am really sorry to ruin
you, but your obstinacy brings it upon
yourself. You viii have to part with
Mrs. Jones piano as it is, | expect.
Sir replied Jones with resolution,
upon the cards which l hold here |
would brag Mrs Jones herself with the
utmost confidence
you had better not responded the
bachelor darkly. And again there
was Il shrek Of laughter from the audi
ence who were not permitted to be
spectators.
Now my dear Smith, let rs under
stand one another If You continue
to play this game, you viii never ride
i'll first class carriage again. ! should
be sorry to be the means of driving
you into the parliamentary. Tell me
how much money you can afford to
lose without going to Jail, and l will
brag that
Il will brag two hundred and fifty
pounds, quoth Smith calmly; and you
had better give me bill of cash upon
your fortune at once | am quite sure
you have not got so much i'll your
bankers hands.
4 will brag five hundred, answered
Jones with his teeth clenched. i will
brag my house and garden; | Will
brag myself and my government stu
alton. If instead of being in the ex-
press train, we were in the middle
ages, and you were the Old Gentleman
himself, warn you that | would brag
my soul
Then you would loose it, respond
ed Smith, TO dead certainty, and !
should have made a very indifferent
bargain Now, listen Let the last
brag of two hundred and fifty stand;
and Robinson and Lloyd shall look at
my hand, and Brown at yours. Then
we will be bound by their advice and
if they say to either of us stop, we
will do So
Very good quoth Jones; showing
his cards with a grim smile to his left
hand neighbor. l would have given
ANYTHING to have seen them also, but,
being stranger, did not venture to
ask to do so, DO you think, Brown,
/ ought to give in to smith with a
hand like this, or do you not p
1T is quite impossible obsered Mr..
Brown, solemnly, that any man should
give up such cards. / think, under the
circumstances, that | am almost justi-
fed in saying that Smith cannot win.
What do you say inquired Smith,
turning the face OF his cards to his
two friends with the most careful Sc
crecy, and watching for their reply
with triumphant confidence.
eI.s, % kc,,,l e,,,ofh Mr. Robinson