Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1880-08-12

perhaps, after all, the most successful
game one can play the world over Is
bluff, >" said old Judge Van Snyder, the
other day, as he looked up from reading
the arrangement for the coming yacht
races
''Don't catch the ldea," said his old
crony, Diffenderfer, waking up from an
! after-dinner nap.
81 was thinking" said the Judge, retro
spectively, "of famous yacht race at
tended in New York harbor long time
ago. Ii was between an English schooner
named the Sylph, think, and the famous
America. There was large party of us
| young bloods aboard the Judges steamer,
and the betting ran very high. OF course
all we New Workers wanted to back the
America
''And didn't youG' yawned old Diffen-
derfer, settling for another forty winks.
'rm coming TO that. No; just said,
we were all anxious to bet ON the home
boat, and we'd done so if it hadn't been for
the action of loud-voiced but shabby
looking sport, who went around sneering
at the Yankee schooner and claiming sure
victory for the Sylph.
Couldn't the police stop ~" growled
Diffenderfer, opening one eye to take aim
at fly on his nose.
stop what Why don't you pay atten
tion to what ! am saying? Well, this fel
low kept annoying everybody by his Insin-
uations and vociferations until at last !
pulled out handful of gold and said to
HIM, My friend, you seem TO do a good
daal If 10 on small oaTVfmI II x-o,Y orc
so sure you're right, back your opin-
ion.' And everybody around chimed in,
Eyes, young man, put up or shut up
''Ha! Hal" said old D., vaguely. ''Dev-
ilish good story that"
Don't be fool, Diffenderfer," said his
chum, testify ''If you haven't the decency
to-"
''Go on, my dear old boy" said Diffen-
derfer, sitting up with great resignation
81 hear every word you say"
''Oh, YOU do, eh? Where was well,
this fellow kind of sneaked off at that, but.
just as we were offering the odds on the
America, he came shouldering his way
through the crowd, holding in his hand a
big bag that seemed fairly bursting with
twenties. 'Where is he ?" he shouted.
where is that young fiat who wanted to
bet with me Come, now -I'll go you one
thousand to one hundred the Sylph wins!
and he shook the bag i'm my face"
did, ELI 2" said Diftendenfer, drow-
silly.
"Yes, sir, he did. Well, / was so much
taken aback that hesitated. oh, you're
backing down, are your said the fellow
with grin. We'll, I'll tell you what I'll
do, Mr.. Know-it-all, I'll just bet you cool
thousand TO fifty that the America losses
| was SO astonIshed at the man giving such
tremendous odds, and with the coin
right i'm sight, too, that | saw at once he
had sure thing, so | refused to bet: Put
up or shut up, said the man Wi h the bag.
III make it two thousand"
"You took him up then 2" SAID -niffDn--
derfer, shading his eye with has hand.
mo, of course di MT, saw that-we
all saw-tEat something was up. So just
backed square down, and went quietly
around hedging and laying any odds they
wanted on the Sylph. Most of the swells
did the same, and were surprised and de-
lighted TO find that there was a crowd of
hard-looking customers on board who took
our bets, though we had to give the biggest
kind of odds generally"
''Well-and then ~
''The upshot of the whole matter was
that the America won by fiv9 miles, and
every decent-looking man on the boat was
cleared out down to a car ticket. The
roughs had won all the money. As our
party landed at the wharf, and all
looking very savage at our stupidity, the
'bluffer' alluded to winked at the crowd
and tossed his bag overheard. To our
smazement it fioated lightly off. What
lid you have in that big bag?' | asked.
aOh, nothing in the world replied the
'capper, as he skipped over the rail. but
box of checkers | bought from the steward.
Now, what do you think of that 7"
But Diffenderfef was snoring like a cof-
fee mill, so the Judge drank the sherry out
of revenge and snoozed off himself.