The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-08-12
IA Cheokered Race

''Perhaps, after all, the most successful
game one can play the world over is
bluff, >" said old Judge Van Snyder the
other day, rs he looked up from reading
the arrangement for the coming yacht
races
''Don't catch the idca," said his old
crony, Diffenderfcr, waking up from an
after-dnner nap.
81 was thinking" said the Judge, retro
spcctivcly, 'of a famous yacht race at
tended in New York harbor long time
ago. 1t was between al English schooner
named the Sylph, think, and the famous
America. There was a 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 you7" yawncd old Diffcn-
dcrfcr, settling for another forty winks.
"1'm 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 a loud-voiced but shabby
looking sport, who went around sncering
| at the Yankee schooner and claiming q sure
victory for the Sylph.''
Couldn't the police stop u?" growlcd
Diffenderfcr, opening one eye to take aim
| ut a fly on his nose.
''Stop what9 Why don't you pay at,en
tion to what am saying2 Well, this fcl
low kept annoying everybody by his msin-
uations and vociferations until ut last I
pulled out Il handful of gold and said to
HIM, My friend, you seem to do a good
deal of talking OH small capital. If you arc
80 sure you're right, back your opin-
ion And everybody around chimcd in,
"lcs, young man, put up or shut up"
cha! Hal" said old d., vaguely. "Dcv-
ilish good story that"
''Don't be fool, Diffcndcrfcr, said his
chunl, testify. eff you haven't the dcccncy
to"
eco on, my dear old boy" said Diffcn-
derfer, sitting up with great resignation.
II hear every word you say"
"Oh, you do, ch2 Where was II well,
this fellow kind of sneakcd off at that, but,
just rs we were offering the odds on tho
America, he came shouldcring his way
through the crowd, holding in his hand Il
big bag that seemed fairly bursting with
| twentics. where is he ?" he shouted.
where is TINT young fiat who wanted to
bet with me Come, now w-Pll go you one
thousand to one hundred the Sylph wins'
and he shook the bag in my face"
"Did, ch 2" said Ditrcndcnfcr, drow-
silly.
"Ycs, sir, he did. We'll, I was 20 much
taken aback that hcsitatcd. oh, you're
backing down, are you2' said the fellow
| with grin. wen, I'll tell you what III
do, Mr.. Know-il-all, I'll just bet you cool
thousand to fifty that the America losses
l was 80 aston,sllcd at the man giving such
tremendous odds, and with the coin
| right IN sight, too that saw at once he
had sure thing, SO refused to bet: Put
up or shut up, said the man wi II the bag.
Ill make 1t two thousand.
| "You took him up thcn?" SAID Diffcn-
derfcr, shading his eye with his hand.
| mo, of course di MT, saw that-wc
all saw-tEat something was up. So just
backed square down, and went quietly
around hedging and laying any odds they
wanted Oh the Sylph. Most of the swells
did the same, and were surprised and de-
| lighted to find that there was crowd of
hard-looking customers on board who took
our bets, though VIC had to give the biggest
kind of odds generally"
| 'Well-and then 2"
'Thc upshot Of tho whole matter was
that the America won by fivo miles, and
every dccent-looking man on the boat was
cleared out down to Il cur ticket The
roughs had won all the money. AS our
party landed at the wharf. and all
looking very savage at our stupidity, the
'blutfcr' alluded to winkcd at the crowd
and tossed his bag overheard. To our
amazcment it floatcd lightly off. what
lid you have in that big bag3' asked.
sOh, nothing IN the world replied the
'capper,' as he skipped over the rail, .but
box of checkers bought from tho steward
| Now, what do you think of that ~
But Ditfenderfcr was snoring like cof-
fec mill, so the Judge drank the sherry out
| of revenge and snoozed off himself