The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1883-03-22

game the moment the dust is put up
The cubes are metamorphosed with
lightning-like ranidity. for the steerel
summons to his aid doctored die. In
stead of being spotted from one to six,
as are ordinary dice, this false cube has
two faces. each marked five little black
spots. The steerer holds this concealed
beneath the third Joint OF his little fin
ger, pressed against the palm, and as
he scoops up the dice into the box fol
the next throw removes one of them
and substitutes the doctored cube. The
change is made in an instant, and so
deity that the countryman cou d no.
detec. it even if he suspected the hon
esty of his opponent which he doe:
not as vet The presence of the false
die ruins what the sieerer was pleased
to illustrate as a dead sure thing. His
victim might throw the dice until he
grew gray without being able to secure
the twenty-one he has wagered on.
Unconscious of this, however. Tapley
picks up the box confidently. shakes II
thoroughly, and casts the cubes out on
the bar. The steerer adds up their
spots, and 10! they aggregate but nine
teen.
at would be impossible to picture
in words the expression of amazement
that distends the ewes and lowers the
law of the countryman as he witnesses
this unexpected performance of the
cubes. 1t would be equally difficult to
imagine more intense Indignation than
that which seemingly oyercomes the
steerer.
"sLook here, stranger, you hit my
arm lust as | was counting those dice
for my friend, and l didn't turn over the
last die. The bottom spots did not
come uppermost as they should
81 don'tknow anything about that, ;
replies the other. All | know, is, I've
got the money, and I'm going to keep
it.
1.-THE steerer insists upon another
throw of the dice, and the countryman
waits in anxious suspense while the two
dispute. The steerer places the genu-
inc die in the box meantime, and dem
onstrates to the victim that he could not
possibly have lost had the cubes been
turned over properly when the bottom
spots were counted He completely
satisfies the countryman OF this, aud
also explains that they can not properly
claim the money lost by tine supposed
accident. That was one of the chances
in the game. 1t couldn't happen again
in a thousand times. Finally he in
duces the countryman to go halves
with him in another bet, promising that
the twenty-five dollars, but to return a
handsome sum for the venture. Then
he turns TO the confederate and says
81. Your clumsiness cost my friend
twenty-five dollars
"'Oh, did, did L. returns the con-
federate. well, I'll bet one hundred
dollars that yoI can throw twenty-one
and I'll stand away from you.
1.-The steerer closes with the offer at
once. He puts up fifty dollars as his
share. and the countryman goes down
again in his pocket and stakes the bal
ance.
THE false die is again introduced,
and this time the three cubes count up
twenty.
"'You've lost again and the money s
nine,' cries the confederate. grabbing
the pile of green acks.
"A first-class scheme, you see, and
no mistake"
"But suppose the countryman sus-
poets something, and makes a fussP'
inquired the reporter
Suspects someth ng, Sam; why oil
course he suspects something now, if he
is not clean-gone idiot But then the
boys are ready for that. The moment
he squeals and talks about being swim
died the sharpers maze a tremendous
noise, and the confederate refuses to
listen to any protests. When the up
roar is at its height the keeper of the
joint appears and plays the highly re-
spectacle dodge.
"'Come. come, gentlemen he re-
monstrates, this will never do. lean
have any trouble in my place You'll
have to settle your difficulty som where
else
1.-The two sharpers then get into a
dispute with him. The uproar becomes
tremendous, and suddenly some one
cries:
"'Look out. here comes the police!'
"Then the sharpers separate. The
one with the money rushes to the back
of the saloon and gains the street by a
secret exit. The steerer rushes out OF
the front door, but iust as the fee ed
countryman from North Adams is about
to follow, third confederate dashes
into the saloon and runs against him,
nearly throwing him over in, the col
lision. The new stranger seems terri
bly, incensed at this. and standing in
the doorway 50 that no one can get out,
disputes with the country man until the
escape of the boys is completely COW
cred, and then pretends to understand
what has happened.
You've been shamefully swindled,
sir. There are no police coming.
just saw the rascal who has your
money jump on that car a moment
ago.
"He points to street car going
down town, and the countryman dash
es after it pell nell, only to find that he
has gone OFF on a wild goose chase.
Hes safely disposed of the moment
he starts for the car, you can bet. for it
would be like hunting for a needle in a
haystack for him to try to find us after
his back is once turned. The boys
simply wait a little while, and then
meet for the grand divide of the Doodle.
The hand shaker and the steerer come
in for twenty-five per cent each of the
gains, and the joint keeIer, for the use
of his saloon and playing the highly
| respectable racket, gets ten per cent.
The remaining forty per cent. goes into
the pocket of the capper, the one who
pretended that he got OF the car, you
remember, and he gives small share
of that to the man who blocked the
door when the countryman tried to
catch tho ono ha fhOunht had HE