Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-04-24
$4,000 ON A CARD.
4 Gambler who Made Little Fortune
on Single Hand.

IN tell you how it happened. There
was little gambler in Frisco who used to
deal it; Sandy Jackson was his name. He
came, if / am not mistaken, from some
where in New England George Walton,
! the banker, wandered into his place "a little
/ fulP one night and, after looking around
rather unsteadily for a moment, laid his
| hand on Sandys shoulder and said:
Sandy, how much in the bank tonight"
The other players turned to look at the
newcomers handsome, intelligent, but
rather disipated-looking face Sandy took
| stock of his pile. 1t had been lucky
night for him. "A thousand ounces he re-
piled ($16,000).
Will you take a tap, Sandy " asked the
banker.
Sandy seemed to study for a moment.
He was evidently a little staggered at the
reckless proposition. The lights shone full
on his peaked, old manish features (he was
barely turned of 20), countless freckles,
sandy hair and little twinkling terrets
eyes, He fixed his gaze on the window so
intently that his eyes seemed tc pierce the
panes and the darkness beyond to seek
some far-away object; his hands opened
and shut nervOusly. Suddenly the lines
about his mouth frightened; he leaned
back in his chair, and turning his face to
look up at Walton uttered the word, Yes
"The banker seemed a little surprised; he
evidently did not think his offer would be
accepted. Still he was too proud and too
game a man to weaken now. So he
walked over to side table, and drawing a
blank check from his pocketbook filled it
in for the amount named, scribbled his
name at the bottom and tossed it over to
Sandy with the remark: is that all
right?'
Sandy glanced at it. All right, | guess,
he muttered; does it go:?
THE banker nodded. The gamblers at
the other tables stopped playing and clus-
tered around this one to see the result In
monte the first card shown is for the
dealer, the second for the player. Sandy
turned up two-the first was queen, the
second nine. Whichever came first now
would win. Sandy placed them next each
other few inches apart. The room was
still as death.
Sandy gave quick glance around the
gallery and then began to pull away the
cards from the bottom one by one He
was as white as ghost, but otherwise be-
trayed no emotion, nor would anyone have
supposed that all he had in the world was
at stake.
"The excitement grew intense as card
after card was removed, and not a nine nor
face card showed itself. Ten, deuce, eight,
four, ace, Ska dozen or more cards had
been shown when Sandy paused. The card
beneath the one he was pulling had thin
layer of color along its edge-it must be
face. card; but was it queen, or only
jack or king?
SANDY paused, and, taking his handker-
chief out of his pocket, passed it lightly
over his face and then replaced it. Again
he pressed his finger against the bottom
card, and as it slowly yielded hoarse
voice behind Sandy's chair called out "A
queen by
"Sandy's face was the color of ashes, but
all he said was:
az leave for the States in the mOrnin','
"Then he picked up the check and fold
ed it carefully, placed it in an enormous,
red morocco pOcketbOOk. Games closed
for tonight he remarked in answer to a
question. Come, boys, let's 60 to the Belle
of the West, and I'll set up the wine for
the crowd
Gas the boys filed down the creaking
stairway one very old, white haired gamb-
ler whispered to another, loud enough for
me to hear:
"'The slickest ever see Must done
it when he wiped his face on that thar
hankercher.'"