Morning journal and courier., 1886-01-21
FILLING A FLUSH.
One of Those Occasions That Some' times Come to the Poker Player.
 tlo trcit Eroo ProSS


 I may add that three hundred dollars was a considerable item to me, and it would have been difficult to replace it just then, as my personal expenses had been running very high for the last two months trying to econ omiZe in town.
 I had scarcely got my things safely on board when I ran across chum.
 ''Hallo! old man; going down?' he asked.
 ''Yes, going to bring my wife home."
 ''So am I,'' he said "And we'll have a good time tonight for the last of the season. We'll get the directors room and you'll make one of a select party of six for quiet game of five dollar 1imit;' the others are on board''
 ''Oh, no, my Christian friend, not I. I've cut the seductive game. You couldn't drag me into a game tonight with span of mules."
 ''The deuce we can't" he said. 'You mean we couldn't keep you out with shot gun and you know it. We'll, I'll see you af- ter grub" and he left me.
 Alas for human fIailty. At about half past eight found myself seated at the table behind five cards.
 By half-past nine I was eighty dollars out
 A five dollar jack pot was started and went up to kings. I opened it with pair ot aces, was raised twice, stayed, bettered my forty dollars out.
 All this time 1 was swearing internally al myself, calling myself all kind of bad names and was thinking of hiring somebody to kick me around the boat.
 The game proceeded. I was soon two hundred and twenty-five dollars out, when another jack pot was started. I was getting desperate and scarcely cared cuss whether I lost the rest of my money or not. Round 1t went iacks queens, kings, aces, and there it stayed three times-two hundred and ten dollars on the table-when the man two places ahead oe me fhe contractor) said I'll open it for five dollars.'
 I looked at my hand; nothing at all-yes, a dirty little bebtail flush. I had been draw ing for fushes several times, but never caught them, but there was too much money on the table to stay out, and the fellow on my right clipped in. Stay" I said, and d1mped another five dollars. ''Ten," said the man on my left. ''Drop," said the next man. 'sI'll stay" said, and in I went if teen dollars more. was getting pretty low in nay finances by this time. The other fel- chance of my getting it. I growled. Cards" said the dealer. ''Two," calls the opener held up my finger and card was thrown. By accident it turned face up just my luck, the queen of diamonds; 1 wanted diamond to make my flush, but of course could not take iU up. "Give me an other one,' said, choking down my disap- 
 another card, apologizing for his stupid mis- take I don't remember what the other men drew; my attention was caught by the ap- pearance of the opener, who was looking at his hand with most fiendish expression of glee.
 l hated to pick up my card; sure to be wrong. But here goes; chucked out jack of clubs and drew my fate toward me. Six of diamonds; caught my flush then after all, Then looking at my hand again-by all that's powerful nearly fell off my chair. Hadn't noticed 1 was only one short of a straight, and now I counted them-5, 1, 7, s, 6 of diamonds, straight flush. I took one look at the pile on the table, Can it be possible2 Held the cards (squeezers) close up to my nose and skinned them out, sorting them into their consecutive order. Yes, there they were-4, 5, 6, 2, of diamonds Tears throat I couldn't have spoken for fifty dol lars. A half glass of water was in front of me; 1 raised it. How my hand shook, but 1 managed to swallow it-the water; not my hand. As I was doing so the opener spoke:
 "Bet fve," he said.
 "Are you going to call, Bob?" said one.
 "Yes,'' whispered. I had sense enough left to give the fellows my left chance to raise it, which they promptly did. ''Ten ? ''fifteen,' , twenty" came in prompt success sion. Twenty said the opener
 f:Five harder still. " I chirped.
 ''Hallol what the devils struck yeu?'' said my chunl.
 "rl show you later," I said, Eff you'll lend me fifty, because I'm nearly burst"
 Certainly; here you are" he said.
 Round it went till only the opener and my self were left in, and I hadn't more than an X left.
 ''This is getting monotonous," he said ''you make a decent bet, I'll raise it like amount and you can call. I'm tired of this five dollar see-saw."
 ''All right" said. "What do you call a decent bet-ffty dollars!"
 "No," he replied. ''If your hand is worth fifty more it ought to be worth two and if
 ''But haven't got that much on me-" l said
 ''Never mind. Take your bond. Iknow you.''
 knew had him. He'd opened the pot and drawn two cards. He had fours, I knew, and big ones; but, would you believe my hand again. Yes, they were there. None of them had escaped. "All right" I said; 'Fbet two hundred and fifty dollars"
 ''Make it five hundred dollars" he said. My hesitation had made him more anxious, and opening his wallet he placed five crisp one hundred dollar bills on the table.
 ''I owe it." said, land call"
 ''Well, my friend,'' he said, with smile on his face, "we've both got fours, know, but mine are aces"
 ''By no means,'' I said, 'I haven't got fours, but little straight, commencing with four and running up to eight, and they are all diamonds, straight flush, MT. C." And 1 placed them on the table.
 ''Great heavens" he replied. "You drew two cards.''
 ''Oh, no, didn't. You drew two; I only drew one."
 "He's right" says the dealer.
 sWell, the moneys yours," said MT. c. with very sick smile, 'sbut I was never so deceived in my life. I could have sworn yours was two-card draw" He was as pale as death, and my hand trembled as I drew the money in and carefully sorted and pocketed it, after returning the fifty dollars I had borrowed. Some one feebly suggested going on with the game.
 'Oh, no, my friends, I cannot play five dollar limits after betting five hundred dol lars on my hand. It's too small. I'm going to smoke a cigar on deck.''
 I went below, lit fat cigar, went on deck and heard the band play for about half hour after all, and can safely say I never heard any music enjoyed so much. But I have not played poker since.