Mohave County miner., 1889-06-22
things; but II I couldn't paint I'd want to


ing over his system at Monte Carlo.
watched and guarded by his more phleg-
matte companion. There was no denying
that mp to date the Majors invention had
acted wonderfully. and he was the lion Of
the place. Those dreary croupiers and
wearily wary chsfs dc partt have seen 70
many lions IA their time that the biggest
and loudest Of the species can hardly wake
them TO interest any moro. But the gal
lery ID always new. ct least. In its sym
pathies, and the most war-hartiened vet
eran of them all felt some remembrance
of the thrill Of his first battle Ut the sight
of the Majors heroic plunges. Do all he
could, Medhurst could not hold the efiior-
escent Daisy back. The system. Of course,
depended upon . series OF progressions,
but the Major. intoxicated BY success,
doubled and then quadrupled his initial
stakes, 90 that he left himself no reasona-
BILE chance OF recouping for = loss before
the maximum OF the bank was reached.
Az fortune had IL, the rsshness paid, and
the Major raked In money hand over hand.
He feed Q man to 60 beforehand, and sup
piled him with little money 10 punt eau
tiously for small stakes until such time a.
he appeared. He had his sheaf OF thou
sand franc notes in his hand before he had
entered the gaming-ro0m, and when his
subordinate resigned his place to him he
set his money down In pile with noble
ostentation. and won or lost with AZ splen.
did csreiesspess to look ut as IL he had
been Q Crcesus. When Medhurst could
secure seat beside him he did so, and II
that were impossible he stood behind his
chair, marking the game. aud occasionally
STOPPING for whispered consultation.
The table was always lined three or four
deep whenever the pair were settled to
their work.
Those writer's who have described the
little world OF public play--and the name
10 legion--have all insisted upon tho ex.
tent and variety Of emotion visible In the
faces of the players though, as u matter of
fact, 1t would be difficult TO find any col
lection ofpeople who look more fiat and
ordinary. Here and there, no doubt, Q
face Is memorable for its concentration,
it's fatigue, its avarice, It's blazon of sue
cess or failure. But on the whole you
can find nowhere set OF rnen and women
more commonplace in expression than o
ret OF gamblers: and 1t IL only because
men see 90 readily what they expect to SEQ
that the legend of facial emotion ever
sprang into life, or, at all events, it is only
because of that curious faculty that the
legend lives to-day. The people who show
the real breathless interest, the genuine
devouring sympathy, are the lookers-on,
whose tlte IL not Influenced by the turn
Ing Of the wheel to the extent of one CEN
time. Ixion bound to the wheel grows &C
customed In u minute or two. and begins
TO look as impassive az whirling dervish
but the spectator of his gyrations holds
his breath absorbed.
The Major drew in the murmurs OF the
gallery as II they had been incense. He
played his five or six thousand francs at .
coup, and, confident In the revenge his
martingale would afford him by-and-by.
saw 1t go under the croupier's rake with
smile of pure Indifference. When he
hit the bank, and the glittering rouleaux
were pushed towards him and the crisp
leaves of bauk-paper doubled on the
croupier's rake were dangled below his
rubicund nose, his calm had something
majestic in It, He used handful Of gold
for paper.weiRht to press his growing
pile of bank-notes down, and felt tran
quill glory of financial strength as he did
1t. Money had really never meant very
much to the Major. To be without It, -
he knew by experience. was deucedly up-
comfortable; but when he had it the coins
were only sort of counter, or token, not
In the least valuable in themselves, but
merely symbolical Of the power, consider.
alton, and spiendOr of the owner. This
philosophic frame of mind made losing
comparatively easy, whilst it took but lit
tie from the sweets Of gain.
By-and-by the chances OF war set In
against the Major, and he responded with
great gallantry to Fortunes challenge.
Coup by coup no mounted to the maxi
mum, and lost. Medhurss stopped with q
murmur Of warning. but the Major was
not to be daunted or dismayed. He flut-
tered his diminished bank Of notes. looked
down at the two or three louis dor which
feebly represented the glorious pile OF five
minutes back, and went for the maximum
again with an unmoved countenance.
There was an actual sway and murmur In
tho watching crowd, and, as sometimes
happens, the ball refused TO drop. Second
after second went by, the wheel spun
slower and slower, and the marble devi-
ated htther and thither 80 provokingly
that even the major grew nervous under
the influence Of suspense. The ball clicked
at last, the croupier called, and he had
won his coup. He took his payment and
left his stakes, aud won again; and from
that moment forward the system had II
III. rs own way, until there hung before
its inventors dazzled eyes the near pros
pect of breaking the bank. It was his
hope, his dream. He would sooner have
done it than have won the Derby. II
would have served him to brag about fol
ever, and would have afforded him live
ly consolation, even in poverty, for the
rest OF his days. But II WAS not to be; the
chances veered again, and went floating
to and fro 80 indeterminately that the in
defatigable one grew tired. and rose, still
| serene and unshaken, the winner OF some
six or seven thousand pounds. A little
German Jew, with very bright and beadJ
eyes. and face bathed In an oily rer
spiration from his interest In this heroi,
game, addressed him In terms Of admira'
| ton.
"Ah. M'zieu, z'edait 'gollozal, fodr'
cheu!'
whats the little beggar sayt" inquired
the Major. turning to his companion.
HE says your play was colossal" Med
| hurst answered.
The Daisy's swagger WIS always thint
to see, but it Is probable that in all his lii
it never became 80 gloriously assured q
after that simple tribute.
| They had the best rooms the hotel af
forded, and the Major was ready to spent
his money like an Eastern prince. II
their Joint sitting room the two got out al
| 4ha ,uinnin ns Of the On m nainn and con nta