Mohave County miner., 1889-06-22


pounds a.day. and you advise me to leave
the course when I've just got into my
stride and can do the distance without
turning hairl It's all rubbish, Med
hurst. I'm not to be had In that way. ]
.ell you I'm going 70 bust up the cstab-
lishment and nothing less will satisfy me.
] shall be millionaire, Medhurst."
He made this proclamation with perfect
sincerity, and seemed for the moment 20
impressed by II that he dropped hts Gus
tomary swagger altogether, and became
solemnly impressive. ...,..-s....,..,., ...-s (
"You won't lose BY Il, old chap" he
went on. Isn't there D song or . tune
somewhere. Lilla's . Lady, BY gsd, she
shall be! like you, Medhurst. You're
good fellow. You've stuck to me more
than once when I've been down and you've
been up. I've done the same By ron when
the tables have been turned, and ~ know
one another, don't wei"
This kind OF sentimental talk was not
Captain Medhurst's forte at all evts@
We'll, that's txue enough, !" he answered
drily: "but what about itf'
''There's this about It." responded the
Daisy: ''you stick TO me, keep me from
getting too hot. Just simply stand BY and
give me the tip II I show any sign Of going
wild, and when I've reached the hundred
thousand there's quarter OF It tied hard
and fast on little LILA. She shs'n't b
able to touch the principal till she's Of
age. and You shall have ths management
OF It In her behalf till then. II anything
should happen to her before that-snd God
forbid 1t shouldi--it'll come to you. Shake
hands on that. old chap" -. Z. .r
The Major was genuinely and deeply
moved by his own generosity and the sense
Of the Importance Of the favor he was con-
ferring on his friend He Was sven littls
surprised to hnd Medhurst apparently %
unmoved by this aerial offer. II was Just
~ real to the Major - II the speculative
hundred thousand had lain on the table
there before him; but Medhurst's mind
was of less snd more practical cast, and
20 far, though he did full Justice TO the
others intent. he experienced no especial
call TO gratitude.
Il mean it, Medhurstr" cried the Major.
"By God, I mean ftl'
'I've no doubt yOu mean It." NedhufDt
answered, with even IN increased drynsss:
"but you haven't got It, Daisy. and It isn't
the moral certainty you fancy that you
ever will have IL. ] don't believe there
ever was man with system who didn't
get his head turned By It. moro or less.
Mark my words--you'n lose In the long
run. Every penny Of that money viii 60
back to the bank; every penny, that ID.
that isn't spent in the meanwhile. How
many men have tried the game before
your How many men have come here
with their systems. with more than TWEEN
ty thousand pounds TO back them, and
have gone back paupers! Who built those
halls OF dazzling light where you've been
fiourishing this last day or twoi Who
made the roads and Laid ont the gardensp
Who pays those scores and scores Of i'm
the tablet Who pays for the band that
gives you q concert twice dayw
II DON'T" said the Major, stolidly.
'The fools who come here with their
systems" said Medhurst, waxing parlia-
mentary in tone and gesture. ''Ths b.
nighted asses who think that all human
experience is going to contradict itself for
their sakesl Every one of 'em comes with
this proverb running In his head-'The
many fail, the one succeeds They come
poor, and 60 back poorer: they como full.
and go back empty. One in hundred
thousand wins, and goes away to spread
the news of victory. The people who
have really lost heavily hide their losses,
either in shame or in fear Of damaging
their credit"
"They haven't got my system, my boy. -
responded the invincible Major.
Your systeinr' scofYed Medhurst
'There are runs on record which would
smash your system like house Of cards
and smash you with them"
The Major had ordered bottle Of his
favorite Pommery Greno, and had lit .
cigar OF the choicest brand to be had In
that quarter of the world for love OF
money. He slipped and smoked fn luxur.
ious cOntentment, and waved a hand to.
wards the table where his winnings still
lay exposed. ....
"You've got craze. Medhurst," /" he said,
TRANQUILITY. YOU'RE like th0se teet0tal
coves who preach against drink, or the
Gospel fellows who think that everybody
who sets foot on race course 10 going tc
the devil They've got the right On theil
side in the main. Drinks bad thing
confounded bad thing''-the Major emp
tied and refilled his glass-''but It's only
bad when man amt moderate, and &
jolly good, comforting, cheerful thing
when he Is. Racing would be q pretty
bad thing II all the world went In for Il
and did nothing else. You've got right on
your side, too. A lot OF chaps have come
here with systems, and have gone TO thu
bad with them-a set OF rotters," the Ms
jor added, with quiet and rooted scorn,
"who didn't know that three and thres
make six. Now, look here. my boy. II
comes to this: came here ON my sys
tenn" s..''D tf'"8 80" ..d
''Oh. confound your systsmv' broke ir
Medhu.st. Its no use talking to you"
"Not bit Of use," replied the Major
cheerfully. II come here on my system
and play low first day and win, roughly
. couple Of thousand poundA Ileave tht
place, and como back to 1t two or thret
days later; play bit more boldly, and
win three thousand. Next day / launch
ont still more aud I win over four. Mex
day. over five. To-day, over six Now
each time the winnings increase-not be
cause the stting's longer, but because
the stakes are higher, and they go on in
what do you call iti-geometrical pro
gression."
"All right" said Medhurst: III wilfu
will to water, wilful must drink"
Drink" replied the Major. sippint