The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-08-17
LOCATING THE QUEEN.
A MAN FROM AWAY BACK FALLS
IN WITH A THREE CARD SHARP.

But He Was Not the Green, Countryman
That He Looked, and He Taught the
Professional swindler Lesson That the
Latter will Not Soon Forget.
The performance in Forepaughs circus
tent had just ended. Within the side
show tents the hand organs set up their
loudest and liveliest music and the loud
voiced fakir outside redoubled his ora
torical exertions as the great crowd
surged past his grand aggregation of
wonders. At the southern end of the
lake front, away from the noise and
hurly buriy of the big show, sat two
tired looking individuals, whose every
appearance indicated that they had left
their work upon the farm to enjoy day
with Forepaugh, and had done it SO
thoroughly that they were half dead with
fatigue. A three card monte sharps
eagle eye caught the rustics and he
swooped down upon his prey like a
young rooster after potato bug.
"Pretty hot, isn't it?' he began. "You
haven't seen man around here, have
you, with long white linen duster on,
tall white hat and plaid suit? No? Well,
I'm looking for him. Friend of mine.
A6lU I10 dDOuJ dH uO0I oSOs 1O . SOAhS
to have some fellows arrested down
there in one of the little tents. Darned
fool, tell him. You see, he was swim
died by a couple of men-three card
mon-what is it? Oh, yes, three card
Monte Carlo. Taken into camp just as
slick as grease. Lost a couple of hun
dred on it in less than a minute. Rob
berry, nothing else; but mans a blamed
- -;
game. Served him right, l say"
Cleaned him out, eh?" drawled one
of the rustics. 'EWell, that game is as
old as the hills, and feller that hasn't
more sense than to try to beat it ought
to be turned out to pasture for while. !"
PRETTY GOOD BAIT.
Looks simple enough" continued the
fakir. ''I saw the whole thing. OF
course wouldn't bet-not cent-but
blamed if 1 wouldn't have put my money
just where my friend did. Darned
sharp, these show fellows. Sleight-of-
hand trick, guess. They mix up the
cards some way when they throw them
down. That is the only explanation of
it l can give"
The farmers laughed. ''Well, you've
guessed it, said one of them after a
hearty burst of merriment.
'tOh, laugh away-seems funny enough
now; but it isn't so darned funny to the
poor fool who loses his money. 1t isn't
an easy thing to do, let me tell you. l
can't throw the cards just as those fel-
lows did, but they took three cards, just
like this, and threw them down, like
that; and then bet that my friend
couldn't pick out the queen"
straight three card monte, as sure as
you're born," said one Of the rural visit
ors. "rve read all about it hundred
times. Never saw the thing done
though
''Well, this is all there is to 1.-THE
Snowman did nothing more than this.
See? Simple enough, amt it?"
"Why, 1 should say so! l don't see
how your friend lost his money"
HE picked out the wrong card, that's
ALL"
Couldn't have been watching very
sharp, guess"
'sWell, don't you fool yourself. II
amt such an easy trick to pick Out
the right card. Do you think you car
/ do it?''
4 II could if the other fellow didn't dc
better work than you do"
''Bet you a quarter you can't pick out
the queen, just as the cards lie there
now"
Il For an answer the farmer turned ovel
one of the cards, showing the smiling
face of the queen.
THE swINDLER CAUGHT.
well, by jingo, you did it the frs
time. There's your money. Now, then
watch the cards closely. There! Picl
out the queen. I'll bet you dollar yol
can't do it, or S. or $40 or $25 or $780,"
''Well, put up your money if you wan
, to walk home with your fool friend
I've just 800 left and it's going to vii
500 more for me right here and now"
A moment later one of the granger
held in his hand $500, while the othe
bent over the cards preparatory to pick
ing out the royal winner
''Hurry upi Locate the queen and tn
moneys yours; if not, it's mine" An
the professional hungrily eyed tn
stalker. But his victim was inclined t
move rather leisurely.
s'Let's see," he said meditatively, ''yo
stood here just like this, and you hel
the three cards in your hand like this
with the queen on top. Then you CAV
your arm a swing like this and"-
: ssWellr'
\ "Palmed the queen, dropped the min
: spot in its place, and showed the quee
= up your right coat sleeve, where it
, now. A very bad job, too. partner, b.
! cause it's dead crooked and so easy ths
any schoolboy might catch you dead
> rights and shoot you full of holes befol
you could square yourself.
81 shall always remember the last tim
! worked that lay myself" he continued
4 as he slowed away the roll of bills. g.