Morning journal and courier., 1891-02-10

acres and mining stock. Twenty times the cards were dealt and twenty times the Jack pot was ''fattened," for the cards failed to combine, and the spectators had got off their chairs and were watching the game with deep interest, for there was now a representation of thirty thousand dollars on the table. At last the cards 'fbunched" and Clayton opened the pot with bet of three hundred head of cat tie; this bet was equal to nine thousand dollars. but he knew that he was playing with gamy men, and he had no fear that they would draw out, nor was he disap- pointed, for Baldwin covered the bet with a house and lot in Oakland, while Smith saw it with nine shares of Gray Jacket mining stock, and Davids came in with ninety acres of land near the town of Pa cifc Grove.
 The jack pot now loomed up. It was worth at a rough guess sixty-six thousand dollars, and the men showed by the man ner in which they eyed each other that it would be much larger than that before the game was ended.
 s'Cards" asked the dealer of Clayton, who was half out of sight in A cloud of tobacco smoke.
 fixed on the white slips of paper in the center of the table and his cards carefully concealed under his hand.
 His action caused the other players to change their positions uneasily. Smith drew first, taking two cards; Davis came next, and he drew a single pasteboard; :; Baldwin was apparently playing on his nerve and trusting to lnck, for he drew four cards.
 It was evident that the four men meant business, and Clayton promptly set the pace by betting one thousand head of cat tle which was equal to thirty thousand dollars. Smith, the miner, pondered over his cards awhile, looked suspiciously at Clayton from under his eyebrows, and then, writing on a slip of paper an order for fifty shares of stock in the Endless lead mine, dropped it on the table, saying: ''Fn raise you twenty thousand dollars
 Davids covered the bet with one thou sand acres of land near Monterey, and Baldwin quickly came in with a business block in Santa Cruz.
 Clayton ran his thumb over the corners of his cards a few times, and finally leaned back in his chair and ordered a bottle of champagne. For a quarter of of hour the players and spectators slipped the wine and commented upon the various phases of the game: then the four men faced each other once more. Clayton evi- dently was not to be Dlutted out Of the game, and he bet one thousand head more of cattle, which covered Smiths raise of twenty thousand dollars and went it ten thousand dollars better. Smith promptly covered the bet with ten shares of stock Davids came in with one hundred acres of land, and Baldwin closed the call with ten valuable horses. "Show your cards" he said.
 Clayton, with triumphant smile, threw down four jacks. Smith winced, and with an oath tossed his cards on the table. He held four ten-spots.
 He was out of the race, but Davids was to be heard from, and he smiled defiantly at Baldwin as he slowly displayed four queens. Clayton's jaw fell and he left the table in disgust, but Baldwin calmly said:
 'I am sorry for you, gentlemen. made a mighty good draw. I held out a king and caught four aces," and he laid them down under Davids' nose.
 ''That's devilish hard luck" commented Davids, as he rose from his chair.
 Pretty tough," ejaculated Baldwin, as he drew the pile of white slips toward him.
 When they were strengthened out and counted up they were found to represent three hundred and six thousand dollars.