The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-03-14

The Professional Was Lightning. but the
boys seemed 10 Have Taken Hand.


civilization had not yet had time TO
age haunts of isolated mining districts.
1t was in those DAYS the people first
spoke the name OF that city with no.
ticeabe accent on the first syllable.
Habit became second nature aud the
custom still endnres.
/ remember walking along a busi-
ness thoroughfare ia the evening with
the sounds of .boisterous voices. clink-
ing glasses and repulsive oaths on
every hand. | entered a gambling
den. its broad doors were wide oDen
and the great electric arc light invited
me 10 a study of the crowded room.
Noise. noise. noise; rafting chips; a
snip. snip. snip ms the imperiurbable
faro dealer dealt his cards; laughter.
sallies OF wit. shrilI profanity and now
or then sigh or groan. II he has
the moral courage 10 face n scene like
this. the student Of human nature can
read more character over green cloth
in half IN hour than In any other place
in "A week.
| watched a game Of draw-poker.
Till the day Of my death. will never
forget it. The players were three in
number. AT the right hand side sat "a
man whose tout ensemble bespoke the
villain. He wore black souchcd
hat which was drawn low down over
his eyes, with the brim bent SO as to
shade them from the gaze OF the other
two. Not movement. not the turn
of a card escaped him. At every stage
of the game he had figured his exact
chances; he knew precisely what 10 do
at any given time. He PLAYED for
gain. He was constantly on the look
out Cor treachery. He WAS silent. He
had the devil in his heart. He was a
gambler by profession. At his right
was young man with face flushed
with liquor. His cOuntcnance reflected
his feelings. His eyes were mirrors.
and in them the gambler Mt his left
saw every hand he played. The youth
talked much. boasted occasionally.
and sneercd often. Nevertheless. ho
lost and. lost heavily.
The remaining player was middle
ogcd man. swarthy of feature and
rough of dress. He wore n flannel
shirt and held his cards with two great.
rough hands that knew toll with pick
and shovel. He played recklessly aud.
like all reckless players. his luck was
wonderful. He watched only his own
hand; he smiled good naturally nj the
voluble aud unprecedented youth. for
hc was winning aud winner gener-
ally smiles. The gambler aud the
youth lost steadily To the miner. the
first because his cards were poor. the
latter because his face was an index of
his cards. good or bad. an index which
the miner though attending strictly to
his own play, could not help noticing.
When superior skill is united with
villainous nature. fraud will result il
skill and nature come under the ban
of fortune. So. after time. the gam
bier captured pile after pile OF .varie-
gated chips. but always on his own
deal. When his companion dealt he
rarely played. The miner grew sus-
picious and cast furtivc chances at the
man ia the slouched hat. The youth
Dragged. bullied and cursed. but tho
other two paid no attention to his
words.
AT last there was Jackpot" The
youth dealt and every one passed.
Ht with ~ llho Ouh
when the gambler dealt, he ''opened."
To do this he was obliged TO have
pair of Jacks or better. The miner
had watched him deal much as cat
watches a mouse. saw in the miners
eyes CLEAN so determined. so reck-
less. that involuntarily started. He
played calmly. Cards were drawn
aud bets made. The miner wagered
his last chip. The youth. with n howl
of wrath threw down his cards, and
the gambler drew out OF his pocket
some shining gold pieces He placed
them on the pile OF chips. The miner
took a large. ugly-looking six-shooter
from his pocket aud put IL on the table.
then he laid down an equal amount OF
gold and demanded to see his oppo-
neut's hand.
Three kings and two acesl
"A full house." said the gambler
calmly. He reached out his hand TO
take the money.
mo you don't, cried the miner;
''see this handln
He laid his live cards face upward
before the players. He had not even
a pair. The gambler smiled contempt
uously and made another movement TO
take the money.
"Waitl You've seen that hand. now
look mt this on"
His revolver was pointed full at the
gamblers breast and his eye CLEANED
along the barrel. The gambler never
WINGED. He waited in apparent con-
sternation for second.
Boys" said the miner appealing to
the bystandcrs. The took them kings
from the bottom of the pack. an hc
slipped the cut before dealin'-"
Spingl Spingl
Quick as flash the gambler had
drawn weapon and shot his oppo-