The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-31

brOWs come down 10 a straight line as
he turned full face to the young man.
still keeping his hand guarding the card.
Then both men reached behind them. and
the other three OF us had risen and we're
standing with the prospect OF murder
before us. Harry spoke first. Have you
ever listened through telephone when
the receiver was out OF order and the
voice clacked and ratified In your carr
That's the way Harry's voice sounded TO
me when he spoke.
." Fair play. It's an even chance. Put
down your gun. He laid his on the table
as he spoke. Mort did the same. be-
| lieve / tried to say something, but IL
wasn't a success.
You've ruined my hand and me- said
Harry, his voice steadying as he spoke,
looking straight into Morris eyes, which
returned the gaze as straighty. It's a
matter of life and death to me to win
or lose that pot and I'd shoot you like a
dog for what you did
He pulled his hand away from the
card and Mort seized his own pistol. but
dropped It again on seeing. that the other
made no movement to pick UP his
weapon.
NOW continued the young man.
| there's the card. I've got a right to call
| for my card face up when it's dealt.
II that card is a heart, as the other was.
Wen play the hand out. IL it's not, Mort
Henry. it will be death for one OF US
For Gods sake, boys, don't do this,
the doctor found voice to say. I wouldn' [
turn that card for anything on earth
I'm turn IT, said Mort, without a
tremor.
There lay the two loaded pistols and
the two cards, one face down. the other
face up. The only sounds 1 could hear
were a drumming noise in my head, the
| short breathing of Smith and the doc
ehn nm hn 10
left hand Mort picked up the card and
| turned 1t, at the same instant seizing his
pistol with the right. The card was the
three of hearts.
THANK GodT said somebody. Perhaps
il was my own voice l heard / don
know. The first thing / remember dis
tinctly is hearing Harry say:
Go on with the play. gentlemen.
and then l made a small bet quite me-
] chanically, for l should have known bet
ter. Smith dropped and the doctor, after
a long hesitation owing to the fact that
/ he had a good straight, saw me. but
both of us dropped when Harry pushed
his whole pile into the center. Three Of
a kind isn't much good against a flush
nor is a straight. Harry, with a long
| breath, scooped in the pot and three down
| four clubs-king, queen, Jack and ten
/ and the three of hearts. He had bluffed
That is the last game of poker will
ever play he said rising. Mort, / ask
your forgiveness. VIII you shake hands
! with meY
Yes said the other after a moments
| hesitation, I WILL and congratulate you
on the greatest blum / ever saw made
Even If my life was involved in it. he
added, in an undertone, as he grasped
| Harry's hand.
THAT ended the game. Afterward Har.
ry Randall explained his play to me. He
had sized up the doctor as holding O
i straight, and he wasn't much afraid OF
the threes that Smith and / held. OF
| course, he didn't want the heart that
! was turned up, as 1t would I'LL neither
| the flush nor the straight, but he caught
a glimpse of the next card as Mort Henry
half dealt 1t, and saw it was read. This
meant the ruin of his hand, but in that
moment the lightning fash of an idea
came TO him, and he resolved on his
| bluff that rfsked his life and Morris. Il
was an even chance for him, for h'
knew only that card was red. and II 4
had been a diamond there would hav'
been a tragedy.
In spite Of my GOODNESS in thinking 4
all out he told me. I was furious, anC
would have shot without hesitation haC
the heart not turned. When IL did turn
of course you fellows thought that 1 hae
filled. The blum was safe to go unless
the doctor had held a flush or a full ANY
way, / had to take the chance, for IL
had lost would have gone home and
shot myself
THAT, gentlemen" concluded the west
erner. was what l call an exciting game
Ordinarily poker for money hasn't inter
ested me much since. / saw that game
for life."
There was a moments silence around
the circle and then the major said:
What l want to know is, Did Randall
| cheat, or didn't he?'
But nobody could answer him.