The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-06-19
THE TURN OF A CARD.

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tune Deutsch found himself in Paris pos
sessed of great wealth. This led to ugly
and envious remarks In all the clubs of tho
French capital until the American do
termined to put an end for once and for
ever to all criticisms of his conduct and
his courage.
This Is how he told the story to one who
now repeats 1t:
st caused it 30 be announced in every
important baccarat room In Paris that If
any one man or any combination of men
would wager any sum from 100, 600 to
500, 900 francs on one single hand-not
deal, mind you-in baccarnt, l would
stake O like amount and would give four
days time for the consideration of the
challenge and for opportunity to procure
the necessary sum of money. further
declared that would be in the Washing
ton club at $3.50 O'Clock on the following
Thursday prepared to meet the man or
men who cared to accept the wager. Upon
that eventful day secured 600, 900 francs
in cash from my Paris banker and placed
it in one of my pockets. l made an en-
gagemcnt to take dinner with q party of
friends that evening, determined that no
matter what the outcome of the game /
would not have my pleasures interfered
with or my serenity of mind disturbed.
1T was exactly 4:30 o'clock when I en-
tered the Washington club smoking q CT
gar. The baccarat room was crowded with
the most celebrated gamesters of Europe.
The male portion of the high world OF
Paris surged through the anterooms. Rep
resentatives from every club IN Paris were
present 1t was distinguished throng,
thrilling with suppressed excitement.
Many hostile looks were cast upon mo Us
entered the apartment and many hands
were extended in friendly greeting Some
one was in the bank, but the deal soon fin
ishcd, and he retired. The croupier, who
knew what was pending, exclaimed in q
voice whose tremulousness betrayed his
excitement:
Messieurs, the bank is for sale
1.-The announcements had scarcely been
made when cried out, Open bank and
no opposition being made I seated myself
in the bankers chair. Drawing my money
from n pocket L said:
Gentlemen, am prepared to meet
wagers to the extent of 300, 900 francs, and
if it is desired will add 100, 900 francs to
that sum-.
1.-THE most famous baccarat players of
Paris pushed forward and took seats at the
table or standing positions around 1t,
among them being Prince Mallcsano,
Prince Beran, Prince Kargeorgewitch,
Baron Goldschmidt, Count d Epigney, AL
bert Wolff of Figaro, Allen Thorndike
Rice, then editor of The North American
Review; Lorillard Spencer a large number
of players from other clubs and n great
many Englishmen whose names do not
recall. All of these gentlemen made wagers
varying largely in amount and when they
were done the cruupier found that they
amounted in the aggregate to a trifle over
I jntl cold hot
was still 100, 900 francs at the disposal of
the players, and inquired if any one wished
to increase his bet
ITO this there was no response.
"The croupier counted the sum deposit
ed by me as banker, and cards We're call
cd for. Three sealed packs We're produced,
opened, the wrappers destroyed, and the
cards having been shufflcd by the croupicr
they were handed to me. l cut them in
two and hand them first to the puntcr on
my right and then to the one on my left,
but neither seemed to have sufficient pres
ence or strength Of hand to touch them.
thereupon placed the combined packs
alongside of me on the table and called for
a garcon to cut them, which was done.
Without tremor l dealt n card to the
right, one to the left, one to myself, and
having repeated TINT operation once de-
posted the cut portion of the deck from
which 1 was dealing on top of the cards
which lay before me. Before touching my
Cwn hand covcrtly studied the faces of
the men on either side of me as they ex-
amined the cards which had been given
them.
Anxiety, perplex1ty, doubt; INDIGESTION
were plainly stamped upon the countcnance
of the punter of the first tableau. Drops
of sweat beaded his brow. He ran his left
hand through his hair
HE has five, thought I.
1.-The man to my left in the second tab
leau presented n face which betrayed
nothing. l could not gain the slightest
insight to the workings of his mind.
picked up my cards and found that had
the point i've. 1 offered to give cards. and
the first tableau ended his doubts by call
ing for pastcboard l threw ID on the
table face upward
lit wns nine.
Despair settled on the mans face. An
indrnwing sigh from the players who gath
cred around the first tableau broke the
hitherto brcathlcss silence of the room
That nine threatened disaster. The fact OF
the puntcr drawing one card showed plain
ly that he either had five points or less, as
the rule of the game would forbid him
calling for card while holding six points
or more. If he held five, the drawing of
nine would leave him but four, that being
the result Of the subtraction of ten from
the addition Of nine to G~-. If he lind
four, three, two or ono the drawing OF
nine would leave him respectively three
two. one or nothing. Only one condition
of cards can exist In which the drawing OF
nine Is not only fortunate, but invincible
and that Is when the player in his original
hand has nothing, or 'baccarat, hand
being thus denominated when 1t consists
of two face cards, or two tens, or a face
card and ten, each and all of which are
equivalent to nothing But the face of the
player on my right showed plainly that no
such luck had fallen to his lot.
1.-The player on my left, or In the second
tablcau, also elected to take u card.
threw 1t down face upward.
at was the nee
Here danger threatened. If the punter /
held five, his hand had become stronger
than mine and If he held four it was at
least equal to 1t. To draw or not to draw
was the question which agitatcd me for
only n fleeting moment. ] was satisfied
that l had won on the first tableau, and
even If lost in the second the winnings
and losings would be almost equal. Throw
ing down my two cards face upward on
tho table without drawing, 1 declared in
loud voice: Point five In Il fnint voice the
punter on my right announced almost in
audibly that his point wns four. As l sur
missed, he had five originally, and the
drawing of the nine left him only four ms
the net result of his playing The player
on my left originally held nothing, or bac-
carat, and his receiving an ace had left |
him but one to declare. Therefore l won
on both tableaux.
"But consider what might have been.
Observe how kind mon ami lie diable had |
been to his business associate Had the |
player on my right been wise and drawn |
no card the punter In the second tableau,
who had nothing would have received TINT
fatal nine and would have been able to de- |
clare tho highest possible point. That
would have left the player in the first |
tableau with n hand equal to mine and |
the result would have been that the bets |
on that side would have been declared off, |
and would have lost everything which |
had been wagered in the second tableau. |
But gamesters propose, and fate disposes. !
"The scene which followed the declara- |
ton Of the points was not characterized by |
any visible excitement, and yet there was |
an indefnable something In tho atmos- |
phere Of theRpartmept Hhinh showed that |