The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-03-12

We gave bdck the Del ana TOOK Only AH'
ante FROM that time on things Went
very we'll Now one would take the
stakes. now another. and we began 10
mink that our game was TO be devoid or
incident. The biggest hand that had been
held up to this time was full house
which was nothing very charming ~
one time no one could open for a long
time IL was growing to be very iit'
/ respectable Jackpot, and the five OF Us
IN turn eyed II as II we should like very
much TO possess ourselves OF II. Round
after round. deal after deal no move.
After awhile DObbs sand he could open
/ which he did for half dollar. Everyone
came IN ike a man, and tossed in the re-
quisite amount.
Balls eyes flashed. His face gave the
whole snap away. lie smiled a huge
smile as he tossed in his contribution.
and stood his hand pat when asked how
| many cards he wanted on the second
deal.
DObbs drew two cards Hall three.
Moggs. one, ] took three. our visitor
said he DID not "blieve he needed none"
This was very interesting. as we knew
I about what each had except Ban. There
WIS not one in the party who had the
ieast idea what eheld. though none
OF us put IL at less than "A straight.
Han had certainly "a good pair 10 start
with. DObbs had threes probably when
/ 70 drew. or was fishing for a flush.
Moggs was after either q flush or
stfalBnt. tut We cOuldnt size up Ball.
VI ] l.NI IN iI4ll.CllNir.
This game promised 10 be worth being
IN. We took q firm hold Of our cards,
/ replanted our chairs firmly. We then
] s"nced siyly around 10 sec If there were
any mirrors on the cabin walls that might
cast undue reelection on our hands: but
| Things were secure. We paused in breath
! less silence before She betting began.
10 was Hairs start. he bet fifty cents.
! Inc pot was already worth five or six
| dollars. having been sWelled by the
nj. !. g.. 4
/ him nity, MOggs coyiy tossed in a dol
/ lar and half and tilted his chair back;
/ u cost me two dollars. Ball tshcd out
! greasy pouch, counted out five half-dol-
/ lars and laid them ON the table. This WAS
| getting dramatic. Hall considered a long
| time. asked permission 10 raise his bet
! 10 dollar, 10 was granted. and ne toss
! al I'm his coin, pObbs duplicated his
scheme, likewise Moggs. I was not 10 be
/ Outdone, and thinking that / could hold
out went with them
AZ this juncture Ban said we might as
well bet as much as we pleased, il
would make the game more interesting.
This was go, ana we moved closer 10
the table Ban raised the pile three dol
! lars. Hall made a raise of five; DObbs
surrendered reluctantly. Moggs raised
the last bet ten dollars. 1 stuck and
raised five dollars Ball looked happy and
came in ten better; Hall scratched his
head and came in without raising, Moggs
L
! lars. Ball tackled on another ten. and
Hall died where he was
That left three of us. Moggs, Ball and
myself "bucking the tiger" ] resolved
20 die game, so did Moggs Ball said
nothing. but sat very still and munched
his enormous wad Of hOmespun tobacco.
10 was Mogg's bet; he raised the pile
twenty dollars. hoping to drive our Visl-
tor out of the game, took the hint and
raised il the same amount. That neces-
sgrily made il cost Ban forty dollars TO
come in. He thrust his tongue in his
check. threw his head on one side. and.
finally tossed i'm a well-worn check for
sixty dollars, containing six or eight IN
dOrsemCnts. He saw us twenty better.
MOgg's eyes grew very large. but he
managed 10 stick and raise the pile ten.
he was weakening. losing confidence in
his nand. but Ball was as fresh and
clipper as when the game began. ] rails
"d the pile twenty-five. We thought that
BAH would now be forced 10 call. he GER
tdinly had no more cash; we knew that
/ TO be the case from his action in regard
10 the last bet. lie was not disheartened.
however, he merely ran MS hands
| through his thin hair whistlcd softly
though deeply for minute or two ana
said:
NEVER PAIRED HIS HAND.
'Mebbe some o. you fellers seen that
trlm-iookiu sioop standin' 'roun the
bend o the stream
We replied that we had at least Dobbs
did
well shc's mine and she's worth
i-three hundred dollars If she's worth
cent. give ych my word she's mine from
stem tuh stern, an ] kin do : ! please
with her. now ] IN anxious tuh keep IN
this here game. / think ! kin win some
thing C-mihneJ AN I'm goin tub put up
that boat. ies draw the thing mp IN
wfitiu' n necessary. an III toss the
dOcsmcnt on the board.
We looked at each other. Moggs ana
l. and Moge's look told me that he was
in TO the death. The paper was drawn mp
valuing the craft 40 two hundred ana
fifty dollars and placed ON ne pile. Moges
drew his check for three hundred ana
fifty dollars. threw 10 on the table ana
hundred dollars" / threw down four
deuces in sorrow. / could not stand II.
We looked for BAN 10 succOmb. but he
was not ready lie began fumblng i'm his
coat pocket it seemed am age, what
would he do2 After many tugs at that
old lining be drew out rusty looking
wallet which appeared very Hat. tie
slowly undid the string. drew out docu-
mcnt with legal appearance. ana diaWl-
cd. Here is q deed tuh piece OF land
up the country. the con liberation Is ciSnJ
hundred dollars. I'm as see yuh that
bundled o yourn. subj an raise yuh the
balance which is seven hund' ed dollars.
We might as well have some FUN out
this thing while we are al IL.
Moggs lelped from his chair banged
four tens down on he table and yelled;
you may take the pile; ior Goa sake
what have YOU iu your hand?
Mr. Ball with an expression when told
plainly that he was hurt sald' w NAT
lcv i got2 Why there's my hand. look ai
,.rh didn't think ! nad four ages. did
yuh?'
We looked. and sight met our view
that would have curdled the blood OF the
oldest poker player in the world Here
was his hand. I'm ace. nine-sDot
four. a queen. and "a tray--nOt a single
pair did this novice In the art OF POKER
PLAYING hold and he had successfully
hluffed four old hands at the business
thereby raking in something IKE
thousand by the operation.
he pockcted his earnings IN a business
like way. and said that ii was about tnc
fer him 10 seek his NlrtuOus couch, the
hour WAS growing late. You may safely
bet that We Ola not urge him 10 stay
any longer. l;ut AS hc rose rom MS
chair 10 leave us. nc said. laziiy.
Don't never judge man by ms clo s.
my brothers law-that rat teller you see
row by here this eVcnin lie was once
dressed up In new clos. ana was took FOR
IN dude. and he killed The man on the
spot that mistook his IDENTITY. Now.
d.n't 'Nactlv say that YOU fclers tux me
FER "A fool. but Won didn't think | could
catch on s. quick's ana. Wen. I'm goin
ter tell yer-I didn't. There was
delegation from Congress down here IN
these waters bout two year age an 1
seem EN- play poker some seven or eight
times: an I'll ten yer when they ieit
had the game down purity pat. There
waru't much about II that 1 hadn't sOfter
caught ON ter. an femme tel yer. thcm