The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-27

cd with the stranger in it. He was a lit
tie slow about handling the cards and cot
a little behind with his ante occasionaIlv
but he appeared to know the value OF a
mana and the boys didn't make a hole in
MS stack as quick as they expected to
The deal went around three or four
times ana the stranger held his own pretty
Well He had contributed twenty or thirty
dollars to Hams pile and EVERYBODY
thousht that 1T was only a question Of
t tlIle when he would walk away broke
ram told me afterwards that he had made
up ms mind when the fellow had LOST his
pie 10 return him the hundred dollars and
tel MIN TO stick to his preaching and keen
away from poker.
1t was clear to everybody that the stran-
ger was playing his hands for just what
they were worth and no more When he
dldn get good cards he staid out.
or course every spectator was watching
MS hand, because minister playing DO
ker was a curiosity.
1t was the strangers DEAL and Ham
TOOK occasion to raise the ante $40 Put
nam raised the raise ten, and everybody
stayed. Finally cards were called for. Tai
bot took three and the stranger stood pat.
ITS worth 500 1 guess" said Ham.
showing up couple of blue chips. The
other three members of the Big Four saw
it, but when it came to the stranger he
pushed in five blue chips.
Thirty dollars better eh?' said Ham
twisting his mustache, thirty dollars bet
ter. Well, can't lay down these cards
for that, so I'll just raise that $50 ffty
more He more He pushed eight blue
chips into the center of the table.
The stranger had one red chip in front
of him, and everybody thought that he
would lay his cards down. But he didn't.
He just sat and studied the pasteboards
minute or So and then putting his
hand in his inside pocket pulled out a
ynf hN.O1y flaf ha.l
It. He opened it and took out two fifty
dollar bills.
I don't hardly know said he, "wheth
er 1 ought to bet any more on this hand
or not, but am going to venture it. I'll
see your fifty and raise it fifty" He
threw the two bills on the pile of chips.
That was too much for Whiting, Talbot
and Putnam and they dropped out The
game was now between Ham and the
stranger.
Ham was evidently worried. He pulled
his hat down over his eyes and peered
sharply at the supposed minister, but
there wasn't sign in his smooth face that
indicated anything.
You must have pretty good hand
he said finally, but I guess I'll raise the
bet once more" and he did so to the
tune of hundred dollars.
The stranger smiled. That's a good
deal of money" he said, ''if I should lose
but nothing venture, nothing have"
He laid his cards down and reaching
around to his hip pocket drew out another
pocketbook, from which he took a five
hundred dollar bill. I'm bet that and
STOP
He tossed the bill into the center of the
table. That was $500 raise for Ham to
meet He had been trying to bluff the
stranger and found that it wouldn't work.
He fingered his cards minute or so and
then threw them on the table Take the
money he said, and the stranger raked
it in. The pot amounted to about 500.
''Whatd you have?" asked Ham.
Il understand" answered the stranger,
that you don't have to show your cards
unless you are called
'Oh. no, of course not" said Ham, "but
I didn't know but you'd just as leave tell
as not"
But the stranger didn't tell and Ham
didn't see his cards, but the spectators,
did and he had bluffed Ham out of the
game with an ace high hand and Ham
held two pair, queens up.
When the game broke up the stranger
was 900 ahead, and it wasn't until the
next day that we found out that he was
Jim Preston's western friend and that he
was one of the slickest poker players that
ever stepped foot in the Columbia house.