The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-21

was game and raised IL Ave hundred. but Aloott.
thousand more The battle was on. and looked
curlourly at Downing. l WAS more interesteu
In biz play than in that OF either OF cue s o." hm
pick up his whole baud, give IL quick Rlancr;
and throw II down. The cotton factor ssuu an,n
time than 10 make certain. and then began
lingering his roll. AT length he spoke o little
~ 6aven't as much money here as I'd like to
have but ~ see your Thousand ana a nd md will,
allow me. viii put up any amount he likes
1T was Flash Kate who interrupted hin
was a general start OF surprise. was looking
at AlcOtt, and was sure saw CLEAN OF SALTS.
fscu hots .u uhm,Aea yeas ge,tnr eompcated
| The cotton factor flushed.
yG BE s'd sSsy %h
rowed money. ana | never borrow from
"'Pardon me- said Flash Kate. as cooliy as
| he. i hone there L. no or.nse Monsieur None
was Intended She spoke with villainou'
None Whatever said the cotton factor and
he looked at hi- cards again. He told me after,
ward that when tho woman smoke II flashed
where. and that he didn't care to play against
sem srsw down hs
"Alcott rakod In the money without WORD:
md the co,tnn-factor. putting the remains OF
his roll In hts pocket. picked up his chips ana
left the table. saying politely as he arose; TX,
cure me. gentlemen, / think 1 have had enough.
era looked around the spectators. as II to SEQ "
any one cared TO take the vacated seat. but no
MADAME |. Interested in the game. Perhaps
she plays, and would like 70 take hand,
ny. and looked from one 70 another q Tie four
at the table. Downing said nothing. but there
| uncomf Portable. but he said nothing. either and
as Alcott said, Certainly there can bc no objec-
ton the woman took the seat and laid a hand
full OF money on the table in front OF her.
:. From the moment she sat down feit NOR.
! ally certain that 1t was a case OF three against
one, for the Major was not much In evidence.
And was pretty confident that the man from
Texas was going 10 hold his own, n. indeed he
his play was u perfect puzzle, and the trio got
actually nervous AS he threw down hand after
hand that ordinarily he would have betied
heavily on, They stacked the cards. not once.
| but half dozen times. giving him excellent
and played now with seeming rsshness ana now
with cowariIco. but never riskins any consider
""T Tnen Ss payea ,ries ' tmn, WAS Worthy Of
| the great Hermann himself. IL was at once the
boldest and the neatest Thing ever saw at q
! card table and although thought saw II done
was not certain about II I'LL he told me of 1t
after We had become well acquaintet; IL was
watching, AS he did. every mot lon around the
table. knew that Kcenes nerve had failed him.
aud that he had not this time undertaken to set
| up the cards. His time had come. ana as he
leaned over 10 cut he substituted another rack
an impo-sibiitv. but wonderful things are pos
rible Ia a sleight-of.hand performer. and he was
tno De-t l ever PAW NJ n caro- tRDie MOI one OF
the other players saw It, but lie knew that deal
every card that every p'yer would hold.
ihsy se and n eat ,he
Acott came In and discarded two cards.
Downing was next is raised II twenty ana
and threw down one Flash Kate came in
with threes, hut did not raise: A,eots Jaw the
raise. AID downing raised 1t a hundred. The
others nj! came in. and the draw was dealt;
They all nlled. of course and Il being
being confident OF hi. own strength. they betted
| wildly. II was almost too quick work TO follow,
bu, in few minute, Keene said: Il claim u
| already IN the pot, little to one side. The
"f' Aa "a "a Claimed eli H II. show and
| Downing aud Flash Kate went on. She must
have had hvo or SIX thousand with her; for there
was over twenty Thousand on the table when
she called, with what appeared to be the Inst OF
her money. and 1t came to u thow-down. Kecne
Kate fou7 Kings. and Downing four aces.
-" For nm instant there was perfect silence.
stimuli aneously. a. IL 10 seize the money; but
Downing was quicker than they 1t Was impos-
but Il was there in lis right hand, while he
coolly pulled in the money wt,h his left
| That WAS no square deal" shouted Alcott,
e. Think not p drawled Downing. We'll. you
70 rs T nas
play here tonight INT there's one honest
@ be dc in @ %ns. %a som. Al
you want to play, any more And he grlnned
| at the discounted gamblers. who. seeing that
| they had the worst Of IL. said no more.
| go Flash Kate took It the best. She looked
on with n smile while this was going on. and
| when IL was over. she smiled some more. and
rising from her chair. said sarcasticnlly: Mon.
| sieur Is n most excellent player. And she went
| to her atat.room without another word. no.
| ticed when we reached Nicksburg that she md
| Alrott left the boat together.
| "Thoss three were pretty slick players said
| Downing to the crowd. ms he ordered cham
| paRn. for everybody who would take II. hut
| they ought to travel In Texas for time II they
| a lypt q a the safest Kind pf play
| "lt was only an episode in the old river life,
| and as nobody was much hurt excepting profess
| sionnis, nobody thought much about Il.