The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-02

men from England called the chap who
furnished the cards, the drinks, ana so
on. l thought he displayed unnecessary
interest In my hands and told him so
ono or twice. The betting got quite
gingery after bit, and ono of the Eng.
lis proposed table stakes. This suited
mo e. dot and forgot for moment
suspicious move on the part. .ofsone OF the
EnRishmen in the last deal. ".
THAT same Englishman and his part
ner came at mo pretty strong. L saw
their raises. 80 did Hammond. who
raised in turn. Ono of tine EnRlishmen
dropped out The other raised Ham
mond. ! stayed. Hammond probed me
gontly, under the table with his foot
i was alert. but mystified. lt suddenly
dawned on me that the cards had been
stacked had four aces The English
man who had dropped ont had dealt. /
proposed To see tho thing through. After
considerable trifling the English gentle
man said with smile:
f" IN just tap you for your pile. Is IL
gos'
II had about $1,000. in front Of me, q
big sum 20 risk on ~ hand i believed to
bo stacked; but Hammond prodded me
again, and something made me shove my
morey TO the center. had barely done
so when my opponent laid down four
ilyes and said coolly, I'm take the pot.
" Not so quickly exclaimed, -Four
ilves don't beat four skies where l como
from. Things happen very quickly on
such occasions. had one hand, my left,
on the stack of bills, when the man with
the losing hand turned TO his confederate
and said, Damn you for fool. What
dye meany | had just time TO close on
"a fat handful of bills when over went the
table / have been told l am pretty quick
at drawing "A gun. l drew one then. but
only To protect myself Bif, came a
chair, thrown by the so-callVi steward,
and bang went my revolver as the chair
sailed by my head. In second the room
was in darkness. That rascally steward.
who was in the plot of course turned OIL
the gas and meant TO take hand in the
robbery of yours trulv / crawled as well
as | could i'm tho direction of the door,
and AS / reached il hand containing
some weapon. probably saudbag, swiftly
descended The weapon graZed my LETT
shoulder. | staggered 10 my feet, and
calling out Hammond. lie down. fired
two shots. simultaneously some one else
fired one shot / heard u voice cry out,
I'm shot I'm done forp There was a
gurgle and "A fall and the doorknob
turned in my hand. / flew to my ac-
quaintance who bad warned me against
the game.
"I had corralled about 5000 in that
scramble. You're all right said the
professional gambler, but you must
one Of those scoundrels. hope Ham
mond Is all safe. put him on your trail
To keep you out of harm. There's a
mixed train leaving here in 10 minutes.
I'll get vou aboard
"He did so, continued the colonel.
Il rCde on the platform of a postal car
clear TO Buffalo, took the first train to
Chicago, and was soon in seclusion in -
lumber camp in Michigan. And there /
waited for the news that at last L had
killed man in dispute over cards" J."
Yes; and did you?" was the question
from all but Drifter.
"No, was the response. 1.-The Eng
lishman who doctored the cards and made
the mistaken deal got bullet in his neck
and one in-the leIt arm. HE fingered for
months in the hospital, and poor Ham
mond, who also had a ~ 4calibre gun,
stayed in Jail Tor the shooting until the
doctors declared that the pesky English
man would live.
81 kept track Of Hammond. did the right
thing by his family, through our friend
Drifter, and. gentlemen, l have never
played game of chance from the night L
took my third and last dose of anti
gambling medicine. Now, you know
what the treatment was. Do you blame
mey"
They didn't.