The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-09-28

on $500. The gambler opposite drop
ped out His pal to the cashiers right,
after another look at his cards, gave up
the ghost.
GA faint smile hickered for an in
slant around the cashiers mouth as be
quietly laid down $500 and piled on
$4,000 more. His opponent sized him
up, and then, with an oath, not only
called the nervy lamb but, iauntily
placing five crisp 81 900 bank notes on
the table, started to rake in the pile.
Hold on ihere,' said the cashier, I'm
not through with this hand yet by a
| jugful, and suiting action to word, he
laid down $4,000 and placed $4,000
more on top of it.
"The gambler smiled uneasily and
begged to be excused from the game
for moment. Walking to one side, he
called his pals and, still keeping one
eye on the pile of gold and bills on the
table, he talked them into transit r
from both of two big rolls of bank notes.
Walking back to the table, he again
looked at his cards, then at the cashier,
who was easily putting at big Havana.
Then with another look at his cards,
which it afterwards proved was for eff
feet alone, the gambler covered the
cashiers raise with $4,000 in bank
notes and added another $4,000 to the
] precious pile. Instantly the cashier
! slapped down $4,000, and then, max
ing rapid computation, he showed out
another pile, all he had remaining in
sight, and said:
"'Now, 1 raise you 81, 200 There
was great excitement around that table
when the gambler, who, according to
his calculations, figured that every cent
the cashier had of the 100000 was on
the table, joyfully called with $4,000,
and then with grand flourish laid
down two 81 600 notes, and saying:
i raise you $4,000, and this time, 1
guess, the pile is mine started for the
second time to rake in the 100000 and
over.
"'Hold on there, my man. quietly
said the cashier, as he drew forth an
ugly-looking revolver, and laid it on
the table on top of his five cards, this
game is not quite over yet. You gen.
tlemen,' turning to US onlookers, will
watch this table until l return, and
then, to the utter amaZement of every
one concerned, he walked across the
saloon to his stateroom and instantly
reappeared, bearing a seemingly heavy
satchel By this time cold beads of
perspiration were standing out on the
brow of the gambler, who foresaw im-
pending disaster, and he leaned heavily
forward as the cashier slowly opened
the portmanteau, and taking out nine
Zig bundles said with cutting and tri-
umphant emphasis on every word:
81 cover your raise of 50 900 and
now raise you SS8, 900.
Saying this he placed nine bundles,
each containing ,OG0 in bills, on the
table.
ibid it create a sensation? Well,
just trifle. For minute there was
silence like the grave. Every one
seemed dumbfounded, and then, with
a terrible imprecation, the gambler
jumped up as il to attack the cashier,
but thought better of it, as he found
himself looking straight up into the
barrel of the pistol held by the lamb,
who proved to be a nut too hard to
crack and COW too balky to be MIXED.
Still covering his man, the CASH er
opened the satchel again, and showed
in the $4,000 gold and bills; then,
closing it and placing the grip under
his arm, he marched off to his room
saying as parting shot:
"Gentlemen of the cards, you were
beaten in fair and square game of
bluff You thought l had only $780,
900 instead of $4,000 and therein lies
your unfortunate loss of S32 900 to the
lamb you proposed to pluck. will be
up all night sitting on chair with the
money underneath it, l will be facing
the door with two loaded pistols in my
hands, and l wouldn't advise any body
to tamper with my doorlatch. In the
future be careful of freeze-out games
where your opponent may be an I'M
known quantity. Good night, and he
backed into his room and locked his
door.
GAS for the gamblers, they looked as
if cyclone had struck them all over,
but they were, comparatively speaking,
tanned doves until the beaten man hap
pened to take up the cashiers cards,
which he had left lying on the table.
When they met the collect eyes of
the vanquished howl of rage went up.
/ leaned over to see what they were as
the gambler hoarsley cried out:
"By all the gods, that sly devil clean
ed us out of $32 900 cash on a bobtail
flush"
"And there they lay, four clubs and
an offensive queen of hearts. L actu-
ally do not believe there were ever
three madden men on a Mississippi
steamboat than that precious trio.
They ripped and swore around until
the captain came down and said he'd
be damned if he'd have such swearing
on his boat, and they had to shut up
or get off. They finally retired, and
saw them the next day when they left
the boat at Cincinnati. The cashier
left there, too, and in bidding me good
by he said:
ut was desperate chance for me
to take. If they had ctlled the $685.
600 would have been ruined man,
but felt positive that they were only
loaded for me on the $4,000 basis, and
that the 100000 in reserve would para
lyze them. After all, desperate chance
as ii was, it's pretty nice thing to be
able to say you won S32 900 on bob
tail hush,' and with hearty shake of
the hand, the nerviest poker player l