The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-25

Just gathered them up In a wad 20 carry aloni
20 the next layout. He coppered the six witt
most Tin imm nna Sae y"rV WIFI isR"RR His SsSl22s sTipped Il Il
his nand. he strobe on, then 20 the next table
and waited FOR action, There, was no sign OF I
six until. the remainder Of the, box was al
mighty thin and i Looked as I; even n I !. th u,
tor Of a split. " came out right and 1t WASH
on top Of a split. 4 king was underneath
boy, under the King. Curly gathered M his
500 In, both hands and started for the next
'"9'IS come gave Un n nIm : G'T sn lh inc Y E5m; can't put
, these people out OF business. you know. You've
hnd too much bull-headed luck already. Don't
1t looks like this is my day., he answered,
coonIIy. i might as well play out the string,
but Col. Jnmlson. the boss Of the layout. who
had, been watching Johnson's play with a good
deal Of amuscwent over it5 nalpable amateur
ishness. passed the word along to the dealers
iSmfmSeT. J%mSisoh, dgured, that the cSrnot
he next inlay or so. johnson pinched S56 out
a., Il his bundle nd s sna put 4 tie he money niS to i away o apd
vat g tire eL quarters re Of a box ii1IIi disihesd
out. He had the copper right. for the six came
out on the left, md the dealer PASSED out 300
TO pile on the 500 Johnson had pat down on
his ~favQrlte card. Jamison looked n bit sur
pfised by this time, and he followed after
johnson when the circus man struck the
Is the limit still orr" johnson asked Jami-
sou.
Jamison nodded. and johnson dropped bis
$500 in bills and gold on the six to lose again;
the SIX lost. and the dealer counted out $500
You're. a sucker II you don't chuck 1t now
/ whispered to the big windIammer. How
many straight wins do YOU expect to make2
Cant you, pinch a few hundred out?'
This being my day'nhe started to answer
six to show he s9cked his $500 on the next
5iHm IS %in' 1 Ths ff attsf :SS s q l@H0' the ' Gssle er
worked EN- out slowly. and ten or n dozen
cards after Curly,s play out came the six on
could bear me. that he,,d:be q damned fool Il
only ,G%rinned sheepishly at me, and then he
asked Jameson II the limit was still, Cfr.
49,, II you double every time replied J,amison'
81 was mad, clean through at Johnson be-
cause he wouldn't quit, when he had such Q
waited for him to come, out. felt perfectly
confident that he would be broke when he did
come C eSee 9uf Inst Atser and nSoH 1fte aitts e Tit meq asisy ! 9 Garl1
came to the door and beckoned to me. He
had made, three more wins, doubling, each
demand, for So 600. and notes and gold in both
of tn" deep G9cIkSeHts Of his linen dqster to the
the $1,000 check, had told Curly that the limit
was on again, whereupon Johnson, collecting
the. national bank across the way. where he
cashed the 5000 check. Then we took II
that Johnson might count ur his money ana
arrange IT. to be put, away. He counted Just
$l2.S56, all Of it made our OF a single 81 bet.
by this time.it was close on to the time for the
"'Bcfore | start out on the large and gilt
edged drunk upon which nm about to en-
b~ark-before. in fact. I take a single drink
said johnson to me after he had finished count
Ing his winnings. I think ~ put a little
the show pay back salaries down to the last
Il asked him how he was going to do it. but
he simply told me to get into a barouohe with
him. We drove out to the show grounds.
The news of Curly's huge winnings was out
cheer from all hands that sounded like a Hey.
Rube' yelp. Johnson walked, direct to the
de do to them in an oirhand way. and then
put his business before them.
rie Jfop n9SG e6lng to tP pay S Of all hands dsr POM
ance. amt you?' he asked the brothers.
They looked at him in astonishment: They
What the, devil are you talking about?'
they asked the oOrnrt player i'll a breath.
How long have you been the spokesman OF the
Just since l came in here replied john
woman and kid attached to the show every
cent that you 1--WE them right now. before the
them together in a bunch and give a free show
on a big VACANT lot with your people this even
The two brothers gave Curly the boot. They
thought he was drunk.
II mean what | say he told them. They'll
follow me. and this townM have n free circus
tonight. and you won't have any circus at all
If YOU don't pay every one of 'em every dollar
before the first turn at the performance that's
Get out Of this tent said the two brothers.
,'Curly, walked around to the dressing rooms.
where all the performers we're about making
uD Tor the afternoon show. and he made n
Tive Just made a bluff to the bosses to have
all salaries raid before the afternoon show he
said And i isn't su.h 2 big bluff at that:
sether, we'd rig IN a ring on a vacant lot
in town and riTe a free-for-all
i Th % to the mo town to- Td; tn T he gave az m me the h
refuse TO 90 on without getting all your money.
and If they don't come to time III pay'all hands
come, to taw. They've got two dozen dates
sh%nd , With 18th money in them Hon vi ard they can't
there. and then Johnson made another speech
thing that he had told the performers. They,
too; gave Curly the big cheer. and We were
owned the show stood by and took The whole
thing in with CONSERVATION on their faces
they had meantime heard Of JohnSon's big
were out on a limb.
=" All salaries going to be paid right now?'
johnson asked them once more.
They were too much confused 20 make any
reply and so johnson beckoned to the band,
Which was standing near. to strike up a march.
He took the head Of the band and away they
marched down the pike for the town, Curly
to fall In. behind. We all did fal. in and John
son led the whole outfit-.as queer n procession
as you ever saw-to "A big vacant lot about a
stopped.
Here's where we give the free show to-
night said johnson TO the crowd of us.
Throw the ring up, and I'll hustle downtown
to rent gear and rain-make for the circus
I'VE all knew that j. hnson's MAY was more
or less Of a bluff. but we also knew that he was
game. TO stand for 1t in case the bluff didn't
have the effect sought on the owners. ! went
downtown with johnson land he made for a
printing office. He was writing a big dodger.
thousands Of copies of which he was going TO
have distributed all oyer the town, announc-
ing that n free -for-all circus would be given on
the Pawnee street vacant lot blythe identical
people who had, on that afternoon. quit the
Blank Brothers show because they hadn't
been paid for two months. when the two
brothers camc rushing In and held him up.
They, had wilted. Johnson's determination
got them going,
We. pay salaries Immediately, you loafer.
they said to him; There are 1000 people
waiting now for the show to 20 on. We nav