The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-08

whisky ana cards in a hearse at mid
night almostt
wen. TO show our nerve said the
drummer we might play bit here Just
to talk of it afterward. You can take
those coffin nails there in the box FOR
chips and III gamble that well nave .
story TO tell at Greentown tomorrow, pro-
vidcd we get there alive. 1t would be
funny. though, to see an undertaken die
in his own hearse.'
1.-THE road was not bad and the hearse
jolted but little The lantern was suf-
cient to cast a good light. The drummer
took a cardboard box ard turned out
handful Of smail-sized coffin nails-not
cigarettes, young man, but the real things.
He divided the pile evenly and then Of
fcred to make each nail worth a nickel.
Al the most he said, you can't lose
more than you buried ia your pocket from
your job to-day
The undertaken went IN the game sim
ply for the novelty Of the thing. lie had
been accustomed TO many sSruesome sights,
but his hands trembicd every Tine he I'm
gered the cards. He played in luck. how
ever and soon the nails clinked alone on
his side of the hearss. The drummer
bought another handful and then played
TO win He got the grave-diggers luck,
and in less time than ne had lost before
he had won every nail Then the direc-
tor dia the buying and he worked hard TO
pull up, but luck was against him ana he
was soon buying again When he lost this
stack he bought more, like man, and Of
fered TO raise The stakes.
" We are pulling for home now he said,
and we might have hot finish. We can
keep this game going until we see the
lights at Greentown. If you want we can
play for table stakes rye got a wad OF
money as big as your head in my Clothes
and if YOU are the best man, why, then,
you can take IT,
THE drummer accepted the proposition
He pulled forth a purse which was unus-
uaIy large for a man Of his business. The
rain was sim rafting on the glass sides
of the wagon as the new game began. Fol-
a time the playing was steady, with the
best Of The luck going 10 the traveller. The
men were strangers, but The undertakes
did not suspect anything wrong In ths
! play. for IL was on his deals thar he los
most The drummer was game TO the fin
| ish. Ali the playing was for jackpots ant
! the drummer would cali every time II h
/ had nothing more than an ace for high
| BY doing this once he got big pile OF th'
nails, for the funeral director was caugh
! on a huge bluff. This put the men on ihei
/ guard one bad streak for the owner o
| the hearse gave all the cash to the drum
mer. The undertaken SAID he would give {
note payable at Greentown on arrival
| and with this he could Keep the gam'
going until the trip was done All Of thi
pleased the drummer He fell that tn
hearse was his mascot and he was golni
TO bank his last dollar on Il. The first not
was cost in a jiny. Then another wa
scratched off; 1t was half gone when th'
crisis came.
'The hands for several rounds wer
! changing and luck was with the under
taker. His little squirt gave him doub'
assurance that he could pun up even ans
win the drummer's wad besides befor
coming in sight OF his city. All the whih
the rain continued to fall and the tiret
horses were getting tagged. Buf Their
was no flag 20 the game inside II was Of
the deal by the undertaken that the scnsa
tional finish arrived The pot had passe'
repeatedly and the stacks Of nails locke
Ike a wood yard to the man who expect
| ed to rake IL In. The drummer had sail
he could not open il, or rather he said h
would pass The undertaken opened 70
for what appeared to be pound of nail
and every nail was valuable.
"'Wen. III raise that said the drum
mer quietly or my name isnt MeNulty
"'An well, then. MIR. Mack, | am sla'
10 know you. l am Undertaken Brown