The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-11-30

spades, tho trump card of the euchro
deal.
81 have no objections" said Bennett,
calmly.
"You can have it for all care" add
| ed Townsend.
Appropri ate it by all means, "
drawled old Lockhard.
II soc am in for it, 80 here goes,'
said Brown. ~ will go broke aud
just finish the business by 'sooing' your
bets and raise OF $4,000. There 1t is.
tho last Of an illspent fortune, and l
am not yet twenty-one." Taking up q
wad Of bills from his lap recently
placed there by q fifth party.
81 pass. l am Out-'way out" said
Townsend. II was only blualing and
got pinched. l fish-lively, too"
Gentlemen" began old Lockhard,
II believe have had q little amuse-
mont, and tho substitution OF the jack
OF spades for another card in his hand
by my docile young partner from Lex
ington | shall never be able TO oompre-
tenor OF my play entirely. Gentlemen,
l am somewhat declined in tho valc OF
years. AS Byron said, tho fruits and
1owers Of love are gone,' l may as we'll
add, so are my one thousand good
| simole-0ns, as my hand is not worth n
SOU markee as D poker investment.
Liko Othello in the finale OF his check
cred career, old Bob cries 'peccavi
and retiros."
1t was now time for tho Englishman
to seriously consder tho turn affairs
had takon. Manifestly he WAS not In
cllncd to bet more, and he could not
withdraw without considerable loss.
tie felt absolutely certain that he Ind
the best hand, especially since Town
send and Lockhard, whose methods
and manner he did not understand,
and for whose conversation and inter
larded remarks he had no liking, had
dropped out.
He turned and whispered to Mr..
Paulton, who sat near watching the
game. His friond whispered some
thing 1nreply, whom he again drew his
roll, took out q thousand pound note,
threw 1t into the pot, and, looking
Brown In the eye said -
My young American you are a
plucky fellow, and l don't like to win
your money, but all is fair in play rs in
war. | suppose | have the best band,
sure. See, four kings and a queen."
NOT WORTH continental. l have
four aces and q jack"
a knaye, an arrant knave," said q
| from the table into his hat, Brown
started to move away.
The Euglishman in CONSERVATION
and amazcmcnt, jumped from his
chalr, and In smothcred tone asked.
hat In she name OF all the devils
In bades did you want with that
knave n Brown did not, rcply, but
walked out through tho throng to his
stateroom.
Tho excitement was intense, and
scores OF mon had been Watching the
game all along with the keonest in
tcrest. The ladies also came out OF
their cabin to tho verge OF the foyer
10 look On the animated scene. When
they learned that "the young man "
had achieved sOme sort of a victory
over the Older mon they clapped their
hands In appreciation, although thcy
knew nothing Of the game.
An hour later, after tho game had
been thoroughly discussed in all IT.
bearings, Bennett went to tho clerk O.
the boat, John Voolfolk, and com
planned that he had been robbed
How 80 ?" asked Voolfolk. "Yo,
played and bot to win, Of course. 81
did your opponent. Naturally, it ap
pears that he played best and won. |
you had any doubts about the standing
Of the parties Of any suspicion of un
fairness or foul play, as you admit, yo,
should not have continued in the game
These are matters that the officers o
the boat cannot possibly control.
You may assume that the partie.
are known to us. What then ? 1t is no
our province to advise you or any pas
senger as to card playing on a public
waterway. You should have exercise,
your own judgment. AS to the young
man that won your money, we know
nothing about him. No ono connected
with this boat evor saw or heard O
him before he came on board at Louis
vile. 1t is fact that tho other par
ties are notorious all over the Wcs
and South. They arc unquestionabl,
dangerous characters and their frater
nifty ramify all tho navigable waters
from Wheeling, w. Va, to the Belize
Had an officer or employo OF this boa
in.erfcrod In the slightest with tina
game, In solving as 1t did, thousands O
dollars, he would very likely havo beer
marked for assassination tho fret op
portunity. Therefore We cannot afford
to take such chances.
"There Is no such thing as exclu
siveness In steamboat travel. w,
necessarily have to cater to all classe
OF white people, and 1t Is not our polio
to discriminate In our passenger list
II VIC did we would be compelled to q
out OF business. We regret that 70,
lost your money-not an uncommon &C
currenco, by any means, on steam boat
but We can do nothing to help you t.
recover 1t, II such thing wore posi-
BILE. The parties engaged in tho gam
with you will probably leave tho boa
at tho next landing, although two hav
paid their passage to New Orleans an
ono to NatcheZ, Miss"
: 70 those acquainted with the gam
OF poker and considering the lncidc cnt
: connected with this game, it is plai
that 1t was wcll planned scheme @
Townsend and Lockhard to entra
the Englisbman and secure his money
no mattor by what game or mcans c
play. Having learned at Carlo tina
they wore cotton buyers, the inferenc
was that thoy had plenty OF money
and they resolved to follow then
Aftor getting on tho boat they though
r perhaps that Bennett and Pouito
!, werc loo high toned to play poker on