Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1900-01-11

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He thought it all over many times, and
the next night he ran across one of the
guys who had been in the game.
Come up to my room, said Lane;
I've got something | want to show
you
THE other fellow went along. Lane
took him up to the room, and then
shutting the door, pulled out re-
volver and said he wanted to know
something. The other guy put up
kick when the gun was flashed on him,
but Lane quickly made himself under
stood.
You and your crowd of thieves
said Lane, have got away with my
pile. That's all right. | got the ex-
perience, even If did have to pay for
it. Now, I'm going to get some of that
money back. You just sit down and
teach me how to deal cards so | can
win
THE guy sat down, and for twelve
solid hours these two fellers did moth
ing but shuttle and deal cards The
slick guy dealt seconds, stacked the
deck in sixteen different ways, marked
cards as he played them, and in just
about nine times out of ten he would
fool Lane completely. Then he began
to explain all the tricks. He sharp
ened Lanes thumbnail so he could
mark the cards and filed of the skin of
his thumb so he could feel the marked
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Lane proved to be an easy gambler,
and when his teacher left him that
night he had learned the manipulation
of every trick known to the gamblers
trade. Then he started in to practice
them, and he spent weeks and weeks
in dealing out imaginary hands of
poker. Then he started out to play
little poker. He didn't have enough
confidence at first to try any of his
games when playing, but he invariably
practiced marking the cards. A good
gambler, | have been told, can mark
all of the big cards in the pack within
twenty minutes after the first hand is
dealt. Lane told me he could beat that
and | believe him.
by and by he started in to deal
himself some of the marked cards, and
he invariably won. as he played his
games where he was the only dishon-
est man. His nerve came with his
success. and in year or two he was
like veteran. He played like fash
of lightning. and never aroused a sus-
picion of his actions. lie simply toyed
with the plungers who ran up against
him.
"One night he sat down in a game in
which a rough-looking fellow with a
sharp nose and sleepy eyes was play
ing. Jim didn't pay much attention
to him, but he was playing with Dopey
Jack Hale. There were several young
Frisco fellows in the game. Jim start
ed in to play in his usual manner. The
first king that he got in his hand was
the king of diamonds, and he imme-
diately punched the sharp corner OF
his thumbnail into both ends of the
card. The very next hand the deal
came around to Jim. He shufFled and
RESULTED and rifed. feeling card after
card He dealt the hands ont and
watched for the king Of diamonds.
Suddenly he stopped in the middle of
his deal.
What's the NATTER" asked man
across the table. Jim was white. but
he went on in minute. passing it on
by saying he had cramp. The truth
was he had found his king of dia-
monds and had felt a double mark in
it. Evidently somebody else had be-
gun to mark caras. Jim suspected
Hale right away. but he didn't find
much to strengthen his suspicious. as
Hale appeared to be very dopey and
sleepy. He seemed to go 10 sleep over