St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1900-04-28

jackpot. No breakers were out On
this deal. Then Bennett dealt. With.
ont che. least hesitancy Gibson broke
the pot for $50. Bennett looked at
his hand a momen1 and made it 500
to play. Gibson thereupon made it
$40 and Bennett just stayed. The
captain took bit of q nip, discarded
one card, which he deposited care
fully beside him, and asked for one.
Bennett announced that he would
take two. Gibson's card slid across
the table and on top of the four which
lay in a neat heap before him. He
lifted it up casually, saw that it was
the one he wanted and let it remain
where it was. Bennet& shu1Re1 his
draw into his hand, looked as impass-
i've as usual, and said:
"'Well, captain?'
"I'm going to start her on for
$780," said tho captain.
"'Five hundred. eh7 I think I'll
have to raise that $780,
1.-THE captain drew his chair closer
to the table. threw his hat on the
deck, and said: III see your $500 and
raise you $1,000
"'Bennett gave him . hard look in
the eye.
"'Have you the money! he asked
of Gibson.
"The captain carefully pushed his
untouched hand a few inches to one
side and looked over his check stubs.
"'Ive got a balance here of $780,
he said. MY boats worth Sc 600 if shes
worth q cent. That's $3.50, isn't it
get $3.50 for carrying this cargo; that
makes $3.50. raise you that amount
Bennett looked over his heap of
checks, his columns of coin, his stack
of bills, his hand and the captain
chiefly the captain. He made no more
fuss than as if he was raising 81 bet.
1t took him two or three minutes to
count out $500 worth of checks and
money and, showing it out on the table,
he said:.
"'Capt,in, it's yours anyhow and
I'll chance it. What you got?'
'Capt. Gibson's expression changed
in an instant from one of perpleSity
to sheer joy. He almost whined, 50
happy did he appear to be.
Bennett lie said. I've got the best
there is, royal fush.' picking his hand
of the table. 4 lacked the ten OF
hearts and drew her.
Bennett calmly spread out hand
some ace full and looked at his oppon-
ent's hand rather surprised. His man
ner changed all of sudden.
"sHold ON, hold on. there, captain
he said, there's no royal flush there
'You could fairly see Capt. Gibson's
heart crawling down into his shoes.
He bent over the table and scrutinized
the cards on which he had staked his
all. He saw the ace, the king. the
queen and the ten Of hearts, and the
jack Of diamonds! He gazed at them
. moment without moving q muscle or
utering even : sigh. Then he resigned.
ly picked up the card he had discarded
at the beginning of the deal and which
he had laid aside SO that it could be
referred to if his partner demanded it.
1t was the jack of hearts! Bennett's
face wore an expression of mingled
sympathy and triumph. There was an
utter stiffness broken only by the sleepy
tapping of the water along the boats
hull. Gibson picked up the bottle OF
liquor which stood at the end of the
table and now was nearly empty. He
held it up SO the moonlight could be
seen through it. Then he tossed it into
the lake.
Bennett he said, . moment later,
it's all yours. boat, money and ALL
Then turning to me he said: David
SON, get me some writing paper
"And ON the deck of the boat just
40 the eastern sky was changing to =
golden purple Capt. John Gibson trans
ferred the two-masted schooner Will
o'-the-Wisp and his other interests to
Bennett. The latter accepted the note
humbly and essayed q word of sym
pathy, but he was shut OF. The cap
tain retired abruptly to his room and
the others followed.
ssThe captain was apparently in good
humor during the rest Of the trip.
He took charge of things as he had al
ways done and chatted with Bennett
and Mcdonald. but never mentioned
the game that had been his ruin. The
trip occupied about niue days. Many
conferences were held between Ben
nett and myself as to how the boat
could be returned to the captain, but
no easy method suggested itself. Ben
nett didn't want it. or rather he didn't
like to sec Gibson impoverished. When
the craft was tied up at her dock in
Buffalo Capt. Gibson took leave of the
boat, luggage and all. As he was about
to step upon the whayf Bennett accost-
ed him:
"'Capt. Gibson, am going to ask
that you accept as gift from me, this
boat
"Gibson glared at him.
Bennett, 1 take it that you play
an honest game of pokerY
"'You should know that / do re-
joined Bennett.
"'I also take it that you are some
what of gambler"
"I am
".And yet you offer to restore what
you have won! / don't like it. Here
(extending his hand), good-by.'
''Capt. Gibson was never heard from
after that. He started west; that was
all any of his friends ever learned
about him. But the story was told
for years on the lakes. Do you mean
to say you had never heard it ?".N. Y.
Sun.
A Novel Way to Dig Canals.
Prince Hohenlohe is a strong advo-
vate of Emperor Williams scheme foP
q great ship canal which will connect
the interior of Germany with the
ocean. In discussing the subject with
one of the agrarian mobiles who OPP
poses the project, the latter said:
"Your excellency. you will find the OPP
position to be q rock in the path Of
your canal"
The princes ewes twinxled rs he re-