Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-08-22

for his health an was goin' home for
good deal of the same reason.
His wife was on the boat with him,
an how he ever got away I'm her long
enough TO get into a poker game L
don't know for she were watchin' over
him like a hen with one chicken. but
he were there; an say, he had about
as much show in that game as a pigeon
would in a cage full O. rattlers.
THE game want such a big one as
games went, for their want over a thou
sand dollars in sight after they'd played
half the night. but l reckon three or
four hundred were a big pile to Jameson.
He didn't look none too prosperous. an
ne pulled out his money. every time he
had to dig. like it were a desperate thing
to do.
HE knowed just enough about the
game, though, to keep him goin'. an once
in a while he'd SCOOP fair pot Just
enough, you understand to give him a
notion he was goin' to win out. But
they had him on the run. most of the
time, so he had to dig again and again.
an IT looked to me like he'd go broke
afore he'd quit.
"They had him out-played, and their
money won for EN- good many times
when If he'd had more nerve or a bigger
pile. he'd likely have took the pot.
seen him better a pair of aces once when
he'd opened a pot for the size of 1t. which
the dealer had passed out.
THE dealer dropped an Tooker an
Fairbanks both come in an drawed three
cards. That made forty dollars in the
pot. with Jamiesons hand the best be-
fore the draw. for he held up a king TO
his aces an caught another king.
He throwed in white chip, which
reckon were fair poker. though I'd ha'
backed up two-card draw with
forty-dollar bet but when Tooker laid
down Fairbanks h'isted 1t fifty dollars.
o. course he may have had threes, but
it were Jamieson's play to call. anyhow.
If know anything about poker
II don't know whether it was the nerve
he lacked, or whether it was the size of
the bet an the fact that he was on his
last hundred, and reckoned his chances
better to save it for another play; but
whatever 1t was, he studied a while and
then dropped.
THAT were a sample of his play. an as
I said, 1t showed he were out of his class.
The on'y queer thing about it was that he
lasted as long as he did Twa'nt no
ways hard for anybody to see his finish.
but when 1t did come II sure did look
like the hardest kind of luck.
Just naturally he'd been the biggest
loser right along. / reckon there was
about five hundred of his money on the
table. but Cockcroft and Carter had both
| were the only winner. for all Tooker
had been able to do was to keep some
| where's about even.
Jameson had pulled up, though, on a
couple O. good pots. an must ha' had
about hundred an fifty in front of him
when he caught three kings in jackpot
| that had been sweetened up to fifteen
dollars Cockcroft were dealin an
Jameson sat right under the guns.
He opened for the size an Carter
stayed. Tooker laid down an Fairbanks
| boosted ii fifteen. Cockcroft studied a
while, but finally he come in an jamie
son put up twenty-five more.
There want no fault to be found with
that play, an l looked to see Carter an
Cockcroft drop anyhow, an maybe all
three of EN-, but Carter stood the double
raise an Fairbanks made good, so when
Cockcroft threw down, Jameson was up
| against two of the best players on the
| river.
"Bein' as twas his first draw, he didn't
see no use disguisin' his hand, an he took
| two, DRAWN to the strength of it. Car
| ter it appeared was stayin on a four
straight flush an he took one. Fair
banks took two an it certainly looked
| like Jameson had chance for a good
winin'.
when he looked at his draw he found
| pair of skies, an did what anybody
would do that knowed the game. He
Clipped a white, lookin for raise, an
got it. Carter'd caught a straight, but
not a flush. an he boosted it hundred.
which were moderate, as there were over
two hundred in already.
Fairbanks came back at him with an
other hundred, an all Jameson could
do was to call for show for his pile.
He sure couldn't do less, with a king
full against one-card and a two-card
pull, an he put up his money like man.
90 course he had Carter beat a mile,
but Fairbanks showed down four mines.
an Jameson got up I'm the table He
were beat fair an square, an he didn't
make no kick. but he looked as white
as ghost an he kind o. staggered as
he turned to go to his stateroom.
II thought he was going to fall, an
went TO grab him, but his wife rushed
past me like whirlwind an caught him
first. Feared she'd been lookin' I'm out
side the door, an though she hadn't
made no sign, nor said nothin' to inter