The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-26
IKTHEN TWO DEUCES
w BEAT A FLUSH
And the Winner Threw Away a
Chance of Becoming a Million
aire Quickly.

| Scarcely q word had he uttered since inc
train left Omaha. except to his travelling
companion, and by the time Ogden had
| been passed there were several OF the other
passengers who had developed consider
able curiosity about him.
1t was the long haired man especially
who began to show something akin TO
anxiety about it. II would have taken no
great powers OF divnation TO determine
the theatrical character Of this mans occu-
patton, even II his language had not loudly
and frequently proclaimed it. But the tall
broad-shouldered man simply sat in his
place and played kind Of two-handed
whist with the white-haired old GENTLE
man with whom he was travelling and
kept his mouth shut while his wits worked
At Wnnemucca the actor jumped mp
with n camera to try t. get some pictures
of the blanketed Indians who were sitting
along the platform. Maybe the tall man
had got his problem all thought out, or
maybe he Just thought it was his come-in.
Whatever it was he looked UP as the actor
started and called out to him:
"You can't get picture of those In
dians!"
Can't" CALCULATED the actor, in aston
ishment. "Why not?"
mo, answered the tall man, "any more'n
you can make pair Of deuces beat flush
The actor stopped and leaned against
the arm of the seat opposite the tall man.
But that has been DONE" he said.
Il never happened to see It, replied the
tall man. 1T never was done to me
The actor looked at him thoughtfully
for moment There was something in
the expression OF the big man, the way his
head was set on his shoulders. the contour
OF the Jaw. that helped one TO understand
that II might not be healthful 10 trifie with
his feelings.
yes" continued the actor. Il saw that
done once, in fact did II. That was my
one chance TO be rich. and let it 60. Now
/ spose I'll be lucky II I avoid walking
hereafter"
Both the tall man and his partner looked
up with an expression which plainly de-
manded the rest of the story.
"You should never show down after
bluff" said the tall man. Its bad luck
sure. Wouldn't they stand for it?"
"Oh, yes replied the actor. THE other
fellow stood for 1t all right, but II was the
hoodoo that got me. admit that it's bad
luck to show up winning bluff. Nobody
but chump does It. 1t certainly fixed
me. all right.
4There were Ave of us in the game.
was playing In Washington that winter
1t was only few years ago-the show
was, / mean-and sometimes l used TO get
into a game with some Of the Congress-
men.
II had heard before that they ran UP
some pretty steep games once in while,
but had no real notion OF the way they
do play or should never have taken
hand with any OF them. But the first time
1 did l was fairly lucky, and after that l
suppose got a little daffy on 1t and thought
could come out of II as well as the next
one. but some OF those fellows were mil
lionaires and had about as much business
playing poker with them as / have now
trying to fly. When ir comes to an open
game l have observed that a big pile is a
great assistance to a steady nerve in max
ing the other side look for nickels to pay
street-car fare home with.
"Thcre was man from Texas in the
game the night speak of, and you wouldn't
have to get out the biographical diction
aries to see who he was il should tell you
his name He had been drawing a Gov
eminent salary for spending his winters In
Washington most Of the time since the
war, I guess. Also there was a Western
Senator and Colonel from the War De-
partment besides another just plain COM
mon man and myself.
"Queer how luck runs sometimes You
couldn't beat me that night with a sedge-
hammer. Icaught 'em coming and going.
Every time filed ii was sure to be the
winning hand. Every time missed filing
on the draw It turned out on the play that
| would have been skinned to death if
had caught what I wanted. There's no
doing that sort Of luck. and 1t wasn't SO
very long before began to pile up the
stuff in front of mo as if I were running the
bank at Monte Carlo.
You know how often it happens that
there will be one man in game whom you
can heat every hand. Il never makes
any difference what he holds. You always
have something little bit better.
"I've had that happen to me when
| was the fellow that was getting left each
time, and It always nearly drives me crazy.
| | can stand losing as well az the next man,
I think, but to haveit go always to the same
| man, and to hands that are always Just a
| point or two better than mine. sure puts
me on the ragged edge before long
well. that was what was happening
to that Texas man the night I'm telling you
| about Flo was certainly game about it,
| never saw man take a run of mean luck
| better than he did, and he used TO come
after me when he got a good hand as if
| he meant to eat me up.
II reckon he figured after a while that
! il had got to change before long, and each
/ time he had something nice he thought
| the charge had come. Then he would 20
after Inc to get il all back at once
| "rhe end OF that sort OF play liz certain
| if man sticks to II. There is always n lot
| Of talk about a change OF luck being bound
| TO come but doubt if either of you gem
| tlemen has ever seen IL come during the
| game,
IL surely never did, and il did not come
| to my friend from Texas that night. He
! lust kept plunginG and plunging, going
| harder each time until at last he went broke
II don't mean clear busted, but oDlv
that he had lost all lie had with him that
| night and Ind drawn a couple Of checks
| for IA much more AZ he apparently cared to
| stand for AT one sitting. But tho game
| had such n grip Oh him that he couldn't
| stand IL to quit SO he began to put lp one
\ thing and another as markers 10 he re-
| deemed the next day after he had got into
communication with his Texas hank
1T was one Of those curious games that