Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-05-15
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Game of Freeze Out.

One morning q man got on the steamer
Prairie Queen at Natchez with an old
slave and ibis wife, intending to take
them to New Orleans to be sold. They
expected to be disposed of separately
and were broken hearted at the pros
pect. Seating themselves on a coil OF
rope on the forecastle, they bowed
their heads in their hands and gave
way to convulsive weeping.
BY the time afternoon came on most
of the passengers had seen them, and
q great deal of sympathy had been ex-
cited. Finally n man approached the
owner and asked him what he expect
ed to get for the couple.
"Six hundred dollars each"
"Ill tell you what I'll do" said the
inquirer. "I'll make up q party to buy
poker chips to the amount you ask for
your man and woman, and We'll play
n game of freeze out for them, the
man who gets all the chips to own the
niggers."
THAT would be agreeable to me,
subj" said the owner. III take my
share of chips. Make up your party"
1t was not long before four men were
seated in the cabin to play a game for
two human beings, it being understood
that the winner, other than the present
owner, should not sell them separately.
In an hour one of the party was frozen
out, and soon after another met the
same fate, leaving the owner of the
slaves, the principal winner, to play
out the game with one man who had
gone into it on purely philanthrOpic
motives.
1t was about this time that clerical
gentleman stepped from his stateroom
and as he passed the gaming table,
seeing crowd looking on, asked the
cause of the especial interest. Upon
being informed he pushed his way to
the remaining players and said:
Gentlemen, 1 am surprised that
you should play for this old couple
without giving them chance in the
game for their freedom"
They don't play poker" replied the
owner.
Some one might be found to play
for Them" pursued the clerical man.
Every well,' said the owner, eff you
want to play for them I'll sell you
hundred of my chips"
L
in my life. But if any good poker
player can be found TO play their stake
1 will advance 500 for the chips"
One or two men standing by offered
to do the playing. but after a state
ment of their fitness some one in the
crowd protested.
Give me the chips" said the cleric.
at is the Lord who will decide the
fate of these his servants, and 1, who
know nothing of this game of evil.
will make it a game of good. l will
play it myself"
The chips We're turned over to him
and the money paid, whereupOn he
began to play, asking a dozen ques-
lions with every hand, though finally
the game proceeded without any
marked stoppage for information.
Meanwhile nearly every passenger on
the boat was looking on. Then the
clerical man began to have fine run
of luck in the hands he held. He
blundered so frequently that he did not
win all he might have won, but his
pile grew steadily.
Finally the $1,000 represented in
chips. owing to the blind luck of the
cleric, WIS pretty HcdIiy ulNidCO DO-
tween him and the owner of the slaves.
the other mans 'pile" being reduced
to $3.50. Then came a large jack pot
that no one seemed able to open. When
it was opened, it was the cleric's turn
to bet. He studied his hand for some
time, then laid down his cards and
asked for an explanation of a jack pot.
The players somewhat impatiently ex-
planned il to him several times, when
he said that he thought he understood
it. Then he resumed the study of his
hand and seemed in doubt what to do,
once making a movement to throw it
down, which he reconsidered. Taking
a jack from his hand he asked one of
his opponents if it were not a king. On
being corrected, he showed a queen
and asked if it did not stand next be-
low the jack. Corrected again, he
unused for awhile, then put up the re-
quired chips and drew one card. He
had had one straight and knew what 1t
was. 1t was plain either that he drew
for another or to two pairs. One of
the players bet all he had, and when
the betting continued was frozen out.
The other, the slave owner, had three
sevens and filed with pair of deuces.
He determined to end the game by
taking all the cleric had, thus retaining
his slaves and 5000 besides.
There was no trouble about drawing
the cleric in. Every time his opponent
raised him he raised his opponent.
Finally when the chips of both parties
were all in the pot it was explained to
the cleric that nothing remained to be
done. His opponent threw down his
full hand"
Does that beat four ten spots?" ask
ed the cleric innocently, throwing four
tens on the table.
There was a shout of laughter from
the crowd and an oath from the ex-
owner, after which a bill of sale was
drawn transferring the slaves to the
cleric, who made out free papers for
them.