Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-09-08

ping out running liberty money with his
poker skill. The Chinaman had more
than $1,500 on the ships books as re.
suit Of his two cruises on the China
station.
1.-The pay yeoman took the two can.
vas bags belonging to the players te
one Of the bunkers, accompanied by the
Chinaman and the black, and, dump
ing both of them out, took all Of the
blacks $1,100 and added to it $1,10(
from the Chinaman's coin bag. This he
put into one bag and placed in the pay.
masters safe in little compartment
set aside for the yeoman's use.
Before going to the bunker to dc
this the yeoman, without examining
either of the hands, sealed them In Of
fetal envelopes, writing the respective
names Of the two players on the en-.
velopes, and slowing them safely In his
desk. And that's how it was all set or
the night before the ship pulled out OF
Yokohama for the hike to San Fran
ClSCO. was SSpSVV SAS PoS
1t was the Chinaman's raise, and 1t was
understood that Tsi Moon on pay-off.
day, three months later, was to raise
Terry for. $1,000 for a showdown.
We'll, from the hour that the thing
was done, all hands forward began
making side bets as to what the out
come would be. Their bets were Of all
sorts. Some took the end that the
Chinaman would be the one to cave
before the showdown. others that the
dinge's nerve wouldn't hold out with
the chance of all of his dun going to
the Chink.
"They bet with each other as to
which of the two had the other beat
in case the scheme for big show
down went through as 1t had been
planned.
Before the ship reached Honolulu
where she put in to coal, the dinge had
let 1t out that his hand consisted OF
four sevens, and then the black be-
came a strong faNorite to win out
But the Chinaman went on cooking
for the wardroom mess and saying
nothing.
He would blink good-humoredly
when fellows who wanted to get an In
side, line on the situation tried to
wheedle the character Of his sealed
hand out Of him, but he wasn't to be
wheedled. He kept his own counsel as
to that hand upon which he stood pat
until the finish.
"The black man fell into a rumina-
tive sort Of manner as the ship pro-
gressed toward San Francisco, and ne
used to stand with his arms resting on
the galley sill and gaze into the galley
at the Chinaman about his work and
try to get rise out Of the Chink by
expressions Of confidence In the out
come.
"'Ah've got yo' all skinned, yalluh
man. he would say. taking his pipe
out Of his teeth.
Maybe yes. Maybe no. Money
him talk the chink would reply, and
that would be the end Of 1t.
"The ship docked at the Mare Is
land yard, and as the time drew close
for the crew to be paid off or for those
whose time was not out to be sent to
the receiving ship to allow the cruiser
to go out of commission, the men con-
tinued to gamble on what the outcome
Of the sealed hands was to be. On the
day before the final pay-off the Chi
nese steward Of the wardroom mess
Moy Yen, came forward and calmly
offered to bet $1,000 in sections that
his countryman had the black beat.
THAT was a sumner for all hands
They instantly arrived at the conclu-
sion. of course, that Moy Yen knew
what Tsi Moons hand consisted or
and, as they knew that Moy Yen knew
that the blacks hand was four sevens
there was but one conclusion for them
to draw, and that was that the China
mans hand was the top one-else why
should Moy Yen so placidly offer to
stake $1,000 on the outcome?
Betting on the result stopped al
together right then-all hands felt
confident that the Chinaman had the
black smothered. The dinge himself
rolled his eyes gloomily when ne
heard Moy Yen's startling offer to
back Tsi Moons hand to the tune OF
q thousand. and sulked.
"All hands lay aft to the paymasters
office for final settlements the next
day. When, late in the afternoon. the
work was done, the pay yeoman
brought the canvas bag containing the
$4,000 forward, under the fo'c'sle, to-
gether with the two sealed hands. He
placed the bag with the money on tor
of the capstan, and handed the sealed
hands to their respective owners.
"All hands were grouped around the
capstan to see the finish. The officers
of course, knew what was in progress
and were as much interested in it as
the men, but this was one Of the little
things that they didn't elect to see.
"Tsi Moon placed bag containing
an even thousand in gold beside the
larger bag containing the pot on the
capstan. and said:
~ laise you thousan' dolla'.'
1.-THE black rolled his eyes in palpa-
BILE misery for about half a minute
while you could have heard a pin drop
on the deck, the crew were so silent
He moistened his lips a number OF
times before he could speak.
"'Yo' all has got me beat, yalluh
man. he said then. so hoarsely that
he could scarcely. be understood. TEX
de dough-