The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-20

cost a dollar and a white chip for you
to play"
Il never call when I'm satisfied that
I'm beaten" said Frampton.
later on he gave them stronger
proof of the truth Of that remark It
was his own deal and a Jackpot Ham
ilton, sitting at his left, opened and
Beasley and Cawley both stayed
FramptOn, looking at his hand, found
"A small flush. He raised as a mat
ter OF course, and Hamilton raised
back.
The other two stayed again, and
Frampton made it a dollar more. Then
Hamilton came back at him again and
Beasley and Cawley after some hest
tation threw down their hands. Tramp
ton simply made good and they both
stood pat.
Hamilton threw in a white chip and
Frampton raised it a dollar. Then Ham
ilton made it a dollar more and
Frampton laid down.
When Hamilton showed a full house
as openers, Frampton showed his own
hand. Il told you I never called
when I knew l was beaten" he said.
Good play" said Cawley.
I'm fingered if 1 think So" said
Beasley. Why did you play your hand
so. strong if you didn't think enough
of it at the last to call a dollar?"
Because I had confidence in it, till
after the draw" said Frampton. And
after Hamilton stood pat l reckoned
the chances of his having a straight
even greater than the chances of it be-
ing a full house. So ! was ready
enough to bet one more dollar on it.
But when he raised my raise l decided
that he wasn't afraid of the average
pat hand. and it wasn't likely that he
was trying to bluff me, so I dropped"
Pretty good poker, ! call it," said
Hamilton though he did not exactly
seem to relish the notion that Tramp
ton had judged his hands so well. A
few deals later, however, he had an
other contest with the same antagon-
list that was even more unsatisfactory.
He opened a jackpot and the others
all stayed. Each of the four drew three
cards, and Hamilton bet a white chip.
Cawley and Beasley dropped, and
FramptOn called.
Hamilton hesitated. Then he said:
"In split the pot with you" and
Frampton said Done" throwing his
hand face up on the table as he said
it, He had drawn to an ace and king,
but had not bettered. Hamilton had a
pair of jacks only.
It was noticeable for the next half
hour that Hamilton had the most of
the luck and that Frampton was the
heaviest loser.
Then Dawson the guide. suggested
that it was time for supper and play
was suspended.
After the table had been cleared
away they were about to resume the
game. Dawson asked Cawley to
help him tighten the kitchen tent
ropes.
When they We're out of earshot, the
old guide said to Cawley: Il amt no
hand for buttin' in, an l guess you fell
lers ought to know enough to take
care o. yourselves, but if l was you
I'd watch that man Hamilton leetle
mite closer any on you seems to be
watchin'"
DO you understand that you are
making serious charge against a
gentleman, and one of your en-
rs that SOP" said Dawson. He had
seemed greatly in earnest at first. but
when he saw the others attitude he
assumed the half quizzical indifference
of a sturdy old Yankee who realizes
in his own Importance. rs that so?
Well, now, 1 don't remember maxim
no charges o. no sort agin nobody.
7 was just sayin' you mought do we'll
to watch this here Hamilton, a mite
closern you be. I amt maxim no
charges, but you might look at him
when he shuffles the cards"
More than this he would not say,
and Cawley went back to the game
greatly perturbed. He determined to
say nothing, but to watch closely.
The shuttle was the clue, 1t appeared,
so he looked carefully each time Hamil-
ton took the deck. At first he could
see nothing out of the way but after
time he started in surprise so great
that he nearly betrayed himself. He
was fairly we'll posted in the tricks of
the card table, but this was one he
had never detected before.
Hamilton would cut the deck and put
the two packets corner to corner in
the ordinary fashion. Then he would
rifle them smoothly and grasp the two
outer ends in his fingers instead n
pushing the cards together with the
outer edge of the palms of his hands
as most players do.
This was a slight departure, but at
first it indicated nothing to Cawley ex-
cepting that Hamilton was a trife
more deft than usual.
But, when he pushed together the
two packets-interlace by the rifle
Cawley noticed, watching intently, that
just before the edges were flush, there
was a little twist that made the pack
cts lie diagonally. Then the grip of
the fingers was shifted ever so little.
and the cards were drawn through-be-
tween one another. If the phrase is al
lowable-so that the order of the deck
remained as 1t had been at the begin
ming of the shuttle. SO cleverly was
the final motion made that it looked
like a new cut after the shuttle.
The game went on, a dollar limit as
before and Cawley continued playing
and watching. His thought was that
no one was likely to be hurt seriously
in a game of that size. and that he
had, as yet no sufficient grounds for
making a charge.
Presently Frampton, whose bad luck
had lasted and who was perhaps a
hundred dollars behind, proposed to
raise the limit and Hamilton promptly
seconded the suggestion. Il would have
proposed it myself" he said. but /
am a god deal ahead for a small game,
and I thought ii wouldn't look we'll"
Cawley said nothing but he kicked
Beasley under the table, and Beasley
demurred Then they all turned to
Cawley, and he said Il don't think
we want to play for real money. This
game is big enough. isn't it," And at
the same time he kicked Frampton.
who was as quick as his cousin to
take a hint. The game went on as be-
fore. to Hamiltons very evident dis
appointment.
Cawley. however. was unable to de-
tect anything crooked In Hamilton s
play. though he watched him for fully
half an hour longer. Finally he spoke
out.
What Is your object in shutting the
cards in that peculiar fashion," he
asked at last, while Hamilton was ma
nipulating the deck