The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-05-29

would start playing Immediately aftei
dinner on this last day SO that We might
+ have chance to recouping ourselves.
1 1t was particularly dirty weather thai
day Without being really rough there
was a heavy sea on, and our boat rolled
Like the devil. We had had the sfiddIes
on at dinner, and as it looked liked being
bad night we arranged TO play in the
/ smaller deck saloon rather than go below.
We were pretty sure that We should have
| that to ourselves, and we didn't care TIC
let the other passengers know how high
we were playing, it would suit us better
than playing IN the larger saloon. Nc
! Closky had left us immediately after din
rier, and as | went to my stateroom to
get my cigar case passed By his cabin.
The rolling of the vessel had jerked his
door ajar, and as / passed by / glanced
| IN. McClosky was holding on to his
berth, while his man must have been
behind the door, for just as passed I
heard McClosky say, in unusually rough
tones for him. Shut that door, you
damned focl! / got my cigar case and
temper down TO the bad weather.
There was something unusual about
his attitude, TOO. that struck me vaguely
az lAiS tithS, Dut 1 SoHiu liot uctcEiiilllc
what it was, and dismissed 1t from my
mind. A few minutes afterward he
came into the saloon, having been as
sisted by his servant
You wort mind Jim standing by me
tonight, gentlemen? he said; guess i
shall want some one to keep me steady
Naturally, We agreed to Jim presence,
and he was accommodated with seat
on McCloslSy's left side We three
losers had been half afraid LEST the
General should claim the bad weather
as an excuse for not giving US our re-
venge. Indeed, there seemed something
cruel in expecting a one-arfned man TO
play while the vessel rolled as it did
We ourselves had considerable trou-
bic in holding on with both hands, while
the General could often only keep a sit
ting position by the aid of Jin's support
However, he was game enough, and the
rest of us were far too interested to feel
much anxiety about his situation. At
the end of two hours play the General
had increased his previous winnings by
a further two hundred pounds, and /,
having been the principal loser, found
myself cleaned out.
oh, pshaw. Major said McClosky
genially when | announced my failure,
that don't matter. Help yourself.
Il had risen from the table as spoke,
and was standing at the side of the
saloon, holding on by my right hand to
shelf just above the level of my head.
AS McClosky spoke the similarity of my
position to that in which I had seen him
when / passed by the open door OF his
cabin flashed across me.
aided by a convenient roll of the
vessel I 1urched across the floor of the
saloon and pitched against his chair.
The impact was so sudden that the
watchflll Jim was too late to save his
master from rolling heavily to the floor.
We f1oundered about for some moments,
but at length Jim succeeded IN raising
McClosky, and / managed to struggle TO
my feet. The victim of my furch sank
back on his chair and nervously patted
the black silk sling into position.
:. Not damaged, / llopea ] said. cling
ing to the back of McClosky's chair for
support. No springs broken, | trust :!
The General opened his mouth and
gasped at me. What the-what the
devils-he spluttered.
You dropped these. / said, STOPPING
down and picking three aces from the
floor OF the saloon fear the mechan-
1911 llsd lidfC a0NNf1 49, 49, -
to make up a full hand I added.
"By this time the others were on their
feet
9 Sit down. gentlemen / said; you
wouldn't strike one-aTned mani Be-
Sides continued. I think s'the Cen
erals realizes the game is up We will
allow him few moments to recover
from his emotion, and then, if he VIII
nardon me the yiitgarifv we will
give him the choice of untying his sling
or paying up. Well, I said after a
short pause, which IS it to be, General
stump, or stump up
He paid. | suppose said MIR.
Blinkoe, breaking in on the Majors mar
ratiye, to which we had listened with
close attention.
The Major nodded. Naturally. he,
paid"
apparatus / mean
1--WE tiidnt trouble him to explain
said tie Major / take il the cards were