The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-18
GREATEST BLUFF.
Chicago News.)

The worst buffer ! ever ran across
was out west" related the soap sales
man. Il was promulgating the House
, hold Magician. family and toilet.
through New Mexico. and don't mind
saying that I seemed to be supplying
long felt want-in places. that is.
1T was my first trip out and had
| made up my mind as far as possible
/ 20 conform 10 the customs of the coun-
| try, so when / got of at Albuquerque
! and found game known az poker
running wide open in one of the hO-
tells there l didn't try 10 manifest any
disapproval although the game was
played with cards. / sat in.
Il played with varying fortunes for
over an hour, by which time / was
perhaps $40 ahead Of the game. a fact
| attribute largely to the circumstances
OF my eyes being open and my hand
pretty closely shut. Not that I had
any suspicious Of the men I was play
ing with. My vis-a-vis was a big man
with hooked nose, a long mustsche.
gruf voice and a devil-may-care
expression. He was decorated with
one large gun, which protruded from
his hip pocket in a manner that seemed
10 indicate that IL the CONTINGENCY
arose IL woeid be added 10 the FIVE
cards 10 make an otherwise weak hand
win.
TT doesn't make any difference about
their looks. though. You want me 10
get 10 the point. Therefore | viii say
that by and by there strolled into the
room young tow4headed Englishman,
whose acquaintance had made on the
train. can't say j had got chummy
with him because he seemed somewhat
reserved and low-temperatured but
ne admitted he was seeing the country
Just for beans. and his outfit seemed
to corroborate the statement. He had
his man with him. doncherknow No
doubt about his respectability. 1 soon
quit him. We were scarcely what you
might call cOngenial
We'll, he came in and stood ana
watched the game with something that
almost amounted TO interest Just
about that time / got a pair Of kings
in the deal. MY long-mustaehed friend
with the hooked nose was distributing
the pasteboarois. When he looked at
his own hand I noticed a CLEAN OF
JOY in his eye. but naturally I didn't
allow any CLEANS to influence me
discarded and drew three-another king
and pair of mines The Chink took
three cards, too, the gFeaser one. and
HooknOse, with little ostent2tion
played the role OF the original 'stg0d-
patter'
We'll the greaser bet five chips.
was tempted to raise him: but
thought il might he as well TO wait
and see if Hooknose- raised the bet,ten.
The greaseT came up to the scratch
and then I-we'l il doesn't matter
about all that The greaser weakened
ilrst and dropped out and then the
Chink threw down his hand. The rails
es had been small up 10 then. but now
HOoknose came at me fierce. and j be-
gan 10 peFspire freely.
1T had once occurred to me that I
had a cinch with that bunch Of kings.
but felt doubtful about the aces now
Still | rallied I had the bulk OF the
chips and Hooknose was down 10 his
last little stack. ! hesitated frac-
ton of a section and then dumped my
entire pile intp the pot. IT was my lit,
tie ali. Could he cover IL?
Il saw that he couldn't and. I was
waiting for him TO invite me to take
the pot when he turned to the Eng
lishman. who was behind him. and dis
played his cards cOvertly. 'Pardner.'
he said, would you lend me fifty with
that hand ss securitv?'
The Englishman looked az the hand
and smiled. With pleasure he SAYS,
and went down for his wad and count
ed out five tens. Hooknose pushed
enough TO cover my raise over and
added the remainder Of his blue stack.
II made raise Of ten. I smiled pain
fully and said it was good. and Hook
nose promptly raked in the pot and
handed the Englishman back his fifty.
We went out together. the English
man and ]. Do you mind telling me
what that fellow heid?' I asked. sadly.
Not at ALL he answered. He had
the ace Of clubs, the kind of diamonds.
the queen Of clubs, the knave OF hearts
and the three OF clubs. Was il a good
hand? I don't understand the game,
You know