The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-11


It CHANGED that Big George and
Shorty both had good hands and they
both came in. whereupon the dealer
threw in three red chips. making a
raise of 81
This was too strong for the ante
man, who had nothing TO draw to. so
he dropped his hand. That brought It
TO Handy again, and he showed q blue
forward without a word.
SO small raise as he had made was
enough for Big George. who threw his
cards on the table. Shorty. however.
came in, seeing the double raise after
some study, and Hump John made il
$40 more.
Then Handy studied. Evidently Hump
John was strong, and it was all IN
the draw for a four flush. Moreover,
Shorty. having played as far as he
had, would probably see the $40 adj
ditional whereas a double raise might
easily scare him out.
The best play seemed to be to make
good and wait for the draw. and, ac-
cOrdingly that was what he did. shorty
swOre under his breath His kings
did not look as large as they had at
first, but he put.up his~ten and closed
the pot.
- Handy let his one card which he drew
lie face down on the table and threw
card and left that lie unlocked at,
throwing IN a white chip also.
Thereupon Hump John, who had TAX
en- two cards, looked carefully at them
and threw in a white chip and a stack
of blues. 1t looked as if he were bluff
fing, or had hade full house or had
possibly caught his fourth to three of
a kind
Anyhow, it was enough to make
HE a y hat his
found was the ace of hearts, and he
knew that his ace flush was worthless
unless Hump John was really bluff
ing.
The size of the bet, though-S2O0. in
pot that held only a little over $50
looked much like a bluff. and he. final
ly called. 1t would have been poor
poker TO raise again.
Shorty laid down and Hump John
showed his hand. 1t was a seven
full. Evidently he had drawn a pair
of trays.
your luck holds" said Handy, going
a little white around the mouth.
yes, it holds said Hump John,
iercely. Don't you like it?"
"Oh, 1 like it. most amazing" said
Handy, with sheer. 81 don't see any
: reason why you shouldn't like it, too,
while 1T lasts
well, do said Hump John. and
I'm going to back it as long as it
does. You can make up your mind to
that"
Fool if you didn't" growled Big
| George, and Fat Brown took the deck.
1t was evident that trouble was inn
minent. That deal and the next three
were uneventful- A jackpot was made
| and sweetened twice before the cards
came to Shorty. Then Handy took in
the money on a pair of aces with no
| stayers. and the deck passed to Hump
John again.
Again there were some good cards
dealt out. Fat Brown had made the
usual ante and they all came in up
to the dealer, and he raised it as he
had before. Again they all came in,
so that there was $50 in the pot before
| the draw.
It was evident that all four of the
| other players were watching Hump
John narrowly. but if he felt any per-
| turbation he did not betray it. CoOlly
and steadily as if he had been drink
J ing a glass of water he slipped off the
| cards as they were called for, giving
| himself two, as he had done on his pre-
ViOus deal.
1t was Handy's bet again, and he
threw in a blue chip-plainly an invi-
tation for q raise, since he would have
/ played a white if he had been doubt
/ full, and much more than so if ne had
/ wanted to drive the others out. He had
| taken only one card, however, and the
| others were afraid to raise except
| Hump John. He looked carefully al
! his two and raised it a stack.
1t was enough for Brown and he sur
/ rendered. Handy, however, went back
at him with two stacks. At that the
/ others laid down and Hump John bet
! two stacks more.
Handy counted the money in front Of
! him and found enough to see HUMP
| Johns raise, with about 500 more. Put
/ ting it all in the pot. he said:
I'm sorry 1 didn't declare another
! thousand in"
80 am l." said Hump John. quietly.
as he covered the bet and showed down
| four jacks.
1t was the winning hand for Handy
had been betting on a king full, but
while Hump John was pulling in the
pot a knife flashed through the air,
grazing his wrist so shat the blood
| spurted, piercing through the unused
| portion Of the deck and penetrating the
heavy table to the depth Of fully two
! inches.
Johns lips Shorty spoke UP coOlly:
Il wasn't after your hand. John II
I had been, I'd have struck harder.
What wanted was to make sure that
| deck wouldn't get away before We had
a chance to count it."
But Hump John was furious. II
Shorty and Fat Brown had not been as
quick as he was, the gun he drew
would have carried death to at least
one Of the party.
The two men seized him by the
| wrists, one on either side Of him, and
Big George reached over almost as
quick as they and twisted the revolver
from his hand. Then began a struggle
such as none OF the four had ever seen
before.
The pale. slender-looking humpback
seemed to have the strength Of half a
dozen men. Writing. twisting. SMART
ing, kicking and trying to bite his ad-
! versaries, he pulled and threw them al
over the room
The odds Of four 10 one was toe
heavy for him, and as the two who had
him by the wrists held on tenaciously
he couldn't use his hands. il was not
long before they had overcome him and
bound him with strips of his own coat
Then they looked at Shorty.
What docs il mean?' asked Fat
Brown as soon as he could catch his
| breath.
well, I amt sure" said Shorty
"but it struck me it would be a good
idea to look in the deck for some more
jacks. This man is a little too handy
about drawing 10 a three Of kind"
A hasty examination showed no extra
Jacks, but a count of the cards proved
that there We're fifty-four in the deck
which to the jury who were sitting wa
proof enough to convict.
| rrf-et tbex- divided tho money that