The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-07-14

Imended.
1t was not long a~fterward. however,
when ii seemed to the onlookers that
the same player made a slip.
1t happened On his own deal waen
there vas a Jackpot that had been
isweetened till there was $3.50 on the
table. Cooper opened for the size Of
the pot; Harvey laid down. Masters
and Scotty came in, and Dixon raised
lit five hundred dollars, making a total
at this point of 1850 in the pot
Egan had been studying his hand
carefully, and without a word he oun
led out his $3.50 20 qualify, and showed
that and a thousand dollar bill forward.
The opener lost interest and laid his
hand aside to justify his opening after
ward. The next two men also consid-
Eered $500 additional too much. That
brought it back to Dixon, who studied
a long time before making good on the
counter raise.
He did SO at last, however, and stood
pat, whereupon Egan helped himself
Ito one card. It set the gallery wonder
ling whether he had four of a kind or
-four parts of a straight flush. Either
hand would have been considered d jus
ttification of his play, though if he was
hoping to fill an incomplete hand, the
lplay was certainly a bold n against
IAN almost certainly as strong hand
MADE SURPRISING RAISE.
Dixon looked closely at his antaso-
mist for a full minute. Egan sat b
llutely motionless until Dixon threw a
white chip in the pot. Then he put in
a white chip and another thousand dol
liars.
Again Dixon paused for a long time,
land then he made a most surprising
play. Those who saw it said afterwar1
THAT it was probably the best test OF
lEgan's nerve that could have been de-
ivised.
He threw in the thousand to cover
lEgan's raise AMI then bet another
white chip. 1t was up to Egan to 10
lsome studying after that, n he pom
Idered for some minutes, though the
spectators we're unable to read his
thoughts in his face. At length he
threw down his hand and Dixon took
THE pot. Cooper showed the two aces
The had opened on, and, taking the other
ldeck, began his deal.
That made Egan the first heavy los
Ter, and the st. Paul contingent who had
contributed toward the stake with
(which he was playing looked uneasy
1.-The game was still young, however,,
land inside of ar hour the clever young
lIrishman had redeemed his reputation.
lie had called tc Pierre for a drink a
few minutes after his defeat by Dixon,
land the stiff hooker that he swallowed
had steadied his nerve.
Hour after hour the game Went on,
until soon after midnight Cooper lost
his pile, which had been seven or eight
Thousand. He had the misfortune to
Idraw a pair to Dls three sevens when
Ihe was up against a pat hand, and
when he paid all he had to look at the
Ipat hand he found o tens.
UNDER THE GUNS IN A JACKPOT.
The next to go was Harvey, and
iagain it was bad luck, not poor play.
HE had found a queen high flush In MS
hand when he sat under the guns i'll a
Jackpot, and ne had passed Tor 'he
lchance of raising. Masters, sitting next
lopened the pot a1d the next three
Icame in without raising.
1t was his opportunity, and he rals-
led $500. Masters came back at him
with another thousand, and the others
dropped.
Harvey studied a while and finally
Isaid:
This hand is really worth more
money. Suppose We make it five more
digging up his roll, he counted out i've
Thousand. 1t was the heaviest single
bet up to that point, and Masters mes
litated, but finally covered the bet. He
hooked glum, indeed. when Harvey
stood pat, but ha called for W o cards
land threw in a white chip before l1ok'
ling at them.
1t was only a question Of how mutii
Harvey would raise and he saw the So
lbet and raised it five thousand. Then
Masters picked up his two cards anu
lhis face frightened.
sit certainly seems to be my night:
he remarked as lie laid his roll in the
lcenter of the table without counting
lit.
How much is there?" demanded
Harvey.
Il don't know exactly" said Mas
tiers, "but it's something over S2O,CGD,
His indifference seemed a little too os-
ltentatious, and Harvey, looking close
llv at nim, decided that he was bluffi1lg.
81 haven't more than seven thousand
with me-" he said, "and it's all I'm put
Ting in this game. l call you for that.
land he showed down his flush, Tut
Masters had caught the fourth king IN
1.-THE draw.
ONLY TWO TO FIGHT 1T OUT.
lBy morning Masters had put Scotty out
Iof commission, and Egan had taken all
Iof Dixon's money, so that the two had
Ito settle between them the question OF
1.-THE comparative strength Of their COM
lmunities.
They were about equally divided rs
Ito means. for the combined strength
of the six had been roughly figured at
:S1OO, 900, and Egan had $4,000 velvet
In front of him.
! Curiously enough, it took only hall a
Idoxen hands to finish the game, though
lit had taken nearly fifteen hours TO
$1,000