The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-08-07

, and he made hts way 10 the upper deck.
a large number of watermeIons helped
to make up the cargo on board and
shortly after Riggs reached the deck
he was Joined by the two gamblers.
who suggested that IL would be q good
thing TO enjoy the novelty of eating a
melon on deck before supper. A waiter
was called, a table provided. and the
melon cut and eaten, Riggs absent
mindedIy laying his fork on q vacant
chair beside him. The boat was barely
moving upstream, and there was
scarcely air enough stirring to disturb
a thistle that was waited from the
shore to the vessel A suggestion was
made That a little game be played
where the men sat. There was no OBJ
lection, and the cards were sent for II
is needless to recount the varied success
met with by any of the players, but the
time had come for the gamblers to Sc
cure their booty or miss il altogether.
One of Riggs opponents had the deal,
and when Riggs glanced at his cards
he saw three kings.
There was spirited betting before
the draw between Riggs and the man
who did not deal, and when Riggs took
two cards, the full value OF his hand.
the gambler took the same number, and
bet 800. Riggs glanced at his cards
and found he had drawn another king
and an ace. The dealer had made a
mistake. The king fell where II was
inlCilAGGs Oul tue ace SI1OuiQ nave gone
to his partner. The two conspirators
discovered the error at once. Riggs
saw the 800 bet and said he would
raise it $780, Just then Hamilton
strolled by. glanced at the players. I'M
seen by Riggs, and passed to the rear of
the boat to watch the barely moving
wheel as the pilot felt his way over
the shadows. Riggs laid down his
cards and reached his left hand into his
inside coat pocket, holding the lapel
eli 49,
better enable him to select the pocket
he WAS seeking-the book containing
the money belonging to his firm. Re
quiring a little more room he shifted
his chair slightly from the table and
partly sidewise. AS he did so. the
gambler who was In the pot tried to
steal a card from Riggs hand and sub
stitute another. What transpired in
the next two seconds must have been
by reflex action, as Riggs afterward
said, as he did not have time to think.
With his right hand he clutched the
fork laying on the unoccupied chair.
bringing ii down with such suddenness
that it caught the large finger of the
gamblers right hand, mailing him
down to the table Riggs left hand,
which had grasped the pocketbook in
his pocket was hurriedly withdrawn,
but the book came with 1t, and with
the flourish consequent upon the haste
with which he moved. the book was
nung over the SIDE OF the BOAT
With the scream from the wounded
gambler and the cry from Riggs, Ham
fiton turned just in time to see the
pocketbook as it disappeared overheard.
With one leap Hamilton was after It.
The book was almost Immediately car
ried to the stern OF the boat and was
rapidly filling with water. Hamilton
struck out for IL. The boat was moving
so slowly and the disturbance of the
water caused by the stern wheeler was
so slight that the book could be seen
as IL rode the waves. Just as Hamilton
reached the object OF his swim the boat
was stopped and allowed to drift back
with the current to pick up Hamilton
las to the renewal of their former
friendship, little need be said. That can
go without comment. But Hamilton
married Miss Elizabeth Riggs the fol-
lowing spring, a ceremony which gave
her brother the keenest pleasure, and
one Of the wedding presents from Ham
ilton, who had retained the object of
his leap overheard after drying the
money end restoring IL TO Riggs, was
a stained pocketbook in handsome
gold frame. and although over q quar-
ter of a century has passed, and they
are prosperous men nearing their if
ties, every time the anniversary OF that
memorable day arrives, Riggs gives his
brother-in-law and his wife a dinner
in his bachelor hotel Brooklyn Eagle.