Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-04-26
DAILY STORY.
AN UNPRoFiTAeLE GAME.
fOriginal.l

MISSISSIPPI. Inc SIedulDOut Iouhuco ii
and tied up beside woodpile, the
clerk danced over the gangplank with
Il measuring rod and, jumping nimbiy
On the pile, proceeded 10 satisfy him.
self of the number of cords. Then the
deck hands thronged and began carry
ing the fuel aboard the boat.
Meanwhile a cOuntryman, with
green umbrella under his arm and Il
| carpetbag in one hand went aboard
and was standing before the captains
| office when the clerk came and threw
up the office window. Several gam
blers who had been sitting on the
guards came in to take another look at
| the greenhorn with view TO deter
| mining if he had enough money about
him to warrant an onslaught i'll the
shape of small game.
How much to Natchez?" asked the
countrymar.
Ten dollars"
''All right. Give me the key"
with stateroOm il is twelve"
Twelve? By cracky. Charge extry
| 70 room: Got good lock on it: Waal.
| reckon I'll hey TO pay. Can't set up
all night Besides, / couldn't keep
the banks i'll NatcheZ? Sold my farm
yesterday. Want a safe place TO keep
| the dollars"
Meanwhile he had paid his fare. TAX
en- his key and, turning around, looked
somewhat astonished to see that he
was the center of attraction.
Want bank to open an account in
in NatcheZ:" asked one of the gam
, blers.
No
Il thought l heard you say you did"
Il want bank to take keer o my
money till L want it
"Oh. that's it: Well. the president
of the strongest bank in the Xatchez is
aboard. I'll Introduce you TO him."
The gambler beckoned to a gentle
manly looking person reading a news
paper. who came up. was introduced
and offered to take charge of the coun-
1ryman'S funds when they reached
NatcheZ. This led 10 a pleasant con
TerSatiOn. but it Jagged at last. and i'll
order TO Kill time game of cards was
proposed. The bank president said he
must he counted out unless the game
was simply for fun" but they finally
induced him TO play euche-the only
game the countryman knew-for
quarter Il corner.
OF course they soon tired of this and
proposed game with more excite
ment i'll il. Poker seemed to be the
favorite. but the countryman didn't
know poker. They offered To explain
it TO him and played three or four
hands to show him the game. Then
they started in for ten cent ante with
Il fifty cent limit. or course the cOun-
tryman won and became very hilarious.
Gel daru my stockin's.' he eXclaim-
ed. 'Who'dta' thought L could N licked
you fellers at game l didn't know
nothin' about: Pair o jacks this time.
What. Don't jacks beat queens? !
forgot that. Deal 'em ag'in."
The limit had been raised. and he
had won 500 when the tables were
cleared for supper He carried his
winnings away to his stateroom III
triumph. hardly able 10 wait till sup
per was over to recommence the game.
Reckon I'll hev a heap mo- TO You
bank he said to the president. when
| git To NatcheZ. What game poker
is, by gum:
1t had been arranged to commence
operations on the other side after sup
per- and the gamblers. instead of let
ting the greenhoru win. slowly drew
back 500 of what they had lost.
Whereupon the'eager expression OnNhe
losers face vanished. and he reckoned
he wouldn't play any more. He said
he had calculatedi on adding $1,000 to
the money he hadifor the bank. but he
didn't intend to. LOSE what he'd made.
lone more hand said one of the
gamblers. and. the cOuntryman con
senting. they let him win jack pot
with $50 in it, This changed his mind
about stopping. and they passed the
word to let him win within $50 of his
$1,000. This kept him interested. and
when the next hand ,after he had won
the sum they had agreed Oh came
round they got up a jack pot with S2.1Oo
in it. The countryman bet 5000 more
The bank president raised him $1,000.
That set him wild. and. going to his
stateroom, he brought forth his carpet
bag took out a package of crisp bills
TO the amount of $1,000 and slapped it
on the table. The others came in,
making in all. about $4,000 in the pot.
The first man, TO show down had full
of tens. the second four kings and an
ace while, wonderful re- relate, the
countryman showed fourN aces and a
king.
You rascal" Numbered the bank
president.
What d'y' mean?" replied uhe coun-
tryman, drawing bowie knife from
the back of his neck.
There are only four aces ,and four
kings in any pack of cards.
Il don't know nothin' about keerds."
replied the countryman. They may
be six aces TO all l know
One of the gamblers attempted ITO
seize the pot. but the countrymaO
brought the point of his knife down |
within Il hairbreadth of his fingers. |
The gamblers. seeing their game was |
M nronoesed f1laf each man take hack |