The sun., 1908-05-10
RED "a OF 00RN FOR I'M.
Hard Lack Of the Gambler WhO Fell AmOnS
Thleyes-GOod Lack Dlsguised.

Got into a poker game once on one OF the
San Joaquin River boats running between
San Francisco and Stockton said man
who's now making an -on the limb book
at the tracks around here, 'and II took me
quite long time 10 got next that they were
breaking II on in me, I'd never seen any
Of the four before, but when they asked
me in for four bit limit game, why | said
to myself might as we'll drop my twenty
nine bones that way as any other.
Didn't have any chips. but one OF the
four-he said he followed the county fairs
with trotting horSes-had a couple Of great
big prize ears Of corn In bis bag that he'd
picked up at one Of the fairs, and % We
shuoked those ears and played with grains
Of corn. Big yaller grains they were.
Hard to handle, and found mine pretty
hard 10 keep.
Every time got hold Of anything they
had me topped, and at the end Of an hour or
20 was nursing Ave or six Of those yellow
grains, each representing two bits, like a
man up near the North Pole might nurse
the last few Of 4 box Of matches, And
Id tumbled TO II that one Of the bunch was
dealing from the bottom, ard Of course
that put me hep 10 II and that they were
all playing together.
well, when got down 10 my last i've or
six corn grains had an idea. I'd watched
em load the boat at Stockton that afternoon,
and I'd seen EN- hoist in a hundred or
90 bags Of corn. One Of the bags o. corn
had busted IN being hoisted in, and II
was yaller corn al right enough.
well, as say when got down to my
last few grains Of corn | had this idea. You
see couldn't walt till ] went positively
broke on the corn I'd bought from the
banker, that had the two ears, because l
didn't have any more money 10 buy a new
stack; and II I'd gone out leaving no corn
chips behind at all and had sat in again
with grains Of corn why Of course they'd
sure have got hep TO me az having oOpped
some corn somewhere,
so with those five or six beans yet re-
naming ! excused myself from the game
for q minute and went out, Went right
down 10 the deck where knew the corn
was.
DIT was pretty dark down there and no
body around. found the heaped up bags
Of corn all right and got out my pocket
knife and jabbed a hole In one Of the burlap
bags and pulled out an ear Of corn.
shucked the ear there in the darkness and
put about a hundred Of the grains In my
pocket They we're worth two bits apiece
TO me, and Il looked pretty soft
Then l hustled back and rejoined the
game. Didn't have any luck with the five
or six remaining yaller grains that I'd left
on the table. and 80 when IL came my ante
just reached furtively into my pocket and
showed in one Of the grains Of corn that I'd
oopped down below.
Il was hep 10 the mess | was in almost as
soon as I'd showed the grain Of corn 70 the
centre, but il was too late then. They'd !
all noticed il.
1T was q red grain Of corn.
They called my attention to it,
We're playing with yaller ears, you |
know. hombrey they all said 10 me.
Il told EN- | knew it, and / got right |
out Of the game. They'd have knitted me, !
Of course. II they'd been sure enough men,
but they were just skinners, and 30 pulled
any bother
but there's a million to one chance for
you and me losing out on it. There must
have been about q million ears Of corn in |
those bags down on that deck. and I'd |
blundered upon the only red ear in the hull 1
darned layout. | guess maybe JonAhdoo
wasn't trailing me around that time or
Got a punk dose out in Seattle once
said sheet writer. Il was on the pazazz
90 bad that time that the eats looked as
unreal as circus posters 10 me.
Il plugged and maced around, but live
ones were hard 70 spring, Finally, down
at the depot ! nailed guy I'd known back
here. He was just about 10 hop train
for New York when lApelled him. Told
him just nAchully had TO eat and that he
was II.
well, be was one of these jamwads that
figured maybe wanted the coin for rum
and 90 he said he d stake me 10 a meal ticket
There was little Chink eating dump across
the street from the station and he trldRed
over there and bought out a seven day meal
ticket, good for tWenty-one sitdowns.
That was the incest greed card, with
places marked for the restaurant cashiers
punch, that ever saw in my life. He slipped
me the green meal ticket and made his
getaway on the train, and started TO out
across the street 10 have the first punch
cut in that meal ticket. Never was 90
hungry in my life before or since and
was fighting myself, holding the ticket out
at arms length az crossed the street. ss TO
whether I'd begin on pork chops or ham and
eggs; ..-,,
ing over to the restaurant on which had
the green meal ticket, when q little flicker
OF wind sailed around the corner and
huttered the ticket out OF my hand. II
dropped on the stone tagging right 10
front Of the restaurant.
Il was hotiooting over TO pick II up
when a big Swede lumberjack. wearing
hob-nailed brogAns, dArted around the
corner. He had glazed grip in his hand,
and was hustling TO catch local for a
lumber camp
Il was just bending over TO grab my
green meal ticket, when down came the
heel Of one Of that Soandihoolihans hob
nailed shoes on my new unused meal ticket,
and with his hobnails he punched out each
and every one OF those meals Just as slick !
~ II the Job had been done with a we'll
oiled punch
Gee, that was a rum deal!" commented
one OF the listeners.
Like blazes II was, said the sheet writer,
j walked down the street cussin', but thu
minutes later that restaurant was blown
Up by Highbinders' dynamite. and II I'd
been in there, why
They decided that IL was the buy Of TIE
nan who'd d found the red ear OF corn.