The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-01-17

VI tIdllhs GDlltt-Ufl way -ttOAe AAA-'-
caused the card sharks who were max
ing the voyage TO gaze at him with pos
tive wolfishness Three or four Of tnein
did essay to buzz him to the sltting-ib
point. but Colonel WattersOn produced
his best article of glare and scared them
off Mr. Watterson's friend gazed al
him reproachfully when he took these
protective steps. but the editor had MS
sense of duty to answer to and he dia'i I
mind.
But. for all of his wisdom, Mr.. Wa
terson himself was fooled by couple
of the poker fanciers on the third day
out. A couple of substantial seeming
young chaps. very respectful IN their
manner of address, engaged Mr.. Wat
tersOn in conversation at dinner that
day. They We're youngish, ciipperish-
looking fellows of thirty-five or So one
Of them said that ne was real estate
man of Tennessee, and he ratified on a
lot of names that were familiar TO
Colonel Watterson. Amiable fellow lac
appeared to be. The other one said he
was engaged in the shipping trade IN
Seattle, and he had pleasant ways about
him. too.
SO, after dinner. observing that his
Kentucky companion was still gianclns
eagerly into the card room every time
they passed il on their pOst-prandial
H.
tently said to him:
Major. / don't want to subject you
to any deprivations of any sort on this,
your first ocean trip. but if you must
and will frivol around with cards, why
don't you at least exhibit enough per
ception to pick out as fellow players a
couple Of nanifestly square men like
those two young gentlemen we were
talking with at dinner"
flaa
words out of his mouth before his COM
panion released himself from the ed
itor's clutch and started aft at lope-
Il wonder where / can find en-
he inquired. pantingly. Colonel Wat
terson following along after him. ana
presently they came upon the two
agreea ble-seeming chaps leaning over
the after rail Colonel Watterson'
friend without any preliminary beat
ing about the bush, suggested a little
game of 10 limit TO them. Both SAID
that they were a bit rusty at the game,
but they were willing, just TO glide
away the time.
And so they began the four-handed
seanee. playing with stripped deck
everything out of the pack down 10 tie
sixes-so as to save all Of the dealing
that an all-jackpot game involves III Il
fOur-handed sitting when all of the
cards are used. This stripped game is
pretty hot. seeing that at that game
threes are Just trivial straight merely
foolish and a small fun only fair 70
middling: it certainly is full Of action.
Mr.. Watterson's friend was the hap
piest human being on board the ship
when the game began. and when he
went right out in front from the tap
of the drum. as it were. hoeing in lie
money in stacks. he positively ShOne
with joy He. continued to enjoy him
self just as much when the tide turned
against him. for he certain is warm
man for draw.
1T wasn't until the game was three
or four Of the afternoon hours old that
Colonel Wstterson caught the man who
pretended to be a Tennessee real es-
tate broker AT an adroit bit of tuggle
cheating. He was sitting at the right
of his companion. and It was gradually
borne in upon Colonel Watterson that
when the alleged Tennesseean dealt the
cards he was dishing to his mate, who
on his part picked the cards up one 10y
one as they were dealt-sn oTnery pra5-
tice even for a square player-so thHt
the man dealing them could get The
right kind of peek.
You see, it's pretty easy Tor crook
ed one to fill his con Ae1efate's hand
when a stripped deck IS being used if
the dealer possesses the mechanical
sleight-of-hand to get away with it af-
ter he sees what his side partner had in
his fist. The confederate who was aC-
cidentaliy on purpose showing his cords
to the alleged Tennessean kept I'D a
great line of conversation. directed
mainly at Colonel Watterson and his
friend while the play Mr.. Watterson
was watching for came off; but it
didn't serve.
HE discarded one card. and the deal
er. In discarding. made a lightning-Eke
flick of a card from his own hand onto
the top of the main pack This was
the card to fill his mates flush. and.
with a stripped deck. a flush beats
full house Colonel Watterson didn't
say a word but he gave his friend a
warningful nudge under the table
But the friend was so immersed with
his ace full that he wholly ignored the
nudge and went right ahead betting his
head off on what looked to be the SPLEEN
did papers I'm his hand. Then Colonel
WatteTson had to give kick under The
table that meant something. whereupon
the Kentucky friend. gazing upon The
editor with mute reproach called fiis
man The latter's flush. of course. took
the big stack of chips in the center Of
the table, and just then all hands in the
card room got up to go to the evening
meal. and Colonel Watterson and his
friend followed suit. The two crooks
went ahead. and then Colonel Waiter
son pinned his friend to the rail
It's my fault major he said to
him. I am responsible. 7 am per-
fectIy willing that you should blame
me. But. of course. we play no more
with those two fellows. They're thieves
] caught them red-handed in that last
deaI!
AT first the coloneTs friend looked
astonished, but as he heard the details
he began to look glum-
And so Mr. Watterson concluded.
your poker playing on this voyage is at
an end
Mr. Watterson's friend sazed in
disappointed. mournful sort Of way at
the heaving sea and then, turning
pleading cOuntenance to the editor, h
'KunneI don't yo' all break IT up.
for Gawd's sakel Why. man, there amt
broke out:
airy other game that we can get into
within thousand miles q heah. subj"
BREAKING 1T GENTLY.