The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-08-17
i round 10 him and said:

but as a condition and bet that just
forces me to put down $64 and it will
cost you S32 more if YOU wish to stay.
SAould You win, You win it all.
He looked at me. red in the face.
and started to perspire. By George, |
ain I got that much with mt. Will You
wait ten minutes while | 90 down
town to get it,
Il said: oh. no. nei@hbor: the
only percentage l have is to freeze
man ont; I m telling You this square
lv. Had you enough in your pocket to
stay you are bound to beat me-
Just then my booster speaks up
and says, Say, mister, can | take his
chance?'
"Oh. no. I reply; don't try to
cheat the devil himself, which brings
a laugh.
"Then my booster whispers to the
bube, Shorty. he's trying to bluff
vou.' Of course Shorty gets sore and
rips ont. BY hell. YOU We simply got
to wait ten minutes while [ 60 down
and
:: Against the rules. neighbor. l
cut in. but rather than have fuss
or a scene I will. as a special favor
to Won. wait ten minutes; but remen1-
ber if YOU are not back in ten minutes
vou must certainly lose Your interest
in this pot.
"Shorty hollered to a friend who
had rig tied there, jumped into the
rig and I never expected to see him
again.
"Imagine my surprise when, ex-
actlv nine minutes later, he came
rushing up with thirty-two silver dol
lars. I grabbed him by the hand and
in order to make very great show
of souareness said: Here, neighbor,
YOU turn the spindle yourself this
time!'
HE gave the spindle vicious
zip-p-. and I could tell by his looks
that his heart was in his neck. He
made all kinds Of facial contortlons
and his eyes stuck out a foot. The
spindle crept forward slowly and It
looked as though il would stop Oh
five boxes, just missed five, slipped
over two, under one-and stopped on
DU.
"For thirty seconds Shorty could
not speak. Then he blurted ''t,
well. how much does it cost ne this
time?'
" DO you mean,' I said, TO double
up? It costs you, Of course, just F64
this time, but remember you sha'! re-
tain your interest in the bet. 1t f3tces
me, neighbor to put down $l20. Ut
course should she stop on the l, >, ),
/. ) YOU win the amount proportlor-
ately.'
" by CAD, I've not got that much
with me- he replied.
''In the mantime I had the booster
playing along with aim and lot OF
outsiders we're also playing small
bets and edging him on. He reluctant
". decided to drop out, and, Of course
nv booster covered his interest-and
promptly won the big pot. When with
great clatter Of silver | handed the
booster over the money | thought
Shorty would drop dead in his tracks.
HE decided to start all over again
and asked. "Well. what will it cost
me now?' And he began again at
two bits and little BY little he raised
it to $l2 and then dropped ont,
skinned as clean as whistle.
"After I got that Shorty went
around and made it so hot with my
boosters that I decided to close the
house for the day. We got rig and
started for Springville, town on the
main line Of the Denver and Rlo
Grande.
"We were just in time to get a
train for point down the line, and
as the train pulled out I stood ON the
back platform and saw Shorty COM
ing down the road in a rig, with three
or four tough looking friends and
deputy sheriff. I waved my hand and
smiled. -
And now the talk drifted to various
forms Of "fiat joints' and the man
with thslilac gloves and the nobby
San Francisco clothes going home to
friends in Chicago who may or may
not know his trade-grew deeply IN
tereSted in his craft and discussed
with expert information many Of its