The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-06-29

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interest me any further than to con-
firm my thought that there would be
some fun if Dunning should succeed
in getting seat.
But he didn't get one. There was
action enough in the game after that,
but though nearly everybody at the
table was forced to buy, so that there
was over $4,000 in sight before the
game broke up and I for one was
anxiously looking for some one to get
cold feet and give me show at the
pile, nobody quit.
"Wiley's luck held. He played a
steady and it seemed to me conser-
vative game, considering that he was
| in luck, for he passed over several
bets that I would have covered and
which I believe he would have won,
but he showed nerve enough when
he thought he had the right cards,
and won not very rapidly but stead
| lily.
"It looked like pure luck too, for
there wasn't man in the game who
did not play as well as he, and as
said, there wasn't man there who
believed that anybody could play
crooked without being detected in
that game or that anybody would
dare try it in Bonfeld's place with
him in the game.
'"Then the lightning struck, and as
it happened I saw exactly what was
done.
"Wiley was dealing and stayed in
after raise from Allen, and then on
the second round of bets before the
draw stood another raise by Hopper
so that there was nearly $50 in the
pot before the draw.
''He had picked up the deck and
served all hands but himself, when
Dunning butted in. | can't say I was
greatly surprised at his doing it, for
I had noticed that his face had grown
darker and darker as Wiley kept
winning, and he looked as if he was
ready to explode, but the trick he
played was certainly a new one
new to me, that is-and it sure was
clever.
"Wiley said he would take two
cards, but before he could separate
them from the deck Dunning leaned
over from behind and passing his
right arm around Wiley's neck,
caught him in a garotte hold. I
haven't seen anything like it for forty
years, but it was favorite trick with,
the strong arm men when was kid.
''If hadn't been looking at him at
the very instant wouldn't have seen
him pick up card from the table as
he threw his right hand forward, for
his movement was quicker than
lightning, but did see it, and 1 un-
derstood it a moment later.
"As he seized Wiley with his right
arm he passed his own left hand
around and caught Wiley's right
wrist. Then he stood, holding his
man as if in wise, and said coolly,
Somebody better count the cards in
that deck"
"Of course Wiley was struggling
like wildcat but he couldn't loosen
his right hand caught as it was, and
though he dropped the deck and tore
at Dunning's strangle hold with his
left he was powerless.
@'The others were astonished, of
course, but Bonfield counted the cards
and found fifty-one only. Then Dun
ming loosened his hold with another
lightning-like movement and pulled
an ace out of Wiley's left sleeve. At
least it looked as if he did, and he
threw the ace on the table. 1t was
the missing card.
"Wiley staggered to his feet and
would have sprung at Dunning but
some of the others seized him and
Bonfetd said, "That's ugly, I discard
ed that ace myself"
"Well, as I said, it was new one
on me and I wouldn't have believed
that Dunning or anybody else could
do it if hadn't seen the whole thing
myself, but he played it perfectly, and
though Wiley raved like a madman
Bonfield had him thrown out of the
house. I was greatly disappointed
when the game broke up, as it did
Immediately, but they played no
more"
Didn't you tell what you had
SEEM" asked the painfully young fel-
low, and the red haired man looked
at him curiously.
II wasn't in the game," he said
presently, with a. shrug of his shoul-