The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-12-06
DOING A
COUNTRYMAN
By HARRY B. LARNED
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation, 1911.

countryman during the morning stroll
ed into the billiard room where the
game was to be played the same night
and stood looking at a couple of men
engaged in a friendly game,
He was dressed In a rusty suit Of
store clothes and wore plug hat with
much of the nap worn Off, his attire
giving him the appearance of a hay
seed who had come to town to splurge,
but did not know how.
Now, these men were both billiard
sharps, and taking advantage Of the
excitement attending the match game,
had come to the city to pick up a dis
honest penny. The countryman had no
sooner entered than by signs to each
other they arranged to get him in for
game and fleece him. Having finished
q game, one Of them put his cue In
the rack, while the other, after knock
ing the balls about for awhile, said to
the farmer:
"Neighbor, do you play billiardsf'
"Not much I've played pool some
times in our town"
"Come on; let's have a game. I'll
give you points"
The countryman assented, while the
man who had stopped playing took a
seat 10 look on The sharper agreed to
start by giving the eountryman thirty
points in a hundred. The latter played
better than was to have been expected
and beat his opponent by ten points.
He was putting up his cue when the
sharper said he would bet him $40 he
couldn't beat him again with the same
odds The countryman produced the
money and the confederate offered to
be stakeholder, but another man had
sauntered in and stood looking on, and
the countryman handed his $40 to him.
In this game the sharper endeayored
10 let the countryman beat him, but
the latter played so poorly that this
was impossible. He seemed very an
gry with himself for not doing better,
declaring that he had never played
such "dod rotted" game in his life
Taking roll Of bills from his pocket,
he offered to bet the sharper that he
could beat him at no better odds, the
best three games out of five. The
offer was accepted, and the country
man. taking $40 from the roll, put the
rest back into his pocket, whereupon
the sharper, looking wistfully at his
dupe's pile, offered to bet him four to
one for any amount he liked The
countryman counted out $500, and the
sharper, delighted, covered the amount
with 1920 more. The size Of the bet
attracted attention, and quite num-
Der of persons gathered around. The
proprietor came up and, having been
taught by experience the outcome Of
such games. started to warn the coun-
tryrhan, but the confederate headed
him off and took him away.
The first game of the set the coun
tryman did better than before, and
the sharper let him win by a few
points. He appeared to be much ex-
hilarated by this success and, taking
out another roll of bills, offered to
double the bet. The sharper made a
loan OF his confederate and put it up.
The second game was won easily by
the sharper, who had no further in
terest in playing badly. This stagger-
ed the countryman, who refused to
raise the bet any further The games
were hundred points each, and the
countryman had first shot. The mo-
ment he led off there was a marked
change In his playing. He handled
his cue gracefully and instead of saw
ing 1t and then plunging. as he had
done up to this time, shot lightly,
came around the table on four cush
ions and counted.
The next shot was long draw,
which he made beautifully. On the
third he got the balls together and
nursed them till he had run fifty
points. then, disdaining to do so any
longer. scattered them and made
twenty-five points more in round table
shots. But on the twenty-f1fth count
he pulled the balls together again and
ran twenty points, when he purposely
knocked them apart and, by curve
shots, won the game. His opponent
had not had an opportunity to use his
cue.
For awhile 1t looked as though there
would be trouble, the sharper assert |
ing that he had been swindled. But
those standing about, seeing he had
been beaten at his own game. took the |
countryman's part. The proprietor |
was called and said to the loser:
Il know you and your pal to be
confidence men. Either submit to your
loss or will call the police, who will |
doubtless recognize you and take care
of you"
There was nothing for the man to
federate soGn after skunk away. The
countryman departed. saying that he
was going to take his winnings as a |
gift to charitable institution. He |
had scarcely gone before one Of the
men, who had witnessed the games, |
told the others that he had recognized |
him for one who, few years before,
had held the billiard championship,
but who had relinquished it to go into
a regular business. He was still In
terested in the game and often attend
ed championship matches. When do
Ing so. if he could find a sharper who
was interested in "doing" a country