The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-10-13

you've called it right twice. I'll bet you
cool hundred that you can't call it tn third
time. It's tn quickness of my hands agin
yo're eyes-an' you can't beat me three
straight Make it hundred? hate to
play all day."
"I'll lay you my winnin's an have some
more of yo're money" replied the puncher,
feverishly. "Ain't scared, are your"
Don't know what it means to be
scared" laughed the other. "But | amt
got no small change, nothin but tens. Play
a hundred an let's have some real excite
ment'
Nope; eight or nothin'."
He won again. "Now, sixteen even.
Come on; I've got you beat"
But what's TIL use of stringin' long like
that?" demanded the shell-man.
Gimme chance to get my hand in,
won't your" retorted the puncher.
"Well, all right" replied the gambler,
and he lost the sixteen.
Now thirty" suggested the puncher.
Next time all I've got, every red cent.
Once more to practice-then every red, he
repeated, shifting his feet nervously. "I'll
clean you out an have real, genuine blow
out on yo're money. Come on, I'm in
hurry"
"I'll fool you this time, by tn Lord!"
swore the gambler, angrily. "You've got
more luck than sense. An I'll fool you
next time, too. Yo're quicker'n most men
I've run up agin, but can beat you, shore as
shootin'. TIL games square, tn play fair
my hand agin yo're eye. Ready Then
watch mel"
He swore luridly and showed the money
across the board to the winner, bewailing
his slowness and getting angrier every mo-
ment. "Yo're tn cussedest man ever bet
agin! But I'll get you this time. You can't
guess right all tn time, an know it"
"There she is; sixty-two bucks, three
score an two simoleons; all I've got, every
cent. Let's.see you take it away from mel"
The gambler frowned and choked back
curse. He had risked sixty dollars to win
two, and the fact that he had to let this fool
play again with the fire hurt his pride. He
had no fear for his money-he knew he
could win at every throw-but to play that
long for two dollars And suppose the
sucker had quit with the sixty!
"Do you get dollar month";" he de-
manded, sarcastically. "Well, reckon you
earn it, at that Thought you had money,
thought you drew down two months pay
an hain't had nothin' more'n two drinks7
Did you go an lose it on tn way2"
"Oh, / drew it month ago" replied the
sucker, surprised. GIVE only had two
drinks in this town, which I hit bout an
hour ago. But shore lost wad playin'
faro-bank agin a tow-head. Come on
femme take sixty more of yo're money, any
how"
"Sixty-tVoi" snapped the proprietor, de-
tern1ined to have those two miserable dol
lars and break the sucker for revenge.
Every cent, you remember"
"AH right; don't care! amt no tin
horn" grumbled the other. "Think / care.
bout two dollars?" But he appeared to be-
very nervous, nevertheless.
"Well, put it on tn table"
"After you put yourn down. +"
There it is. Now watch me close!' A
CLEAN of JOY flashed up in the angry mans
eyes as he played with the shells. Watch
me closet Mebby it is, an mebby it amt
tn games square, tn plays fair. It's my
hand agin yo're eye. Watch me close"
"Oh, go ahead! I'm watchin', all right.
Think I'd go to sleep now!"
The shifting hands stopped, the shells lay
quiet, and the gambler gazed blankly down
the unsympathetic barrel of Colt.
"Now, Thomas, old thimble-rigger, J"
crisply remarked the supposed sucker as he
cautiously slid the money off the table, to be
picked up later when conditions would be
more favorable. 9Th little pea amt under
no shell. STOP! Step back one pace an
elevate them paws. Don't make no more
funny motions with that hand, savvy? But
you can drop tn pea if it hurts them two
fingers. Now Wen see if I win; I allus like
to be shore" and he cautiously turned over
the shells, revealing nothing but the dirty
green cloth. 81 win; it amt there"
"Who are you, an how'd you know my
manner" demanded the gambler, mentally
cursing his two missing cappers. They
were drinking once too often and things
were going to happen in their vicinity, and
very soon.
"Why, you took twenty-five dollars from
me up in Alameda onct, when l couldn't
afford to lose it, grinned the puncher. "I
was something of kid then. I remember
you, all right. My foreman told me about
yore bang-up fight agin tn Johnson broth
ers, who gave you that scar. / thought then
that you were great man-now know you
amt. wouldn't "a played at all if hadn' t
knowed how crooked you was. Take yo're
layout an yo're crookedness, find tn pea an
yo're cappers, an clear out An if anybody
asks you if you've seen Hopalong Cassidy
r II -