Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-03-24

hundred collars he nHO ABOUT nun anu,
rising from the table, went ashore.
The gambler waited Il few moments,
so as not to excite a suspicion that he
was interested in the young man;
then. reckoning 10 the nOrtherner to
follow him, went ashore. Lemoyne
was sitting on a cotton bale. The
gambler approached him ard said:
Have you lost everything"
I've lost the cotton that went
aboa'd the steamer. l got an advance
on ii. and the money is all in that fat-
boat"
We'll, sub. I'll tell you what you
do. Here's hundred doIlas Go
down to the boat and start in again.
I'll take Il hand myself Are yO'
aimed. subj"
Yes"
They went down TO the boat. The
game being played was poker. Le-
moyne and the gambler took seats at
the table. while the northerper looked
on. He said he was no gambler, but
handed LemOyne some bills as a loan
with which to recoup his losses. Then
the gambler before taking up the first
hand dealt him said:
Gentlemen. this will be a fat
game Any deviation from strictly
Honorable play will result in my dis
pleasure"
The partners who owned the outfit
looked at each other. There was some
thing in the gamblers words they did
not like. Result in my displeasu'e'
meant a great deaf. For awhile the
game was played fairly, but at a fair
game the gambler won. Lemoyne, too,
won, but it was because the gambler
helped him by staying out or coming
in when his doing so would be an ad-
vantage to his friend.
Then one of the owners laid down
four aces and won a pot. The gam
bier turned over one of the aces and
showed that it had come from another
pack. Every one looked nervous, not
/ knowing how his displeasure would
/ manifest itself. He took no notice OF
| the incident, but from that moment
| his hands were marvellous. Whether
| the owners of the outfit knew how he
| got them did not appear, but this made
no difference. since having been
| caught cheating themselves they could
| not complain.
The gambler and Lemoyne won con-
tinuously. Indeed LemOyne's hands
whenever the former dealt the cards
| though seldom high. were always tri-
fie higher than that of any one else at
the table. Besides, when the gambler
dealt the cards Lemoyne drew always
filed his hand. 1t was evident that
the game was going against the own
ers. But the gambler knew that when
they found man who could beat them
at their own devices they would find
| some way to call a halt. He did not
wait for them to choose their time.
He chose his own.
A certain Jack pot had been sweet
ened' so many times that there was a
! large amount on the table before 1t
was opened. Then when the betting
commenced he kept raising every one,
so that in time the table was covered
with bills. The gambler laid his cards
on the table. put his hands down
where for a few seconds they could
not be seen, and, on lifting them,
showed a pistol in each hand, which
he pointed at each ofgthe owners. He
was perfectly calm. but looked eX-
| tremely businesslike.
'Afte' my waning" he said, "that
this should be a fat game have been
displeased to see that there has been
cheating. A cheating game is without
the law, and the longest pole knocks
the pesmmon. Miste' Lemoyne, will
yo kindly rake in the pot"
LemOyne, as soon as he saw the gam
blers move, placed his hand to his
shirt collar at the back where a bowie
knife was slung under his coat be-
tween his shoulder blades, but, upon
the gamblers request, he withdrew
his hand and began to scrape the mon
ey on the table into his hat.
Meanwhile the gambler continued to
fix a glittering eye on their enemy, and
each knew that if lie moved a hand a
bullet would 90 crashing through his
brain. The gambler asked Lemoyne
If he thought there was enough in the
pot TO pay his previous losses, and Le-
mOyne said he thought there was
a-plenty. The gambler then told him
to leave the boat and backed ashore
himself, keeping the owners covered
while he did 50. When he reached
terra firma he asked the northerner If
lie would please loosen the hawser
that held the fatbOat He did 30 and
the current carried the den of iniquity
down stream.
The gambler gave his winnings to
the poor Of the town. Lemoyne beg
ged to be permitted to show his graft
tude in some way, but his benefactor
was obdurate. The gambler and the
nOrtherner took the next boat going
down stream. On the way the latter
asked one familiar with the river life
what kind Of a man the gambler was
He's q gambler and lives by heec-
ing" was the reply.
} But began the other
But he has his code Of honor. and
there's not man living who can make
, him break through it."
March "a in American