River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-01-28

faro table when Shorty caught his arm.
Hold on! Pm gettin' one of them
lunches now. You put that dollar on
roulette
They went over to a roulette table
near the bar.
"Wait till | give the word" Shorty
counseled.
What NUMBER" Smoke asked
"Pick it Yourself But wait till say
let her GO"
"You don't mean to say I've got an
even chance on that tablet" Smoke
argued.
AS good as the next geeZer's."
But not as good as the banks"
wait an see." Shorty urged. Nov!
Let her go"'
The gamekeeper had just sent the
little ivory ball whirling around the
smooth rim above the revolving, many
slotted wheel Smoke. at the lower
end of the table. reached over player
and blindly tossed the dollar 1t Slid
along the smooth green cloth and stop
ped fairly in the center of IA ;"
The ball came to a rest, and the
gamekeeper announced, Thirty four
wins" He swept the table and along
side of Smokes dollar stacked $50.
Smoke drew the money in, and Shorty
slapped him on the shoulder
Now, that was the real goods of a
bunch. Smoke! How'd | know itf
There's no tellin'. | just knew you'd
win. Why. if that dollar of yourn'd
fell on any other number it'd won just
the same When the bunch is right
you just can't help winnn'"
suppose it had come double
naught?" Smoke Queried as they made
their way to the bar
Then your dollar'd been on double
naught,' was Shorty's answer 'They's
no gettin' away from it. A bunch is a
bunch Here's how. Come on back
to the table. got a bunch, after
pickin you for a winner, that | can
pick some few numbers myself
Are you playing a SYSTEM Smoke
asked at the end of ten minutes, when
his partner had dropped 500
From idly watching Smoke became
fascinated, following closely every de-
tail of the game from the whirling Of
the bali to the making and the paying
Of the bets He made no plays, how
ever. merely contenting himself with
looking on Yet so interested was he
that Shorty, announcing that he had
had enough, with difficulty drew
Smoke away from the table.
The gamekeeper returned Shorty tie
gold sack he had deposited as Gre
| dental for playing and with it went a
slip of paper on which was scrubbed
Out $3.50" Shorty carried the sack
and the paper across the room and
handed them to the weigher, who sat
behind a large pair of gold scales. Out
of ShOrty's sack he weighed $500,
which he poured into the Golfer OF the
house.
THAT bunch Of yours was another
one OF those statistics" Smoke jeered
Il had to play it, didn't |, in order
to find out?" Shorty retorted.
Never mind, Shorty" Smoke laugh
ed i've got bunch right now
Shorty's eyes sparkled as he cried
eagerly: What is it? Kick in an play
it pronto"
IFS not that kind, Shorty. Now
what I've got is bunch that some
day I'll work out a system that will
beat the SPOTS off that table"
SYSTEM" Shorty groaned, then sur
veyed his partner with vast pity.
Smoke. listen to your side kicker an
leave system alone. Systems is sure
losers They amt no lunches in sys.
tens"
That's why ! like Them" Smoke an
swered. "A system is statistical.
When you get the right system you
can't lose. and that's the difference be
tween it and a bunch. You never
know when the right bunch is going
wrong"
But | know lot of systems that
went wrong. an never seen a system
win Shorty paused and sighed.
Look here. Smoke. if you're gettin'
cracked on systems this amt no place
for you, an it's about time we hit the
trail again."
At last, after long hours and days
spent at watching the table, the night
came when Smoke proclaimed that he
was ready, and Shorty, glum and pes
simistic. accompanied his partner to
; the Elkhorn Smoke bought stack
, of chips and stationed himself at the
t gamekeeper's end of the table. Again
and again the ball was whirled and
: the other players won or lost, but
J Smoke did not venture a chip. Shorty
Waxed impatient
Buck in, buck inY' he urged. Lets
; get this funeral over! Got cold feetY
Smoke shook his head and waited
> A dozen plays went by, and then sud
denly he placed ten One-dollar chips OF
! "2G.' The number won, and the keep
. er paid Smoke $3.50. A dozen plays
? went by. twenty plays and thirty
when Smoke placed $40 on "32." Agar
' he received $3.50.
> IT'S a hunch," Shorty whispered vO
4 ciferously in his ear. Ride it; ride