The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-01-13
even chance on that table?" Smoke
npruoI

lie Samekeeper na0 just sent Cne |
little ivory ball whiring around the
smooth rim above the revolving, many
slotted wheel. Smoke. at the lower
end of the table. reached over a player
and blindly tossed the dollar. 1t slid
along the smooth green cloth and stop
ped fairly in the center Of ''34,"
The ball came to a rest. and the
announced. '"Thirty-four
wins" He swept the table and along
vide OF Smokes dollar stacked S35
drew the money in. and Shorty
slapped him on the shoulder.
Now. that was the real goods Of &
hunch. Smoke! How'd know it?
There's no tellin'. just knew you'd
win. Why. II that dollar OF yourn'd
fell on any other number it'd won just
the same. When the hunch is right
you just can't help winnin'"
Suppose it had come double
nausht?" Smoke queried as they made
their way 10 the bar.
Then your dollar'd been on double
naught." was Shorty's answer. ''They's
sIo SCttiu away lholi "A hohSh A.' q
hunch. Here's how. Come on back
to the table got bunch. after
pickin' you for winner, that | can
pick some few numbers myself"
Are you playing Il system?' Smoke
asked ut 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 whirlns Of
the ball to the making and the paying
of the bets. He made no plays. how
ever. merely contenting himself with
that Shorty. announcing that be had
had enough. with difficulty drew
Smoke away from the table.
The gamekeeper returned Shorty the
gold sack he had deposited as a Gre
Dental for playing and with it went a
slip OF paper on which was scribbled
"Out-S350." Shorty carried the sack
and the paper across the room and
handed them to the weigher, who sat
behind large pair OF gold scales. Out
of Shorty's sack he weighed $3.50.
which he poured into the Golfer Of the
house.
THAT bunch Of yours was another
one of those statistics Smoke jeercd
Il had to play 1t. didn't l. in order
to find out?" Shorty retorted.
Never mind. Shorty" Smoke laugh
ed. 1--WE got hunch right now
Sborty's eyes spurkled as he cried
eagerly: what is it? Kick in an play
it pronto."
Its not that kind. Shorty Now.
what I've got Is hunch that some
day I'll work out a system that will
beat the spots off that table"
"Systemr' Shorty groaned- then sur
veyed his partner with a 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 1t and hunch. You never
know when the right hunch is going
wrong"
But | know lot Of systems that
went wrong. an never seen Il 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 ut watching the table. the night
came when Smoke proclaimed that ht
was ready, and Shorty. glum and pes
simistic. accompanied his partner tc
the Elkhorn Smoke bought Il stack
of chips and stationed himself at the
samekeeper's end of the table. Agair
and again the ball was ,whirled aud
the other players won or lost, but
| Smoke did not venture chip. Shorty
waxed impatient.
Buck in. buck inT' he urged. Let:
| get this funeral over! Got cold feet!
| Smoke shook his head and waited
A dozen plays went by, and then sud
denly he placed ten one-dollar chips OF
"26" The number won, and the keep
er paid Smoke $3.50, A dozen play:
went by. twenty plays and thirty
when Smoke placed $40 on 80" 80. Again
he received $3.50
| Its hunch." Shorty whispered vo
ciferously in his ear. ride it; rid'
| itr'
aaif an hour went by, during whici
Smoke was inactive; then he placed
$40 ON "34" and won.
"a hunchr' Shorty whispered.
Nothing OF the sort" Smoke whis
pered back. Its the system. lsn'
she dandy?"
Smoke now altered his play. He be
more frequently, with single chip
scattered here and there. and be los
more often than he won.
Quit it." Shorty advised. Cash il
You've rung the bullseye three times
an you're ahead a thousand. fo
can't keep 1t up"
At this moment the ball starte
whirling. and Smoke dropped ten chip
on ''26" The ball fell into the slot O
&c" and the keeper again paid hir
$3.50
IF you're plumb crazy an got th
immortal cinch bet 'em the limit.
Shorty said Put down twenty fT
next time" ~
A quarter of an hour passed. durin
which Smoke won and lost on sIna
scattering bets. Then. with the ahrur
ness that characterized his big be
ting, he placed So5 on 100" and tn
keeper paid him SSI3
| ,no nm C.nnEns I'm irn,r