The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1916-01-13

49, y the sixth night OF play at
"a the Elkhorn the limit was re-
~ duced to $5.
It's all right" Smoke as
sured the gamekeeper. Il want So
800 tonight. as usual. and you only
compel NE to play longer. I've got to
pick twice az many winners that's
all"
why don't you buck somebody
eIse's table?" the keeper demanded
WrathfE.ly.
"Because like this one" Smoke
glanced over Mt the roaring stove oaly
Il few feet away. Besides. there are
no drafts here. and it is warm and
comfortable
On the ninth night, when Shorty had
carried the dust home. he had fit.
Il quit. Smoke: l quit he began
Il know when l got enough ain't
dreamin. I'm wide awake, A system
can't he. but you got one just the
same. There's nothin' in the rule
three The almanac's clean out The
worlds gone smash. There's nothin
regular an uniform no more. The
multiplication tables gone loco. Tw"
is eight. nine Is eleven, and two times
two Is eight hundred an forty y-six-an
half Anything is everything, an
nothin's all. an twice all Is cold
cream. milk shakes an calico horses,
you've got a system. Figgers beat
the fggerin' What amt is, an what
isn't has to be. The sun rises in the
west. the moons pay streak, the stars
In canned corn beef. scurvy's the bless
in of God. him that dies kicks again
rocks floats. waters gas. | amt me.
you're somebody else an mebbe were
twins if we amt hashed brown pota-
toes fried in verdigris. Wake me up,
somebody! Oh. wake me up!'
The next morning a visitor came to
the cabin. Smoke knew him-Harvey
Moran, the owner of all the games in
the Tivoli. There was note OF appeal
in his deep. grufr voice as he plunged
into his business.
ITS like this. Smoke" he began
you've got US all guessing. I'm rep
resenting nine other game owners and
myself from all the saloons In town
We don't understand. We know that
no system ever worked against rou'
lette. All the mathematic sharps in the
colleges have told US gamblers the
same thing They say that roulette 1t
self Is the system, the one and only
system, and therefore that no system
can beat it. for that would mean arith
metic has gone bughouse."
"Well, you've seen me play Smoke
| answered defantly, "and. II you thint
it's only a string of luck on my part
why worryT
That's the trouble. We can't helT
worrying. It's a system you've got ant
all the time we know it can't be. Eve
| watched you five nights now. and all
| can make out Is that you favor certain
| numbers and keep on winning.
Now, the ten of us game owner
| have got together, and we want t.
make a friendly proposition, Wei
put a roulette table in back room o
the Elkhorn. pool the bank agains
you and have you buck US. 1t will b.
| all quiet and private-just you ant
Shorty and us. What do you say!'
II think it's the other way around,
Smoke answered Its up to you t
come and see me. I'll be playing II
the barroom OF the Elkhorn tonight
You can watch me there just as well.
That night when Smoke took up hi
customary place at the table the keep
er shut down the gum The game
closed" he said. Boss ORDERS
But the assembled game owner
were not to be baked. In few min
utes they arranged u pool. each puttin'
in n thousand, and took over the table
Come on and buck u.s." Harvey Mo
ran challenged as the keeper sent th
ball on its first whirl around.
Give me the twenty-five limitf
Smoke suggested.
"Sure: go to it."
Smoke Immediately placed twenty
five chips on 90 and won.
Moran wiped the sweat from hi
forehead. "Go on he said; I'VE 90
ten thousand in this bank"
At the end of an hour and hal
the ten thousand was Smokes.
Got enough?' Smoke asked.
The game owners looked at one al
other They were awed They. tn
.atted proteges Of the laws Of chance
we're undone.
I'VE quit" Moran said. "Ain't thf
light. BurkeT'
Big Burke. who owned the games
the n. and G. saloon. nodded. "fh
impossible has happened" he salt
This Smoke here has got system Il
right If we let him go on we'll a
bust. All can see. II we're going
keep our tables running. is to cut dow
the limit to ST or 10 cents or ! cen
He won't win much in night wit
l. Il.