The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-07-20
WARMINCA
SERPENT
By F. A. Mitchell


fury the Mississippi river was thor
oughfare for palatial steamboats, ply
ing between the south and the north
west In those days the western peo-
pie were more prone to gamble than
now, and these steamers were used by
professional "blacklegs," who reaped
rich harvest from confiding persons
VINO were enticed by various schemes
to play
one morning several young men from ,
st. Louis We're standing about a table |
ut which sat professional gambler |
ana rawboned countryman from the |
interior of Missouri. The onlookers |
were friends and had often played a |
friendly gentlemen's game Of poker to- |
gether at each others home and prid- |
ed themselves on being exceedingly |
sklllful thereat. They noticed that the |
gambler was purposely losing his mon
ey to the greenhorn, evidently with the |
intention of drawing him on to play |
Tor higher stakes. when he would take |
all the cash his opponent possessed. |
Presently the two were notified that
the tables must be set for dinner and
they We're obliged TO cease playing, the
gambler exacting promise that he
would be given a chance for revenge
| during the afternoon
The party of st. Louisans knew well
that the countryman would be cleaned
out and regretted TO see him made a
victim. One of them was deputed to
90 TO him and explain the gamblers
game. The countryman was not con.
vinced. At any rate, he declared that
he had passed the word Of Mis-
sourian to give the man whose money
he had won bis revenge and he would
keep the promise.
Then his would be benefactors con
cluded that they would ask him to play
a small game with them before sitting
down with the gambler designing to
win his money and hand it back to
him, exacting his promise not to risk
1t again to any one during the trip.
He said that he had promised to play
with the man whose money he had
won during the morning, but had not
promised to play with any one else
before doing so; therefore he felt that
it would be honorable for him to ac-
cept the invitation.
AS soon as the dinner dishes were
cleared away the st. Louisans and the
cOuntryman sat down at a table and
began their game While they were
at 1t the gambler came along and, see
ing that his victim had been taken
from him. berated him sOundly. The
countryman excused himself on the
ground that he would give the gambler
his revenge before the afternoon had
passed, and the St. IIouisans volunteer
cd to give him up at o'clock p. m.
This did not allay the gamblers ire,
and for time 1t was feared that there
would be fight between him and the
Missourian. However, the gambler
l finally quieted and left the party, say
r ing that he should expect his revenge
from the other at 4 O'Clock.
The st. Louisans did not proceed to
win the greenhorn's money all at once,
Il
. had saved 1t all for him. They per-
/ mitted him to win several pots, then
/ glanced at one another the signal to
n begin operations at once. They intend
}. ed to play fair game, believing that
, they could by skill accomplish their
object
But about the time they were ready
l. TO win the mans money he became
e possessed Of several remarkable hands.
n With tens full on aces he won pot Of
$50 the next highest hand being full
. sevens on queens. Then he took
large tack pot with four deuces. Be
fore the 81. Louisans were aware OF
{ how the game was going be had taken
over 5000 from them. From this their
loss ran up to $500, and the country
: man was still winning
The men who had taken pity on the
countryman began to feel that they
= had warmed serpent In their bos-
| oms Where the mans splendid hands
came from they could not divine. But
he did not always need good hands TO
vin Whenever he bet high even II
| he held low cards. he always overtop-
ned the others
Soon after he sat down TO play
man who looked like one OF the pas
| sengers loitered by and stopped to have
/ look at the game. As II progressed
he seemed to be more and more inter
ested in 1t and maintained his position
| which was always behind one OF the
St Louisans, never behind the coun'
tryman. suddenly one OF the former
threw down his hand. saying
az reckon we've had enough OF this'
hoys. I'm going to quit.
From his manner his friends were
se,,sAed that he had discovered some
thing wrong and all rose from the ia
b,e leaving the countryman some $l'.
zoo winner When they were out OF
hearing of their intended beneficiary
Tho man who had cried enough was
ssked what had caused him TO do SO.
"Tbat fellow who stood over US ano