Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-07-16
OVID TIT. TOP
81
AN AMERICAN S0l>DIIR
WHO WENT . =
ARllUQ GUY YEn[prY
GUNNER ,5fRyIhdM FRANCE
CHAPTER xix.
On HE Own.

L STIAC En- HbHs
On His Own.
OF course Tommy cannot always be
producing plays under fire but while
In rest billets he has numerous other
ways of amusing himself. He Is q
great gambler, but never plays for
arge stakes. Generally, in each COM
pany, you will find a regular Garfield:
This man banks nearly all the games
If chance and is an undisputed author
ty on the rules Of gambling. When
ever there is an argument among the
Tommies about some uncertain point
is to whether Houghton Is entitled to
Watkins sixpence, the matter is taken
70 the recognized authority and his de-
.ision is final.
The two most popular games are
Grown and Anchor" and blouse"
The paraphernalia used in "Crown
and Anchor" consists of piece Of can
vas two feet by three feet. This is
1ivided into six equal squares. In these
squares are painted club, diamond,
leart, spade, crown, and an anchor,
>ne device to square. There are
hree dice used, each dice marked the
same as the canvas. The banker sets
Up his gambling outfit in the corner Of
billet and starts bally-hOoing until q
crowd Of Tommies gathers around;
then the game starts.
The Tommies place bets on the
squares, the crown or anchor being
played the most. The banker then
oils his three dice and collects or pays
,ut as the case may be. If you play
the crown and one shows up on the
lice, you get even money, If two show
Up, you receive two to one, and If three,
hree to one. If the crown does not ap-
2ear and you have bet on it, you lose,
md so on. The percentage for the
banker is large If every square Is
played, but If the crowd is partial to,
say two squares, he has to trust to
uck. The banker generally wins.
The game of "House" is very popular
also. 1t takes two men to run it. This
game consists Of numerous squares Of
cardboard containing three rows Of
numbers, five numbers to row. The
numbers run from one to ninety. Each
,ard has different combination.
The French "estaminets" In the viii
ages are open from eleven In the morn
ng until one In the afternoon in &C.
,ordance with army orders.
After dinner the Tommies congre-
gate ut these places to drink French
beer at a penny glass and play
"House."
AS soon as the estaminet Is suffi-
ciently crowded the proprietors Of the
House" game get busy and, as they
term it, "form a school," This consists
Of going around and selling cards at
franc each. If they have ten In the
school, the hackers Of the game de-
duct two francs for their trouble and
the winner gets eight francs.
Then the game starts. Each buyer
places his card before him on the ta-
BILE, first breaking up matches into fif-
teen pieces.
One of the hackers Of the game has
small cloth bag In which are ninety
cardboard squares, each with mum.
ber printed thereon, from one to nine
ty. He raps on the table and cries
out: "Eyes down, my lucky lads"
All noise ceases and every one is at
tention.
The croupier places his hand In the
bag and. draws forth q numbered
square and Immediately calls out the
number. The man who owns the card
with that particular number on 1t,
covers the square with match. The
one who covers the fifteen numbers on
his card first shouts House" The
other backer Immediately comes over
| to him and verifies the card by calling
| out the numbers thereon to the man
with the bag. AS each number is
called he picks 1t out Of the ones
picked from the bag and says, fright"
| If the count is right he shouts, blouse
correct, pay the lucky gentleman. and
| sell him q card for the next school"
The "lucky gentleman" generally buys
| one unless he has q miser trace In
| his veins.
Then another collection is made, q
school formed, and they carry on with
the game.
The caller-out has many nicknames
| for the numbers such as "Kelly's Eye"
| for one, "Leg's Eleven" for eleven
"Clickety-click" for sixty-six, or Top
| of the house" meaning ninety.
The game is honest and quite en-
joyable. Sometimes you have fourteen
numbers on your card covered and
you are waiting for the fifteenth to be
called. In an imploring voice you cal
Lout, "Come on, Watkins, chum. I'm
sweating on 'Kelly's Eye"
Watkins generally replies, "Well
keep out of draft, you'll catch cold
Another game is "Pontoon." played
with cards; 1t is the same as oul
.Black jack. or 'sTwenty-0ne." .
A card game called "Brag" Is alst
popular. Using a casino deck, thu
dealer deals each player three cards
It is similar to our poker, except fol
the fact that you only use three cards
and cannot draw. The deck Is never
shuffled until man shows three Of
kind or ''prile" as 1t is called. Tit
value Of the hands are, high card,
pair. run, flush or three Of hnt
or "prile." The limit is generally
penny, SO 1t is hard to win fortune
| The next in popularity IL q car
game called "Nap." It is well named
Every time played It went to SLEEP
| Whist and solo whist are played b,
| the highbrows of the company.
When the gamblers tire Of oil othe
games they try Banker and Broker.
| I spent q week trying to teach some
| Of the Tommies how to play poker, but
because l won thirty-five francs they
I.declared that they didn't 'fawncy" the
1 game.
Tommy plays few card games; the
| general run never heard Of poker, ed
chre, seven up. or pinoehle. They have
| q game similar to pinochle called
.Royal BesiQue," but few know how T.
play It.
Generally there are two decks d