The Benson signal., 1918-06-22
CHAPTER XIX.
On His Own.


producing plays under fire but while
in rest billets he has numerous other
ways of amusing himself. He is a
great gambler, but never plays for
large stakes. Generally, in each COM
pany, you will find a regular Garfield.
This man banks nearly all the games
of chance and is an undisputed author
ity on the rules Of gambling. When
ever there is an argument among the
Tommies about some uncertain point
as to whether Houghton is entitled to
Watkins sixpence, the matter Is taken
to the recognized authority and his de-
cision is final.
The two most popular games are
Grown and Anchor" and "House."
The paraphernalia used in "Crown
and Anchor" consists Of piece of cam
vas two feet by three feet. This is
divided into six equal squares. In these
squares are painted club, diamond.
heart, spade, crown, and an anchor,
one device to square. There are
three 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 a
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
rolls his three dice and collects or pays
out as the case may be. If you play
the crown and one shows up on the
dice, you get even money, if two show
up, you receive two to one, and If three,
three to one. If the crown does not ap-
pear and you have bet on it, you lose,
and 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
luck. The banker generally wins.
The game of "House" is very popular
also. It takes two men to run it. This
game consists Of numerous squares OF
cardboard containing three rows OF
numbers, five numbers to a row. The
numbers run from one to ninety. Each
card has a different combination.
The French "estaminets" in the vii
lagos are open from eleven in the morn
ing until one in the afternoon in &C
cordance with army orders.
| After dinner the Tomluies congre
gate at these places to drink French
beer at a penny glass and play
"House.'
AS soon as the estaminet Is sufi
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 al
a 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 a numbered
square and Immediately calls out the
number. The man who owns the card
with that particular number on it
covers the square with a match. The
| one who covers the fifteen numbers on
his card, first shouts "House." The
other hacker 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 it out of the ones
picked from the bag and says, Right
If the count is right he shouts, "House
correct, pay the lucky gentleman, and
sell him card for the next school"
The "lucky gentleman" generally buys
one unless he has a miser trace in
his veins.
Then another collection is made, a
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.