The Red Cloud chief., 1920-05-20

scrape along on two hundred"
The poker game that night took
place IN South side hotel. Il way
six-handed game. the players being of
the class commonly known as "men
about town." Two we're professional
| gamblers. another was q wheat Dit
speculator. fourth was a wealthy sa-
loon owner. The remaining two were
| Fitzhugh and Quigg. Playing com.
menced shortly after eight. Compared
to subsequent betting, II was modest
at first, a fve-dollar limit having been
imposed. About nine. however. the
limit was removed, and the game be-
gan to warm up. Another hour, and II
had reached the point where flve-and-
slx-hundred-dollar pots were the rule
and not the exception.
The Golden Goddess. Luck. smiled
upon Fitzhugh from the very start.
Perhaps It was his superior playing
that won her favor. Anyhow. he as
tonished his coadjutor by his skill at
the game. He was a hundred differ
ent men. His fellow players never
knew how to take him-never knew
what he would do next. And while
they were wondering he continued to
take their money from them as though
1t were only matter of course that
he should.
But as Fitzhugh steadily won Qulgg
as steadily lost. When the game ended
at nine a. m. 1t was noticeable that
of the five men sitting around the pad
ded table beneath the pail of tobacco
smoke and the green-shaded electric
lights Fitzhugh was the only one who
showed no Ill sign Of the thirteen
hours steady playing. He seemed as
fresh as when he started and appar-
emily was quite flt for another thir-
teen-hour session. When he "cnshed
In" he was winner to the extent Of
some eighteen thousand dollars. The
professional gamblers had won few
thousands each. The rest had lost.
Quigg, who had left the game. was
not to be found In the hotel rotunda.
While Fitzhugh was walking about
looking for him the wheat pit specula-
tor, jovial, red-faced man named
Henry Hunt. clapped him heartily on
the shoulder and wrung his hand.
"Old man, I'd give q million II I
could bluff like you. Where did you
learn how?
1T comes naturally" smiled Fitz-
hugh.
Hunt glanced around and lowered
his voice. "Fitzhugh. I'm putting
through today one Of the biggest
wheat deals I've ever handled,
and I'd like to let you in on 1t.
What time can see you, and where"
ANY time ut any place."
"Meet me at Burton & BurtOn's,
then-brOkers, you know. Board Of
Trade-at eleven sharp. Don't fail.
It's big thing. So long. Must hurry
Upon certain of the casual acQuaint-
ances he had made In La Sale street
Fitzhugh had taken pains to create
the impression Of being the scion Of a
highly respected family unknown to
the newspaper columns but possessed
Of wealth. Hunt was one of those thus
| deluded. Others he had impressed in
different wise. But every man who
met him believed him to be person
of means. 1t was an emphatic point
with him to see to that.
In secluded corner and low tone
Hunt explained his project very con-
Cisely.
September wheat" said he, "opened
at ninety-eight and quarter this
morning. A gang Of bulls have inflated
1t till she's like soap bubble-ready
to burst any moment. A gigantic bear
raid Is coming Off here tomorrow that
will send September wheat down like
that"-thrOwing a cigar end to the
floor. "These BEARS" he went on,
kicking the cigar aside, shave got mii-
lions behind 'em. and they're going to
claw the entrails out of those bulls.
They won't stop clawing as long as
there's live bull left. They're going
to sell-sell-sell. It'll be the biggest
smash you ever heard Of. And the
man who's heading this big bear raid
Is none other than Symington Otis"
"Otis?"
"As you know, Of course, Otis has
always been one Of the greatest bulls
In Chicago. Has that reputation. But
all Of a sudden he's gone over to the
other side. found 1t out last night.
Only a handful besides myself know
1t. 1t seems he's got II In for a fellow
who was associated with him In bull
charge few months ago, and he's
going the smash that fellow If 1t takes
| the last cent he's got. That's Otis all
over. Once you get in bad with him
you might as well jump in the lake."
$50 ! was once given to under
stand" said Fitzhugh quietly.
"You see where we come In, Of
course. I'm only an outsider myself
but you! Lord, what a pile you can
make!"