Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1920-10-01

week II not. you'll still contrive 70
scrape along on two hundred"
The poker game that night took
place in South side hotel. Ii was
ix-handed game. the players being of
the class commonly known as men
about town." Two were professional
gamblers. another was wheat pit
Spectator, fourth was a wealthy sa
loon owner The remaining two were
Fitzhugh and Quigg. Playing com
menced shortly after eight. Compared
to subsequent betting, 1t was modest
al first, a fivedoiar limit having been
imposed. About nine. however. the
gan to warm up. Another hour, and 1t
had reached the point where tive-and-
six hundred-dollar pots were the rule
and not the exception.
The Golden Goddess. Luck, smiled
upon Ftzhugh 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 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 Quigg
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 i'll sign of the thirteen
hours steady playing. He seemed as
fresh as when he started and appar-
emily was quite fit for another thir-
teen-hour session. When he "cashed
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.
w
looking for him the wheat pit specnla-
tor, jovial, red-faced man named
Henry Hunt, clapped him heartily on
the shoulder and wrung his hand.
'Old man, I'd give million If |
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?'
Amy time at 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 a person
of means 1t was an emphatic point
with him to see to that.
In secluded corner and a 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
it till she's like a soap bubble-ready
to burst any moment. A gigantic bear
raid Is coming off here tomorrow that
will send September wheat down like
that"-throwin cigar end tc the
floor. "These bears" he went on
kicking the cigar aside. have got mil
lions behind 'em, and they're going tc
claw the entrails out of those bulls
They won't stop clawing as long as
there's a live bull left. They're going
smash you ever heard of And the
man who's heading this big bear raid
is none other than Symington Otis
"Ous?"
las you know, of course, Otis has
always been one of the greatest bulls
in Chicago. Has that reputation. But
all of sudden he's gone over to the
other side. | found 1t out last night
Only a handful besides myself know
it. 1t seems he's got 1t in for fellow
who was associated with him in bull
charge d few months ago. and he's
going the smash that fellow If it takes
the last cent he's got. That's Otis al
over. Once you get in bad with hin
you might as we'll jump in the lake.
$50 | was once given to under
stand" said Fitzhugh quietly.
You see where we come in. oil
course. I'm only an outsider myself
but you Lord. what a pile you ear
make !"