Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1922-03-02

Ave minutes later In the intensity OF
the game.
Intense In not the word to de-
scribe that game Of poker. ! had
been plugging along at the game OF
draw since was a growing lad, and
after ! had begun to shoulder q
transit I had been an Onlooker In
some mighty queer games. But ]
never saw cards run the way they did
that night. was just about fair
to middling poker player; certainly
nothing extra, although l was deft
Of hand and. unfortunately. knew
how TO rifle cards In a way to bluff
fellows not acquainted with my COM
parative inferiOrity as a poker play
or into the belief that ] was some
pumpkins with the pasteboards. But
second. rate player that I was, and
something over two parts loaded AZ
was besides, In common with my
four fellow players. the luck. I had
from the beginning Of the game was
positively miraculous. None Of the
other men had a half-skilletfull OF
luck. II all came my way. 1t was
embarrassin for while. Then II
became dangerous. was total
stranger to these four men and
good deal oilier In manners and
speech than they-a thing likely to
excite suspicion In towns like ADJ
lcne was I'm those days. especially In
the minds Of men steadily losing In a
game Of draw.
But eevry man Of the four just
persisted in giving me such money
making hands to play against the ut
terIy no-accOunt hands they dealt
that ! didn't know what
TO make of 1t. Now all Of them were
reasonably good poker players, but
not short carders-able to stack
deck: and had certainly never sat
into a squarer game. But my luck
was absolutely magical. Pat hands
were given me about as often as
pairs were served out to the other
fellows. Every time this happened
and one or more Of my opponents de-
cided to find out II was blufing on
nv pats. laid down the hands with
n little fear growing within me. And
after we had been playing an hour
7 noticed all four Of 'em snatching
ylonces at me out of the tails of their
eyes.
CATER / had continued whacking
all four Of them pretty hard on thelr
deals (rarely dealing myself hand
worth anything) for couple OF
hours. the luck took peculiar
switch. But 1t stayed with me.
began to get nothing whatever on
the deals of the other fellows nut
fed myself hands that actually
smelled of birthstone they were SO
wierdly inexplicable. One time ! got
four Fights pat on my own deal. zen
minutes later I was kind enough 10
give myself a pat full, kings up on
seven. And, once the luck veered
this way, it seemed as If never got
as much as ten high when the other
fellows dealt. The only thing
could do was to drop my hand ana
stay out on their deals. They were
ouick to notice this, and 1t didn't
improve my situation any, either.
Playe! His Luck
when I was in. of course, ] play
ed my luck for all 1t was worth. AL
other times the four of them played
listlessly with each other, for had
good deal of the money Of each, and
they wanted it back. I think all four
of them had fully decided In their
own minds by this time that I was
crooked and were only waiting for a
chance to nail me.
"Finally it came my deal again. l
had the buck, and so 1t was jack
pot. But I was wishing myseif wen
ont of 1t. and had cold feet, If ever