Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1939-09-08
"Chirps''@
from the
Democrats Pen

Well, Sir, it's marvellous what
grip this betting propensity takes on
an Individual, when once it attaches
itself. 1 once heard of two million
aire sportsmen who were never hap
pier than when laying a wager, and
who had so much money it did not
matter if they lost thousand or two.
These two unhappy sojourners were
aboard a palace car on one occasion
when the rain was descending in tor
rents, and the outlook was dreary and
discouraging. They probably had
played poker to their hearts contest
or discomfort; they had discussed the
markets until the subject was drained /;
and they had sampled a mysterious
bottle until it was the same way.
Time hung heavily on their hands
as their train sped across the CONT
nent. Finally, brilliant idea struck
one as he said: "Bill, see those rain
drops falling from the top of the car
window to the bottom? Well, you
select one and I'll take another, and
I'll bet you a century mine will reach
bottom before yours does" The bet
was promptly gobbled up, and, until
they tired Of the game, they amused
themselves betting on the racing
qualities of drops of aqua pura.
So, you can see just what the gamb-
ling instinct will lead to, when oppor-
tunities to indulge it are not specially
handy. But those two weary travel
lers had nothing on one of our POGO
moke City sports. He took chance,
not long ago, as to whether frog
would make meal off a poor little
bug. He caught the bug, squeezed
its head off and tossed it down in front
of specimen of the genus "Rana".
Now, I don't nkow whether he was
acquainted with the gustatory nature
of this particular amphibian or not.
Perhaps the head was not particularly
tasteful to Mr.. Froggie, but, anyhow,
our sport decapitated the insect before
serving it up to his toadship. Some
thing like we do, I reckon, when we
SCOOP out the "dead mans fingers
from the inside workings of that de-
licious crustacean, the Grab.
Now, this particular gambler I'm
talking about had some criticism com.
ing to him, because he was betting or
a certainty and that's not according
to Hoyle, you know, with the deae
game sports. That hop toad gobblec
up that little bit of insectivora almost
before it reached the ground, and ther
croaked for more.
But the mere fact of whether this
croaker's appetite craved such diet
was not the entire aspect of this lit
tie episode. This incident had a sort
of double nature. The sportsman
wagered on the appetizing effect Of
the morsel fed to the leaping resident
er of ponds and pools; and then fur
Their risked the outcome of ball game
on whether the toad did or did not
felt like dining off Mr.. Bug. But this
"old timer" knew what he was doing
The bug took trip down the toad's
throat, and the ball game was wor
thereby.
The situation was exciting. The
home team was playing away from its
own hang-out. They were leading by
one run when their opponents went II
for the last half of the ninth. The
tying run was on third and nobody
out. Suddenly this little frog hoped
up in search of tidbit. AS sudden
ly, bug stuck it's claws in our hero's
neck. He committed murder on that
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