198 Life and Sport on the Pacific Slope 



and I saw, by the fire in his eye, that he meant in 

 due time to annex 'em. We played several games 

 before he went to work; and he allowed me to 

 win most of his small change. Well, sir, about 

 the fourth day, after dinner, he asked me to share 

 a bottle o' wine " (champagne) " with him ; and after 

 that he said he felt like a little game, and I told 

 him that I was with him, and that I 'd never felt 

 more like a winner — which was so. Four of us sat 

 down, and we fooled away about two hours. Dur- 

 ing that time I had collected the six, seven, eight, 

 nine, and ten of diamonds. I took no face cards, 

 for I knew he 'd miss them in his shuffle. Pres- 

 ently he dealt me three Jacks, and in the draw he 

 got the fourth. He could play poker, that feller, 

 for although I was watching him close I could n't 

 see any monkey business. Pretty soon only him 

 and me was left in, and the pot was a big one. 



* You 'd better quit,' said he, pleasantly, ' my hand 

 is a corker. I know how to deal, my boy, and it 

 will cost you one thousand dollars to gaze on my 

 hand.' He was quite the gentleman, and I played 

 up to him. 'You are not a good dealer,' said I, 



* for you 've given me a better hand than yours ; so 

 although I hate to take a friend's money, still as 

 you insist, I '11 see that thousand and go two thous- 

 and better.' Two minutes after there was eight 

 thousand in the pot and we showed down. He 

 had four aces, and when I spread out my flush 

 sequence you'd ought to have seen his jaw drop. 

 He took his medicine without a whimper, but — 

 Great Scott ! — that face of his was a — side-show ! " 



It is a side-show when a man says something 



