The Journal of a Sporting Nomad 
trick by which he had lost his money. I happened 
to say, ““ You must have been a fool to lose your 
money at that game—any child knows it.” 
“Stop!” said the ancient one. ‘TI thought I 
knew all about them tricks, but they did me 
down, sure, for they turned down the corner of 
the card I was to find ”’—illustrating the method. 
*“ Well, I found the card all right and won several 
times small money. I thought it quite easy, and 
they led me on until I had put my all on one 
stake, for I was sure I could win his money, but 
I lost it, and how do you think they done me? 
Why, he had turned down all three corners of the 
cards he played with.” . Turning to me, he said, 
*“'You’d have been done too, I reckon.” “I 
don’t think so,” I said, ‘‘ for I should not have 
made a guess,” whereat he threw the cards 
down on the table with one corner of one turned 
down slightly, which my tall friend picked, being 
correct, so simple! I wanted to go back to the 
ship and said so. The old man suggested my 
having a try. More from good nature than 
anything else, I bet him a five-dollar bill I was 
right in picking a card: of course, I was wrong, 
for the corners of all three cards were bent. 
Now this yarn seems simple: I give it in detail 
to show how a man may drop his money, know- 
ing perfectly well that he is being swindled. 
The circumstances were so plausible, these yarns 
of awaiting the coming of the nuggets—for, by 
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