264 Sporting Sketches 



The crowd took up easy positions around the 

 table, and the game began. I presently wished 

 myself well out of it, for I soon discovered that my 

 opponent was a very ordinary player and was also 

 badly rattled. Luckily he had never seen me play, 

 and it would have been a simple matter to have let 

 him win. This I had figured out to be the shortest 

 cut to Lewis' friendship, and I intended trying it. 

 But an unexpected complication arose. One of the 

 few friends I had in the place sung out, " One dollar 

 that Canady wins the match ! " This was a muddle ! 

 I could not fool my friend out of his money, yet if I 

 beat young Lewis, farewell to all hope of further 

 association with his redoubtable dad. Finally I 

 begged off on the score that the betting made me 

 nervous, while my friend took alarm from a timely 

 wink and agreed to shut up. After some inten- 

 tionally poor play, Lewis, Jr., won the first and 

 second games. As we began the third frame my 

 would-be backer edged near me and whispered 

 " What in thunder are you tryin' to do ? They 

 won't play no higher ! " I could have roared with 

 laughter at the idea of that game, for the entire 

 outfit couldn't have scared up ten dollars. Lewis, 

 Jr., won the decisive game, much to his delight. 

 But 'twas his dad who derived the real satisfaction 

 from the winning. 



" Gimme them thar stakes ! Gimme Canady 's 

 dollar," he shouted, and in the fulness of his joy he 

 actually treated all hands. For once he became 

 talkative, and made divers sneering references to 

 Canada and all things Canadian.^ 



I felt a trifle savage, for I saw that I had made a 



