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. " I 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 

 anythin^ else, I bet him a five-dollar bill I was 

 right in picking a card : of course, I was wrong, 

 for th 3 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 



