Birds and Beasts that Bluff 



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THE verb " to bluff " long ago passed 

 from the slang of the card-table into 

 truly respectable if not elegant speech. 

 It expresses more precisely and forcibly than 

 anything else the idea of dissembling uncon- 

 f essed weakness by a bold and defiant attitude 

 the legitimate, justifiable attempt at deception 

 in self-defense which is a part of the armament 

 of every creature. For, after all, bluffing is 

 nothing else than an attempt to make your an- 

 tagonist believe you bigger or stronger than 

 you are, or, perhaps, than he is ; and thus it 

 becomes the natural tactics of the weak against 

 the powerful. 



The gambler who holds a strong hand has no 

 need of this resource; it is the resort of the 

 player who, lacking munitions for his war, must 

 set up a pretense of strength that shall frighten 

 $ 122 



