"Talent" Among the Cards.

Clutha Leader, Volume I, Issue 32, 18 February 1875, Page 3

"Talent" Among the Cards.

. ■ — — "• ' ♦ — '■——' ' •'- • . '. • SIXTKEN ACES. Sam O^il vie was a gambler by profession dncTpractice, but among"; the planters who frequented his faro bank (and all those i'of any wealth or standingwithin a hundred miles of Selma took a turn at it. when rthey, could) there; was not one who woufd entertain aquestion ,as to Sauxs i hones.tj. ' In -that little white cottage, almost hidden by the: surrounding" o-rnve, none but the fairest of'foro was dt-tvh, none but the squarest ;'of poker waVbet on. " When the chips were bought, and the-cards cut, each one felt that what fortune meant the pack to bring- them would not be interfered with by any manipulation of the pack. •" •' But alas? when. \yas humanity-pe-j yond. temptation? Adam fell, Csesar fell, Warren fell (at Bunker -Hill), ancT evr>n Beecher is suspected. One day Sam was tempted, and he— but let' me give the^details.- . .. ' •-. ' r '- Judge Humphreys, Oolonel' S wa(n r old; Andrews '(whose /plantation was measii'red by-the" tiiousand acres), and SoL Lovett^. frQm.'Bt.Xouis, were sifcting*- ( in Ogilvi'e's " front parlour, playing a „snug-l ittle :^,ame of^draw-j All /were heavy bettors when they held the cards^; but just then the cards were running'light. Sam,, who cared very-' little 'for. poker; had .sat . by. Wrttcliing; the I g-ame' ratlier than going- in it. 'rHeUield^a-.hand>-of Course', but- his thoughts were rather on the outlay, in^ the", next, room' than on the cartls in" h'fs liana."'" Several" times he had hinted. at : ahandpning^thej game. r but..each;time.tt}e ot-hers.had insisted on "going- "on/so Bam had' politeljf stifled h.is imp^ienc.e) ...artd hadbkept hjs seats at the table. I Ajs the clock Vas^tellmg KX-'Sam •called ffonij thp ..table^ : .and,_excu^irig;, himself forYhe^norffdnt, ieft the* "r4oin> His! way was through jtb^.back parlor" whejre lay the sleeping' /. tiger. The table jvvitjy^ hir^p^jhe case, piles^-pfi-cheqloyvdeck;s, ofV^ ; -for. the players. A's^he'r-gianced^care-#henn at-suridfepAtii'o'uffh? 'seenaed^to'ifl^ihi tltrottw-h -iSaYH.*^ 'brafn 0 a smdmaM&m§M%ph%stiitiWk lint? ■ kii&tiW4M<& r fi£&klkß s f!h' ! WU 'W& iipSjc ancrnis luirgrn^g^js, played, --wtjuL his koustache,- as^iTtcThiae P ffife Ttwitciir ing lipy-frsm some unseen observer" >dMfin§fitf th^ar^i^nWcarW^ opening paicte,. breaKine^ wrappers anjl'

sion of guileless .inn^^nqp.^up^E^his face, with a "coldideck:" up. he returned to the poker table/\ In a few minutes ifc was^am's turn tojdpal. , His h.and faltered as lie lifted the bards' •■■i deuce* gpog'fluftfef'eff^iiftd' '"■■' his Jap, and, in picking^ it >up, ;<& rapid movement of the long, lithe fingers had deck fop ithei> f^old 'f • ' dej*.-» ; . -.-,-- _ t7J . -i : 0 an,-} ... ft - A;gram;of;remorse,seemed.to l .tpuchhis : heart ;^hen;;he came. tOj ; serYe ; ,tne;:<Jar(|gi ;. .. **|I can't takfta-liandijthis^deaiiiffen-',.: ? tlemen..., I have_gpt to, step .round, .to; the hotel for a moment." "" """ \ "' J< The others acquiesced, and tie dealt' <; out %fie 'card£~ '-A^ good- Hahtf^one * "* '• would say, by the action^ of the -players. Thejre was a thousand-in-the pot, and a very obstinate .expression on • ;tlie< z{ aces . ; - ; of the players before the drawing began. Then a singular circumstance was. noticed.- '-The" Judge only wante'd'^ne'" card j v one .card, satisfied ' thfe Colonel, . and: one card each -took' Lo^veFt and Anderson, O ,Q,dd, < thought \ each (gnQj Fj and; wondered whether they were trying to fill a- full or a flush or were fours. But each glanced at his own hand and waited the issue^confidenfrrof .his own and pityingJhe_other!s hand. _. ; The cards served, Sam lit his cigars and started for the hoteL If ,he : had waited, he would have seen the tallest Mnd: of- betting -that was everrd6rie'ih- ! -~ side of that cottage ; 100.0.;dol. the first bet, 1500 dol. the second, 2000 dol. the . third, and 250Q; dol. from the "age " on the first round. . Everybody in and willing' to, Jay his pile. Out came cheque-books and pencils, and each' ofte '. , rapidly cashed up in his .own, mind how, \ } ~ ,much his credit was good'! for amon^. the commission merchants of New; Orleans. Cheque after cheque was ; written, torn out, and placed on the table, until there was enough' staked? to cripplo the richest man there ifhelost. The Judge stopped it. Why, I don't, know, unless it was that he Md reached the last cheque in his. book. As he filled that out he remarked, with judical gravity : - , • " There is but one hand at the table tli at can win that pot,, gentlemen j ain't it about big enough ? I will see' you, Colonel." "This checked the game. The pbt ; was big enough in all conscience. Two more sights, and a call" brought the, game to a focus. Perspiz'ation stood out upon more than one forehead . and the fingers that gripped the car'di tightened perceptibly as the crucial moment approuched;. and heads had tobe turned to prevent the hungry c} r es ;from feasting too intensely upon the pile on the table. The venerable Colonel looked up as ihe gently laid down his hand— " Fours. i Aces,-gentlemen." ' . Then -Andrews, with . distended ey:e& and pursed-up lips : '•' Four aces for me ! and the cards were laid upon the table. to. verify. the claim, . . r t . Reproachfully Lovet glanced at his r comrades as .inhospitable barbarians, * from whom the title of strangers was noprotection, and blandly remarked ': " Excuse me, but thine are aces. Four !" and again the cards proved the claim. Dashing his spectacles from ,- his Roman nose to his perspiring forehead, the Judge sank back in his . seat and . gazed despairingly from face to- face round the board. As his ,eye .met Lovet's he partially straightened himself, and said : " Sixteen.aces, as lam a sinner," and again four aces lay-upon the board. • ' They waited for Sam that night but he did not return to the cottage, — ■' Turf, Field, and Farm.