VERY HIGH PLAY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1264, 21 May 1896, Page 10

VERY HIGH PLAY.

(liy BARRY PAIN )

“ What I like about poker," said Gorrosmith, “is its pagan quality. It is beautifully birbaric. It awakens the thirst for Mood, or its cash equivalent. 1 would bluff' my own grandmother out of her last halfpenny and walk a way pleased and not ashanud."

“So would I," said Barrobrown. “Your principles are my own. I would win my only sister’s sca’p, and see that she paid it. lam thankful to say that I play the game —merely the game—entirely without mercy."

“ But, however,"observed, Gorrosmith, “ as we are both of us far from being rich men, shall we say a penny ante and twopence to come in 1" “ Quite, so," said Barrobrown, “ with a live shilling limit." “ Half a-cmwii would be enough," replied Gorrosmith, drawing his chair to the table, “ but call it five shillings." “ J„ck-puts," said a third man. “ And no joker, of course," remarked a foujth.

“Of course not," said Gorrosmith. “ None of those suburban variations for me—the real game, or I don’t care about

Now there came a time when there wna money in the pot, andGorrosmith opened it for one penny. All came in, Barrobiown remarking hesitatingly that he supposed lie must. Gorrosmith took no cards, no more did Barrobrown. Gorrosmith bot one penny, the other men went out, and Barrobrown raised it live shillings. “ Tiiis is a sporting game/' remarked Gen<>sniitli, putting up his eyeglass. “ Ye;y well, and live."

“ And five again," soid Burrobtown. “ And another five," said Gorrosmith

“And live," said Barrobrown. “ Look here," said Gorrosmith, “ I’ll keep an account of the bet on a bit of paper, and you cm do the same. Its simpler. And live." “ And live," said Barrobrown. “ And five," said Gorrosmith.

This sort of conversation went on for ten minutes. “ I’m not altogether sorry that 1 am out of this," remarked the third man. “It’s a bit monotonous," said the other.

“ For the sake of variety," said Gorro smith, “shall wo dispense with tho limit in this particular emergency?" “ By all means," said Barrobrown. “Isay," said the third man, “hadn't you men better go a bit steady ?" “ Possibly," Barrobrown replied ; “or, mi the other hand, possibly not. One hundred pounds, Gorrosmith." “ Yes, that's quicker. And a thousand." “ A thousand ! And a million."

“ !f you must, you must," observed Gorrosmith, as he lit a cigarette. “ And a billion." “And live billions more," said Barrobrown. “ Look here," said the fourth man, “ this is absolutely farcical." “Think so ?" asked Gorrosmith. “So far I have riot bet a penny more than I will pay if I lose—//, mark you." “ Neither have I," said Barrobrown. “ I have no choice but, to play the game, and if I leave Gorrosmith a ruined and dishonoured man, J can’t heip it." “ In the meantime," observed Gorro* smith, “1 will raise you tho difference between the sum already betted (which, as I am no mathematician, I will not add up) and the Entire Universe." “ You can’t possibly afford it," said tho third man, with brutal frankness.

“ Hold your tongue,"-said Gorrosmith, snappishly. “ It’s discussions like these," remarked Barrobrown “ that absolutely ruin a rp!nio at cards. What business can this bo of anybody except Gorrosmith and myself?” “Oh, very well/ 1 said the third man. “If your father likes to pay your gambling debts, it's no concern of mine. I myself never will bet more than I can loso without missing, and I think you are begim b.a to go beyond I hat. However, as ym say, it’s your own affair." “ Barrobrown," said Gorrosmith, with a great and unnatural self restraint, “ woniii you ki’ d ! v remember that it’s y ur t cs l l j to speak ! “

“ Certainly. I ohj-cf totlmsointerrup. linns is much as von do. . You bet tho Entire Linverse, I think. Yury well. I • y .11, and raise you the I lore, after." ;;‘.,rrosui 'll r. iLcled for a moment. “ N i," he said, “I don’t mean to raiso y,,,i ; i;, isn't 'rom scruples it.s merely It cause I luii’t think of anything else. ! sec ym " . “ (', ; .t straight flush, diamonds," said Bin "brow n. “Suin', .'-nades," said Gorrosni'th. T: ey Gne.v He ir binds down. Each look back what lie li id pur m the pool, ,u,d I hey d vule.d the rest. It came to three shillings each. “ 1 never saw such eaids in my life before," exclaimed tho 1 1 j j 1 mu!. “ I’ve never seen one such I ,q i , l | .f,, ; i ,vo of i hem ! timing no lom'liiJr— it’s incredible, phenomenal 1" And,"said Gorrosmith, “the betting was also 'phenomena l . That is poker as j t; Mimaki ue - cards and betting in due implement and harmony, broken only at bmg intervals by tho magnificent discord Ot some great and inspired bluff. There was no hlullin « here. I have bot just tho \./iuu of my cards, and no more. Perhaps it is almost a pity that Barrobrown.

should have won more. However, I am satisfied."

“And I am not," sail Barrobrown. “The betting ought not to have stopped where it did." “ I don’t know," remarked Gorrosmiih, “ if you’re trying to imply that I stopped betting because I was afraid, but perhaps you'll tell mo what else there was to bet?" , “ Nothing—absolutely nothing. J hat s what I complain of. All’s too little. All’s too small. Think what the betting might be between two men each holding a certainty—onward and upward in a mad and monstrous progression, each separate bet transcending the wildest imaginings of the drunkard mathematician ! I despise time. I have a contempt for space. Language is no good, and splits a 3 soon as you try to make it tit the unusually large. My eyes are looking toward largeness—towards the conditions under which the perfect betting on the perfect cards would be possible. I am filled with the exaltation of its atmosphere, though my eyes cannot penetrate its distance, nor could ary speech describe it. Slowly I lose my sense of smaller tilings ; they cease to have meaning. Was it I who betted five billion pounds just now ? What paltriness ! A despicable number of stupid tinkling tokens, wherewith to try to satisty a need that takes all infinity ! ” “ When you’ve finished," said G rrosmitli, severely, “ wo may as well get on with the usual game." “My ante," said the third man. “ I say, Barrobrown, lend me another sixpence to be going on with." “Very well,” said Barrobrown, pushing the coin across the table. “ But remember that makes eighteen-pence you owe mo." —Cambridge Granta.