THE POKER KING'S PRATTLE.

NZ Truth, Issue 161, 18 July 1908, Page 2

THE POKER KING'S PRATTLE.

About Guessers and " Brassing."

The Poker King has bobbed up serenely again and this time he discourses on v Brassing" and some facts that came under^ "his knowledge quite recently. He writes r as follows "':— "My word, that was a good article m '.Truth' last week, aad Clearly shows the little dodges of these goodlopking (?) joints. Did you ever* hear how Joyful James and Honest Hugh, two of our : leading magsmen, fell the English footballers. '"1t ... was just pefore the last Test, match when the bounders were Wiling away a w,et week m Wellington. Shey could not get out and enjoy themselves, so had to look for a gamble. ' Joyful James was there and had been having a pleasant ganie of 'draw' with a few. of the toffs. .He ' let" them down pretty light at first, but then 'Honest Hugh' -rafted himself, m and- a 'cold deck' w:as put on to the toeballers who hailed-from the Old part. Joyful James was- a slow; long-headed worker, and did -°rlbM' want the lot at once, so he caiitiSSSa Hugh and the 'cold deck' only "s&fipht m a few pounds. '-'-oljyiA "James next apologised for leavflf£ afifl stated that his train was going aira'fiS • must catch it bound for Napier, where he had a moral oh with his horse and was going to put' a hundred on' him if, all was; well. With this he left them to. Hugh's reader mercies. ..." "The cupidity of the Englishmen was eicitei. and they wished to put a few* rin the ,gpod thing and so replenish their 'pogiies.' Hugh casually irien-_ tibned that James would be advising him by wire, and if they cared to meet him he would put them on. A tryst was arranged and duly kefit. Hugh showed his wire, which read as follows : -"' 'Absolute moral. Keep confidential,' but if /tihe emissary from the Englishmen had 'trir_\m'ed his lamps care- _ fuUy he wohld have 'noticed that the wire came from the Hutt and not Napier. 'where the races were being held. What do you think they chose to carry the commission^? ■•'"'■" Ancyle in the Ladies < Bracelet.' W.hat, a moral they tfrere making thit it ' would not get up ' or run. into a place. "Hpgh collected £20. from the Englishmen ahfl;theh\veiit aWay to get it on— : c.g;, into his oWn "pocket. A, suggestion Was then made that a trip should he taken to Athletic Park, where the" North y. Spiith football niatch was being play? fed, and' on aritval liomie after the game. j Hugh woUld probably get' a witi saying much Ancyle had i #on , hy"an i d wh<t J price he paid. , "■'■'■'■ '" , v .f'The football was^no^i enjoyed much, as the Englishmen were too "excited and "were dyihtr to k:now how much "Ancvle had paid, so they' "left the TJSrk befpre the conclusion of the game and* adjourned', hohie ;t6' await' the afrifcil of- a wire. Hugh ; guided '■ ttiem to a v cer|ain hnstelry ,m Wi^jsrstreet, where, s'lire enough', he saw a wire m 'the lettercase" and opened it m front of a couple of the Englishmen. The latter held, their Titeiths while Hugh read aloud : 'Bro&e dpwrt' badly 'when winning easily.' '-What; bad luck,' said one of Huqji's f)dend>s, and the . - other rematked how sprry he was f orppor old Jim. Hugh tpqk his supposed loss qjiite calmly, and ,reI'rii'arlred' that it was all m the game, but. he {*ould have like it- to come off as ;he wanted theni to have a win. He then tqok his leave' with much hand-shaWn* and' expressions of good luck for next Saturday (the _\ Test ma;tch) . " ShoijtJ.v afterwards Japics arrived, hack frpm the ' Hutt, and tlie tkent.7 quid was" cut yp ;. into' ,'two " shares, andi to this day I •doiiht if the S/Hglishinen are a' bit the. wiser." """ "f