Adventure, February 1917 — page 126: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

124 away. But up until this particular moment neither Watson nor I had remained, much to Findley’s disgust, whenever I saw him quietly exchange the cards that had been dealt for cards that he had up his pocket, and begin betting as if the resources of Rockefeller were at his command. And he had been losing consistently too. This time I was ready and waiting for him. Watson raised him. Jones dropped out, and I raised Watson. Findley came back with a raise that took all of his chips and he threw a roll of bills on to the table. Wat- son threw down his hand, and withdrew from the pot. _ I called Findley and hit him with another raise. “That’s all the ready eoney I have,” he said. “This is a no-limit game,” I sneered. “Tt’s a wonder you didn’t bring along more than car-fare.”’ He winced. I made further remarks about people who tried to play in a man-sized game with only chicken-feed in their pockets. Findley asked Watson to loan him money, and showed his hand on the side. Watson refused, but signalled me for heaven’s sake to get out while I could, a T couldn’t win. I wasn’t in the mood to get a of the pot. Watson thought I was playing a square game. I don’t let every Tom, Dick and Harry know that I can manipulate the cards. Findley showed the hand to Jones, and he ‘started to loan the money, but a Badge from Watson changed his mind. The psychological moment had arrived. Watson, carefully coached, asked— “Say; Toby, haven’t you got any col- | lateral around here?” Findley looked thoughtfully a moment, studied the table and. then said to me: “T’ve got a little piece of paper in the safe that’s worth more money than has passed over this table tonight. I don’t want to put it up. I won’t sell it. I just want to get a little credit on it until to-morrow. [ll have plenty of money then. Of course, you have to take my word for it that it’s good. But my word’s good—you’ve made a big bluff and I want to call you. If I had.- the money I’d raise!” “Aw, forget it,’ I sneered. “Raise nothing. Go ahead, ring in your precious document, and if it’s worth anything, raise Adventure é on it. Pll show you you can’t bluff me with talk like that. Is it worth anything, Watson?” Watson said he didn’t know what it was, but he had heard Bristol say Findley called it his ‘‘gold mine.” “Bring it on,” I said. “T won’t have to show you what it is?” he asked. : “No,” I jeered. “You won’t have to show what it is—unless you’re looking for a chance to crawfish! Besides, you're going to redeem it tomorrow, aren’t you?”’ Watson went with a note to Bristol and came back with the document, while Find- ley and I sat watching each other to see that neither made a false move with his cards; although I knew I could make any kind of-false move I pleased right under his nose and he wouldn’t see. He didn’t play poker as a fine art. He threw the precious envelope on to the table and said— “T call you.” “Call me! I thought you were going to raise. Bah! Give me one card,” I said to Jones, who was dealing. “None for me,” said Findley. He was standing pat. I reached into my pocket for a cigaret- case; and no one could tell that in the same hand that brought out the cigaret-case were five cards—very desirable cards in poker. And when I removed a. cigaret and restored the case, I had just ten cards in my hand. But when I casually pushed the deck to one side to make room for my elbows, I had laid five cards on top of it, _and no one saw a thing out of the way. I didn’t spend two hours every morning practising, shuffling, dealing from the bottom, palming, stacking, marking and catching cards with the feel of my finger- tips, without acquiring the dexterity of a professional magician. Poker was to me as music to Paderewski, and I made my living by it and enjoyed it as an art. Ostensibly I had drawn one card after making heavy bets. Everybody around the board thought I had four of a kind. *Watson’s face was a study in apprehension and disappointment. Jones never moved a muscle, but sat with quiet eyes watching and saying nothing. Findley was beside himself with excite- ment. He begged me to let him play his mysterious document for what he thought (EAM Loveyxe) (C SS (EO)