A Remarkable Fluke.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 226, 29 October 1887, Page 7

A Remarkable Fluke.

By Captaijt Crawley.

(From KZ. Tit-Bits.) Everybody talked about the great match, and for a whilo Billiai'ds was the most favourite gamo in the club. ,It was a tremendous victory. Never had Spotsfcroke been in such form ; never had Rattlccue displayed such science ' Altogether a most wemarkable contest,' said Lord Henry. * Just the time to get up another money match,' observed Placer. * Will you back the winner, my lord, if wo decide on a meeting ? ' His lordship said he would ; and, moreover, that he ' didn't mind putting down the pieces and betcinga hundred on his man.' This wa« exactly what Macer and Jenkins required. There would be no difficulty, they argued between themselves, in arranging a match. Spotty should play Ratty for ahundred aside, on a new table specially erected by Messrs So-and-so, the game to be played in the grand saloon of the ' St. Gileis and St. James,' admission half a guinea ; scerved seats, one guinea ; play to cmimence at eight o'clock precisely. Nothing could be easier ! * Why, the gate-money alone w ill pay the expenses,' buggested Macer ; ,' and then wo phall have nothing to do but to square the men. There is such a thing, you know, areulvoning without your host. In this case it so happened that the men could not be so easily squared. They wanted to have it a little their own way, they said. Lord Henry's hundred might do very well. The Professors candidly admitted it would be fifty apiece, but that wasn't enough. They must have a longer and a stronger pull. What about the gate-moncv ? 'Oh, that,' Macer, 'that'll be all right. You get the hundred down, and we'll cover it with another. You play, and take your tip from me.' ' No, that won't do. We must have better terms,' said Spotstroke. 'We'\e talked the matter over — haven't we, Rattle?— and we don't see our way to a division unless you can make it a hundred a-piece. Do we, Ratty V 'Besides,' observed liattlccue, ' thei-e's my reputation ! Can't risk that, you know.' 'Of course not,' sneered Jenkins, 'unless we make it worth your while' The Professors smiled. ' Both your whiles. We don't want anything but vfhat is square and straight, do "we, Jenkins ? asked Macer. ' Certainly not. Well, look here. Lord Henry finds the hundred for Spotty '; we find ditto tor Ratty ; we manage the whole concern, and put you on a hundred for nothing. Will that do ?' ' Yes — yes,' said SpotstroUe blowly. * What do you say, Rat V ' Serene !' assented Rattlecue; ' only let's have a fair understanding as to the " chips'' before we start.' Then they went into a private room, and, like honourable gentlemen, drew up an Agreement which was to bind them all four. The Match was to be largely advertised ; the Press was to be properly woiked ; the Swells were to be kept in the dark : the Public were to be educated up to payingpoint ; and the Lord Henry s money was to be equally divided ; all the betting—except such as the men chose to make on their own account — to be left in the hands of Messrs. Macer aud Jenkins. This was tho secret agreement, which was not put in writing. In the public document the terms weie stated in a somewhat different style, and adveitisetl thus :—: — BILLIAKDS !— Great MaHi for Two Hundred Guineas ! between those Famous Cueists (winners of the Great American Handicaps), A. Spot;- trokj: and B Rvttlkcue, on Tuesday, October 21st, 1879, on a new table, specially bnilt by Messrs So-and-So, the eminent Manufacturers of Mesopotama and Timbuctoo, in the grand saloon of the St. Giles and St. James restaurant. The stakes to be held by the Editor of the Sporting Tipster, and paid over to the winner on the conclusion' of the match. Play to commence at half-pas«t seven precisely. Tickets 10s. 6d. each Reserved seats, one guinea. Nothing could be better. The sportino press to a newspaper gave it publicity, and believed in it to a man. The daily journals of them) inserted preliminary puff paragraphs. The clubs were duly and industriously circularized. The Avails were well billed with large staring placards, on which the combatants were seen in the whitest of shirt-sleeves and the glossiest of trousers and waist coats, playing on the greenest of tables. There was a real interest awakened in the minds of all lovers of the noble and ancient game. The important night arrived. The saloon of the ' St. Giles and the St. James 1 began to fill by seven o'clock ; and by the appointed time there were.very few seats left unoccupied. Swells from the clubs — real hwells in real evening dress — occupied the velvet-cushioned chairs in front, just as they would the stalls of the neighbouring theatre only instead of toothpicks they had cigars. A row of seats, just above and full in view of the play, at the spotend of the table, was specially reserved for the Gentlemen of the Press, The upper forms were filled by a carefully-selected body Of Deadheads, the Marker stood in front of a highly illuminated raarking-boavd ; and after the preliminary weighing of balls and balancing of cues, introduced in a psmpous voice, " My lord sand gentleman, the players, A. Spot&troke and B. Rattlecue ; a thousand up for a stake of two hundred guineas ! Love all I"' A slight buzz of applause as the Professors string for lead, and then the play began. For the first two hundred or so they kept well together, making pretty little breaks of from ten to forty, and now and again showing the company what could be done with three ivory balls and a leather -tipped cue when a thorough adept stood behind them. At last an opening came for Rattlecue. He pocketed the red ball in the middle, and ran the white into a favourable position for the spot-stroke. ' Good,' whispered Macer (so Jenkins ; * get at 'em ; now's your time ! ' ' I'll take odds oti the non-striker,' said Jenkins quietly. Nobody replied; btat the Marker, in a sonorous tone, observed, ' After a break, gentlemen \ no oet'ting allowed/ * Then,' said a wag, in a_ stage whisper, 'We must r&ake our wagers in silence.' At this there was unanimous titter, and several little books were seen to emerge from several waistcoat-pockets, and several little pencils were presently engaged in booking several little bets with Jenkins and Macer, At the conclusion of Rattlecue's break there was loud applause, and the game was called— ' Three hundred and fifty-se/Ven to two hundred and'fourteen ! ' Spotstroke now had his chance, but he failed to hole the red moro than six times consecutively j and Rattlecue went on again. With a break of ninety, a spin of forty, including ten close cannons that could be covered v/itih. a lady's pocket-handkerchief ; a cleverly played innings of thirty-eight— his ' opponent only adding, between whiles, some 'fifty rpoiftta' to his score.

'Four hundred and eighteen to two hun- I dred and" sixty-six !" Tho excitement visibly increased. Bets to a considerable amopnfc were made on ( the game ; Lord Henry and ' his friends gave the odds very readily ; Macer arid Jenkins were busy with their little books ; the, Gentlemen of the Presslookcd quietlyopand made their notes of the score ; strangers were suddenly infected with the spirit of spocu- j lation ; the Deadheads whispered among themselves ; and the Professors pursued their little game with admirable coolness and undeniable judgement. At last, when the score had mounted to — 1 Rattlecue five hundred and forty-one, Spotstroke three hundred and seventeen, the Marker announced — 'An interval, gentleman, of twenty minutes.' Tho Professors, with Lord Henry and a few 'of his intimate friends, including Messrs Macer and Jenkins, the Hon. Tom Tricker and Major Mouser, little Moneybag's and Lionel Lewis, of the Stock Exchange adjourn to a private room, where there is champagne and soda ; the general company go down to the bar, and get swindled with twopennyworths of strong waters for a shilling ; the Gentlemen of the Press accept wine and compliments from the eminent Messrs. So-and-so j and the Deadheads hover around any knot of talkers and drinkers willing to stand treat and to listen to, if not accept, their opinions as to the chances of the game. Everything is what is known as Ro^y ! Macer and Jenkins linger behind the rest when tho time of resuming the play hus arrived. ' It's all right,' whispers Macer ; ' I've booked Lord H. for a 'thou.,' and the rest of 'cm for all they can afford. Spotty backs himself, and Ratty backs Spot. Can't go wroNg. Must pwll it off this time.' ' And no mistake,' assents Jenkins. Smilingly they re-enter tho saloon and take their seats near to, but just behind, j Lord Harry and tho swells on the vclvetcu shionedchairs. Still veiy Rosy ! The play is re&umed. It is now quite understood among the initiated what the j result is to be. A little vicarious betting, and then the company settle down expectantly. Strangely enough, the favourite of the evening is hardly able to make a stroke ! He tries cannons, and misbcs them by a hair's breadth. He plays at the spot-stroke, and leaves the led just in the jaws of the pocket. And so presently the distance between the scores is lessened, and lessened, and lessened, till,, in about an hour's time, the Marker culls, ' Seven hundred all ! ' Macer and Jenkins can barely conceal their interest in the contest. They order and diink aB. and S. split, nnd compare notes. They bend over thoshouldeis of Lord Henry and his friends, and whisper wouls that sound like ' Double the stake ; three or two,' and so on. And then Spotbtioke makes the break of the evening—a hundred and lifty with thirtyfour consecutive winning hazards ! Rattlecue sits down near to Macer, and thete is is a little whimpering ; and, when it is his turn to play, he plays as though he really meant to win. 'He does !' say the Swells to each other. 'He don't !' think Macer and Jenkins. 'He means it, but we'll back the other man,' bay such of the Deadheads as are, or believe they are, in the secret. He plays so well that the score, notwithstanding all Spot's endeavours, is once more even. ' Nine hundred and twenty-one all ! ' Macer and Jenkins look a little anxious, whisper each other, — ' Ratty mustn't win ! ' *He won't ; no fear ! ' ' Best hedge a bit ! ' ' Wait till Spotty goe& on ! ' Spotstroke goes on, and on, as break succeeds break on either side, fully justifies the confidence reposed in him by his friends. Neither player makes long scores now. Bobh seem to be on the defensive. They say nothing, not a word ; but set themselves down seriously to the task before them. Rattlecue again forges ahead — so far ahead as to delight his backers, and proportionally alarm the friends of the other man. ' Getting wather a close thing,' observes Lord Henry, now that bo!;h players are well in. their last hundred. ' Another pony on the Spot !' whispers Macer. Done !' says the gentleman who manages his lordship's book. Macer and Jenkins are in great glee when their man gets once more in front. But tho adherents of Rattle are not a whit less buoyant when he finishes his carefully-considered break of twenty-nine. And so they pass and repass each other till Rattle gets up to nine hundred and ninety-three againstnine hundred and sixtynine. Then he breaks down, leaving the red close over the corner pocket. ' I'll take three to one on the striker !' cries Macer, as Spotstroke rises from his seat and prepares to play the necessary thirtyone. ' Done ! ' ' Done ! ' ' Done ! ' In three places from the front seats. Spotstroke makes easy work of what he and everybody considers the last break of the game. He goes in off the red. He cannons off the white. He drops the red in the middle, and pockets it from the spot time after time, till there is only a single red hazard needed to complete the thousand up I Then he fails, —really, truly, and unmistakably fails. And this is the position of the balls : the red ball over the left-hand corner pocket ; the white ball near to and and nearly over the right-hand middle pocket ; and his opponent^ ball in hand. Rattlecue rises and looks at the position —critically. Thinking, *If I score, I might win ! If I win, I lose my bets, which wiU swallow up all my share of the other wagers j and more !' Spotetroke looks on with a nonchalant butreally serious air ; and he thinks, 'If Rat scores off the balls as they stand, he must win I If ho wins, I loose all my bets, and Lord H, pockets the stakes ! ' He glances —the merest glance— at Rattle, and is reassured. Rattlecue has made up his mind. Spot must win. And that will bring about the much-desired division of Lord Henry's hundred, and their share of the wagers, and the hundred to nothing they get from the honourable conspirators. So he places his ball on the left-hand spob in the semicircle, and plays sharply with a strong side at the white over the middle. ' Missed it, by Jove !' exclaims Jenkins , ' Sh-sh-sh !' whispers Macer ; and then they and the company watch the run of the ball. They may well watch. Rattlecue makes the most Amazing Fluke that, was ever made on a billiard table* His ball flies to the cushion, misses the white, crosses over \ to the top, cuts the red in the corner, comes down again to the right-hand cushion, passes curvingly to the bottom; crosses by^ a short angle to the left-hand cushion, lazily tips the white into the middle pocket, and then 'curls away to the corner and falls in ! Below is a diagram of the position and the stroke. It is all over ! In an instant everybody has risen, and there is such, a buzz— and such applause— and such ill-disguised curses — and such glee amoug the winners — and such dismay among the losers, as never > was witnessed before.

Macer rand r and Jenkins are nowhere to be seen. , Lord Henry and. his friends are cool but jubilant, , , The Professors utter not a word. , . The, Representative of the Sporting Tipster hands over the Btakes. The Gentleman, of the Press look knowingly at each other. The- Public and the Peadheads are delighted, as they (some of them) have backed the winner. And next morning the reports for once agree. They all pronounce it— 'A Remarkable Fluke !'