SHARPING THE SHARPERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1157, 27 March 1884, Page 1

SHARPING THE SHARPERS.

“ Malvolio ” contributes the following good story to the Christchurch Telegraph : —Here is a yarn whose truth I can vouch for, and the incidents of which happened in a town on the West Coast. The town has a name, and so have the persons mentioned, but for reasons not unconnected with the law of libel, they must be nameless here for evermore, as Mr E, A. Poe would say. A young surveyor fresh from the wilds, and with a year's cheque in Iris pocket, entered the parlor of the principal hotel of the town, and found there three leading tradesmen and big wigs enjoying a little game of poker. He was asked to juin them, and consented when they urged the point. He knew their respectability and perhaps was not averse to a little gambling. He played for two hours and lost a considerable sum. He could afford to lose it, but ruminating on the course of the game, he was struck by the remembrance that he had been holding very fair hands—good enough to make money on as a rule, but in this case always beaten by something better. As a result of tin's recollection he added to it Bassanio’s ;—“ln ray school days when I had lost one shaft, I shothis fellow of the self-same flight,to find the other forth,” and sat down to continue the game. Presently there fell to him two aces and some rubbish. He concealed the aces in his coat, and slung his hand np. Following the same tactics he amassed a full hand, and then the game began. He went heavily on it; the enemy came to see him ; he raised ; they raised; he raised. Finally one of them put up a rise which brought the sum on the table up to £l5O, and asked to see him. The full hand was shown, and our patient friend gathered Al5O into Ids pocket with one quicit sweep, and stepped smartly back to the fireplace, from which he armed himself w ith a poker. 6 Now, gentlemen,’ he said, ‘you may be wondering where that full hand came from. Perhaps these may help you to understand,’ and lie drew from lu’s breast five cards, and threw them on the table. The four men rose to their feet, and one of them shut tlie door. ‘ Now, young fellow,’ he said, ‘just ante up, or you won’t leave this room.’ ‘Who n:cuiis to leave the room V returm d our hero ; and he brandished (tie poker wi'diy. ‘.l don’t, for one. Now, jusi you sir down while 1 <el yen s< nmti.iog. This is a nice litre gun- ->f cards that we've been miring, isn't :t ! lint you play it 100 many ways for me. I stand no show wiih you For instance, that fellow wi ll rlie line red b< ad has. a card in it now ; and you’ve her n dealing from the bottom of the pack all tie time; and those two gentlemen over iheie have improved ev. ry hand dealt to them by judicious selection and exchange. Now, if yon p eas y I w on’t expose you in your own (own. a <1 you can open that door and go.’ The four worthies looked at one another then at the poker. Then the red-henrded man pulled the card from its hiding-place, laid it gently on the table, and said, ‘ Boys, 1 reckon we’ll get.’ And they got. The surveyor kept his own money, and a commission en the rest for trouble and risk, mid handed the balance over to tlie local hospital ‘ from four repentant shine, s'.’ lie is now in CTiistclinrch, ami says he has given up playing poker with respectable strangers,