Beadle's Dime Library No. 211 — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

18 Colonel Plunger. you were a younger man, colonel, I should say you were in love.” The colonel tried to laugh. ‘“You are please to be merree, sare. I vas tinking of de past in dis room, vat tale it could tell of de passion, de love, de hatred in de world. I tink of dat Lestaire, dat villain dat the room where Paul Malcolm got into that scrape? By Jove, old fellow, I’m sorry you had such an unfortunate relation. I’ve heard my father talk of that night, and he said he didn’t blame Paul.” ‘* And who was dis Paul Malcolm?’ the colo- nel asked, in a low voice. ‘*My mother’s only brother,” said Frank, rather sadly. ‘I never knew him, poor man, and I never heard much good of bim from my grandfather Malcolm; but my mother always told me that if ever I heard any one decry his ‘Oh, humbug! Suppose he was like me, memory, | was to defend it, for he was not as | what’s the difference? There are lots of men bad as they said.” | look like me.” The colonel nodded absently and muttered: | ‘Who was this mpeply V asked Howard **Ts that all? Not so bad as they said?” Smith, wiihadrawl * ms to me I’ve heard ‘‘Indeed they said—at least my grandfather | the name before?’ did—very hard things againostbim. Butbethat | ‘‘ Yes, sare. I doubt not. as it may, it was in this room that be lost toone | de Vigilance Committee—dat is, he was ordered of bis friends so large a sum that his father to be hanged, but allowed to escape if he would refused io pay it, and turned him out of | doors.” **TIndeed, sare? And how did he lose it?’ many. Pardon. California. His name Sharplee.” Croo.e’s color flickered as he said: Ah, indeed?” observed Kettleton; ‘was this | wondered if dat was bhisreal name. He wasa tall, thin man vid de brown eyes and hair, and He was hung by | | ruin so many home, dat wreck the life of so | engagement with a lady to-night. are more and more like a man I once know in | | | He frowned at the colonel’s question, **No, Iean’t. I play.my game. I don’t give away points on it.” ‘You are right, sare,” observed the colonel, blandly. ‘‘I vill vatch, and say no more.” Crooke flashed a glance over him, : ‘‘Watch away. Come, boys, I’ve a. little Hurry up Ah, Monsieur Crooke, you | with the deai, I can’t play after twelve.” Then they cut for deal, and the game began, Courtland giving the cards. Several hands were played, and no high bets had yet been made, the players winning or losing with equanimity. The colonel had lighted a cigar, and was piaeealy smoking, while he regarded the gam- slers with a mene glance. When the deal came round to Crooke, the veteran got up and went back to a sideboard, _on which still reposed various implements of quit de countree, which he did. I have often — table cutlery, and some bottles of wine, with an open box of cigars. At the back of this sideboard, a little above Crooke’s chair, was a looking glass, and the _ colonel could see the gambler’s cards as he dealt “At poker. But the real trouble was, that in de Californian dey call him de ‘ Scarface Sharp.’ his case the game broke up in a quarrel, in | He haf a cut on de side of his face, just as you which Paul Malcolm accused his adversary of | say dat Lestaire have. Yet it is very strange. | cheating at cards, and the result was that, be- He was de very image of Monsieur Crooke dere, ing unable to prove his charge, he was expelled all but de scar. I see monsieur do not have any from the club, and at once left the country.” | scar on bis face.” ‘‘ And bis antagonist, who was he, sare?’ the , All eyes were instantly turned on Crooke, colonel asked, curiously. : who was seen to be flushed and angry as he re- ‘‘ That’s the saddest part of the story. He was _ torted: in those days a handsome fellow, wild but * Well, I must say, you’re choosing a queer honorable, as every one thought, and the idea theme in the misd eds of the fellow that looks of nis being unjantiy accused by my poor uncle like me. I’m sure! can’t help personal resem- made every ove his friend. But in less than blances. Now you speak of it, 1 remember two years after, he was detected really cheating hearing of the same man in California, but I at another game, and in his turn was expelled never sawhim. I’m told be was drowned at in disgrace.” sea in trying to get to Australia,” “Yes,” observed Courtland, soberly, ‘‘ I’ve often herd my father speak of it, and say that he believed after all, Paul Malcolm had been ‘** Dey said so, sare, but I had ocular evidence right. Butit was too late for Paul’s fair fame. dat de man did notdie. I saw bim at de race Lester was driven away, but the next thing we | de oder day, and he did recognize me, I tell heard of Paul was that he had been killed in , you, sare. dat man is alife, and in de citee to- Mex co, and no one has ever heard of Lester night. But of vatimport is it to talk of him? since that day.” Come, messieurs, | am quite curious to see dis ‘* And dis Lestaire, sare,” inquired the Colo- ' American game dat you call pokaire. In nel, who seemed much interested, ‘‘doyou mean France ve play ecarte and piquet and baccarut, tosay no one has evaire seen him since?’ and de rouge-et-noir and roultte, but I haf Caan not seen dis game you call pokaire. How do ‘And you are sure he has never come to de | you play it?” city again?” | Kebttleton laughed as he said: ‘“‘No. That is, not that I ever heard of, or; ‘Oh, it’s simple enough. We'll soon show some one would have known him.” | you the rules, but I warn you it will cost you At this moment Crooke entered, bluff and | a good deal of money to learn it. Hey, boys, surly as usual, his hearty laugh and frank ways | what d’ye say?” ingratiating bim with every one, and it was They all laughed, and Frank observed: not till they were seated at table that the colo- ‘* Yes, colonel, don’t you try ié among such a nel went on speaking to Courtland, saying: | lot of sharps as we are. Why, the boys would ‘*Wis Lestaire, sare, dat cheat at cards, I am | skin you alive. Poker’s our national game, and curious to hear of him, Vat sort of man vas he | foreigners don’t stand any chance at it. Come, like #? waiter, clear away the dinner and bring the ly, and interjected: ** 1? sure I don’t know, colonel.” ecards. You can look on, colonel.” _ “Did you evaire see him, sare?’ asked the ~ ‘‘I t’ank you, sare. I s’all do so for a leetle colonel. addressing Crooke directly. while. Ido not understand de game, but I vill The Bos: Better stared at him frigidly. - ‘See whom, sir?” “A man called Lestaire, dat dey say did cheat at cards in dis club twentee year ago, ” TEN minutes Jater, five gentlemen were seated re. “T? No. How should I? I’ve only been a | round a green table, each with a little pile of resident here for about three years,” was the | counters ip front of him, in white, red, green, _ hasty answer. “I don’t know any of these’ and blue ivory. twenty-year-ago scrapes.” Four of the gentlemen were young, the fifth The colonel smiled placldiy. of middle age, while a sixth, who was quite “Pardon, sare. I had an idea you might, on | gray and wore eyeglasses, sat next to Frank account of your age. Monsieur Noble, did you | Noble, between him and Crooke, and looked on ever hear dat Lestaire describe?” | at the game with great apparent interest and Frank nodded. | we “Yes: I've heard my mother say he was tall | Colonel Plunger was, in fact, a marvel of and thin, with a bandsome face, brown eyes | innocence at the mysteries of poker. He asked and hair—tbat’s all.” | questions innumerable about the rules of the ** And was dere nof some mark dat he might | game before the cards were dealt, and received be known by, sare? Ds thin people may become | much instruction in return fiom the younger fat in de old age.” members of the party, who were excessively Frank hesitated. amused at finding a man past forty who did not * Well. I’ve heard that he bad a scar on one | understand the great American game Py ap uarrel with my uncle, To be sure they were very accommodating, ho knocked bim senseless and cut the side of | and tried to make the game clear to the inno- is face open with one blow; but thet wouldn’t | cence of their visitor. entify him if he were alive. Besides, what’s | Kettleton told him how many cards were use of discussing it now? Both are proba- | dealt, what was the meaning of the expressions dead and buried.” ‘eldest hand,” ‘‘ holding the age,” ‘‘ anteing,” ‘Ay, ay. broke in Crooke, with a harsh | “chipping,” “blinds,” ‘‘stracdles,” and so “Both are dead, Here’s to their quiet | forth. Howard Smith, equally accommodating, told the innocent colonel all about the value of different hands, how a royal flush beat every- thing, four of a kind came next, and how the value of bands went down through fulls, flushes, threes, straights. pairs, and so forth, down to the lowest: possible combinations. Frank Noble told him all about bluffing, and tried to give him an idea of the average value of a hand, while Courtland advised him of the difference between hands as first drawn, and after modification. When they were all through, the colonel turned to Crooke, and observed: ‘*And you, sare, ean vou not tell m6 a | try to learn.” CHAPTER XIX. A LITTLE GAME OF POKER. And he drained off a glass of wine a‘; a gulp, and dashed into conversation with a "jrilliancy that always charmed his younger auditors, tell- ing them stories of adventure in other lands, and displaying a cynical philosophy and know!l- edge of the wcurld that amused and interested them all. All but the colonel. Every one noticed that he was silent and ab- stracted during the dinner, and said nothing unless he was questioned. Once, when Kettleton appealed to him on some point about French customs, he answered in an absent way: ee leetle of dis great game; how it is played?” ‘*T do not know, sare. I have not been dere so long—dat is—i beg pardon—vat did you Crooke had not said a word during the lec- say!” tures, but sat glocmily looking at the table, ‘Oh, never mind,” retorted Kettleton. ‘It ‘ drumming with his fingers, Colonel Piunger had been watching him keen- | them. Colonel Plunger threw the cigar he had been | smoking out of the back window, saying: | ' | , ' | — | | | ‘*Dem cigar do not draw.” Then he lighted another, looking in the glass all the time, and puffing loudly, as if the second cigar were equally hard to draw with the other. His second glance revealed Crooke’s hand, and the colonel saw he had six cards, one of them the king of hearts, The next moment the colonel saw the king of hearts disappear up Crooke’s sleeve, while the rest of the gambler’s band consisted of three fives, a deuce, and the queen of clubs, The colonel strolled back to his place, and blew a cloud of smoke over the table, while he glanced over Frank Noble’s cards which were beside bim. Frank had three nines, the queen of hearts, and jack of diamonds, and he put in a ebip. raised the bets, and it came to Crooke, wko said quietly: ‘*T guess I raise this pile a thousand dollars. It’s time we had a little fun.” 4 The eolone] drew iz another volume of smoke, and heard Frank say: ‘*T’ll see it, and raise it ten.” “Then I’m out,” quoth KettJeton, dryly, ‘‘a pair of aces don’t warrant so mucb,” And he dropped his cards face up, while Courtland, who was next, after some hesita- tion, threw up his cards, and Smith followed suit, ‘** Well,” asked Frank, seeing that Crooke was his only opponent, ‘‘ what do you dof” The Boss Better Jaid down his cards, the colonel watching him through the smoke, and said quietly: Pi call you,” As he spoke he pushed a bundle of blue chips into the pool, and Frank imitated his example. ‘“* Well what have you got?’ asked Crooke. “Three nines,” ‘* They’re good,” ? And.the\Boss Better gathered up the hands, shrffled @theeards and passed them over to Courtland, while Freank said: ***T thought you were bluffing, old fellow, I vonder what you had now?” Crooke sneered. ‘It cost me ten thousand to find out your hand. I guess you'll have to pay to look into ine, Deal the c rds; money talks.” Frank flushed slightly as he went on dealing, and PS Lap eT . ‘* Yes, anoney talks. 0 ou’re prepared to do a Jittle of it tonight. vi oem ‘‘T’ve : ot the pny thousand I won from you to-day,” sneered Crooke. “Tl give you a chance to say double or quits.” ** You can bet your life it won’t be double,” said Frank sharply. ‘“I’mnota baby at poker, can tell you. I may make you double, if you don’t beg.” Crooke flashed an evil glance at him, but said no more, and the colonel saw that under the mask Of civility used by all at the table, the passion’ of gambling was beginning to work, and that Crooke was angry at his loss and de- termined to xet if back. The nexf hand Frank drew a of seve the queen of hearts, king ard jack of eran, an to He received a pair of queens, and the colonel glancing through the smoke, saw another card disappear up ke’s sleeve. The betting on this hand resulted in favor of the young man again, but the bet was only a thousand dollars, and again it was Crooke who ost it, He paid it with a smile, seeming to have com- bo into the pool, drawing three pletely recovered his temper, and pushed his cards over to Courtland so as to conceal the fact that he had only kept four. _ ' Courtland dealt the third hand, and this time the colonel rose as if to stretch bis limbs and leaned against the back of his chair, as if to survey the room, but in reality to command a Keitleton, Courtland and Smith successively — Gomichboo (E(0) ‘S