Beadle's New York Dime Library No. 302 — page 26: what you’re looking at

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

| i | 26 Faro Saul, the Handsome Hercules. reenter ec i LL LLL LLL LLL winnings and placing them on the ace and an- other card. It was astonishing how closely fortune clung to him, for through that deal and into the next he hardly lost abet. And when be did this, it chanced to be one of the smaller ones. By this time he was surrounded by a circle of men, three deep, all eagerly watching the progress of the game, their interest steadil growing as they saw the cool 18 orm keep his original stake in play as well as all his winnings, until the “‘ lay-out” was almost covered with bills. And along, pent-up breath came from their lungs as he successfully called the turn, thus receiving four times his stake. Gathering in his winnings and stacking them neatly before him, the Neonat wee critically watched the shuffling of the cards by those white hands, then observing: ‘* Of course a lady never attempts to aid for- tune by any peculiar sleight-of-hand?’ ‘““Whatdo you mean by that, sir?’ flashed Queen Titania. ‘Nothing at all; the remark merely slipped between my teeth unawares. Still, it is lucky, for I never at saw fingers nimble or dexterous enough to cheat my eyesight.” At this instant a heavy hand fell upon the shoulder of the sport, and he whirled sharply around, to confront the giant gambler, whose face was very pale, whose eyes flashed with a dangerous fire as he spoke: ‘‘Guard your tongue a little more mney my dear sir, or it may get you into trouble. We play on the square here, and permit no man to brow out hints of foul dealing.” “I'm delighted to hear it,” coolly drawled the sport, peg fixedly into the face of the bi man, then adding, with a most insolent draw!: ‘* And who the devil are you, anyway?” ** My oame is Saul Oberlin, and— “Faro Saul, eb? Well, I’m Johnny Wild, from Fr’isco,and I came all this distance to shut you up in business! Look ‘on, if you like, and take a few notes. It may result ingiving youa fresh start in life, afier I've got through with you. At the coming of Faro Saul, and particularly after one glance into bis hard-set face, the crowd hastily scattered to either side, evidently fearing the passing of worse than compliments between the two sports; but as he concluded, Johnny Wild turned his back toward the giant gambler and sorting a handful of bills so that a glance would determine their value, placed them on the king, quietly uttering: ‘* We'll give baby-play the go-by now, and get down to business, since there is a master of the art looking on and taking notes. Letthem slip, am Machine, if you a There is no necessity for noting the turn of each card. Now, as from the very first, fortune steadily stood true to the bold gamester. And as he raked down wager after wager, with bardly a loss to vary the flowing tide, Faro Saul grew paler and paler, while the ugly devil crept higher in his black eye. Queen Titania made the customary pause when the final turn was reached, and without any a hesitation or stop for study, Jobn- ny Wild said, suiting bis action to bis words: ‘* Ten thousand that I catch the turn again!” By his manner of placing his stake, he told his choice of winner, indicated the loser and the card left in hock. In this case he played the Lye to win, the nine to lose, with the deuce the last card. Slowly Queen Titania slipped out the cards, and a murmur went up froim the spectators, for once more the dashing sport was the winner! Only for the ominous presence of the giant gam- bler, that murmur would have been a shout ‘fit to take the roof off!” Slowly Queen Titania counted out the heavy loss, while Johnny Wild turned carelessly to- ward Faro Saul, saying: “I'm running over with happiness at meeting with you, my dearsir! I’ve been amusing my- self with baby-play unti) you showed up! An- other turn or two with this fair lady, and then, if you are agreeable, we will have a friendly little tilt.” ‘‘Your winning, sir,” said Queen Titania, with a perceptible tremor in her voice as she pushed the notes over, ‘Let them rest, please. I'll stake the whole on the first turn the cards. Shuffle, please, and call me when ready.” There was a brief silence, then Queen Titania said: ‘Not to-night, sir; the bank is broken!” Scarcely had the words passed ber lips, when Faro Saul, his voice barsh and hoarse, cried out: ‘*Notso! The bank never breaks as long as there isa player with a dollar to stake against it! Jobnny Wild turned and gazed curiously into the now redly-flushed countenance ef the Hand- some Hercules, whose usual nerve had been Jost in that humiliating moment. Then, too, he had ven Queen Titania more than one sign which ad passed unseen or at least unh , and he was fairly boiling over with ra ‘* You mean that, my dear fellow?’ drawled the Thoroughbred as he blew a ring of smoke from bis mustached lips. _ | a “Every word. If you doubt—” ‘*] do doubt, Faro Saul,” and all trace of lazi- ness vanished as by magic. ‘‘I doubt it most decidedly, andam willing to back my opinion with ducats! Ill bet any part of $50 that the bank does break, if you dare meet all my bets!’ CHAPTER XXI. A BATTLE BETWEEN APOLLO AND HERCULES. A MOMENT of breathless silence, then came the excited and slightly wind-broken voice of Don Bobtail Fandango: ** Didn’t I tell ye he was a thoroughbred from poll to coronet, from muzzle to fly-flipper an’ back ag’in? I’m bettin’ all the ducats I ever hed an’ lost that the ten gr riey from Fr’isco lays clean over—durned ef 1 do!” and the patriotic little stage-driver snatched off bis battered hat, flung it up to the ceiling, and almost split his throat with a stentorian ‘*‘ Whooray fer Enough, an’ bad luck tumble all over the hea- then which tries to pull out her tail-featbers to splice onto his own starn-gearin’!” Faro Saul said never a word in answer to that bold bluff of the Frisco Thoroughbred, though those who knew him best felt a cold thrill creeping over them as they noted how pale his face had grown, how stern-set were his features, and how redly glowed the light in his black eyes. They felt as though their wisest lan would be to beat a hasty retreat before the owering ‘storm should break, yet were unable to tear themselves away. For one brief moment Saul Oberlin met that keen, mocking, bantering gaze, then shrugged his broad shoulders slightly as he passed around the end of the faro-table, making a sign for Queen Titania to vacate her throne. Slipping into it himself, he whispered a few hasty words into her ear, when she hastened out through the bar-room. Handling the cards mechanically, Saul glanced over the table at the bold sport, showing his teeth as he gently uttered: “T believe I heard you say something about betting? May lask you to repeat your propo- sition, and to say it slow?’ “With all imaginable pleasure, my dear sir. You said this bank never broke; I offered to bet your own sum that it would be broken, if you ad sand enough to meet all the wagers I saw fit to make.” ‘“Wildeat flyers, or dead-open-and-shut, of course!” sneered the giant gambler, all pretense of politeness vanishing. “Not at all,” was the coolretort. “I leave them to the faro-bankers whom I leave on the shoals. As far as I am concerned, I claim to be a gentleman, even while rejoicing in the name of a thoroughbred sport.” “Do you happen to see any one present whom you think has a less perfect claim to those titles, Mr. Johnny Wild?” slowly asked the giant, the eves of the rival sports meeting in a steady . ‘ The Fri’sco Thoroughbred shrugged his shoul- ers. “Are we not drifting a little off the point? Business first, and when I have cl your bank, according to Hoyle, I will be most happy to enter ona discussion of morals and al] the various items which £ to make up a gentleman rt. In one word, will you make me that bet, or do you take water?’ ‘“‘T have $1,000 that says you can’t maké one square bet between now and sunrise that I will not cover. If a dispute arisés between us as to what constitutes fairness, the decision to be left to the majority of those present.” “That suits me, and money talks!” lightly replied Johony Wild, singling out a bank-note and after a rapid glance around the interested — tossing it to Don Bobtail Fandango, with: ‘‘Let our worthy knight of the brake and ribbons hold stakes. He no ge to be the only citizen of Good Enough with whom I have even a bowing acquaintance.” With an indifferent shrug Sau! assented, and the proud little driver ‘‘froze onto” the money right promptly. ‘**Good enough! and here I come at you, my dear fellow!” cried the Thoroughbred. “One hundred dollars that you dare not go back to the good old honest days of faro, and discard your box.” ‘“What do you mean by that?” sharply de- manded Faro Saul. ‘* Business, pure and simple, no less! As it happens, I am an old dealer at faro myself, and from past experience I know that a perfectly square box is the exception—and a precious rare one at that! Mind you,” as the giant gambler made an impatient movement, ‘‘1 don’t sa yor tools are not among the exceptions, or if hey are crooked that you are aware of the fact; I simply give the rule, and make the bet. It’s your say-so.” “You mean for me to discard the box and — faro out of hands? slowly inquired Ober- nm. ‘*From an uncovered deck on the table, yes.” For answer, Oberlin covered the money staked, and dropped the silver b-x into a drawer (reenter eteellaeeiate e t eC LC LLL. LLL L_LLLLLLLO D LLLLLLLLLLBLBLLLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LLL LL LLL ALLL LLL LLL —_ which opened beneath the table close at his side. Johnny Wild smiled, bowed and said: “Thanks! the money is yours as soon as the first card is turned. nd that may be as soon as you please, my dear fellow!” Saul glanced up from the cards he was shuf- fling, with a look of mock surprise, saying: ‘‘Really? I was expecting to have another wager flung at me, I really thought you were going to bet I wouldn’t let you furnish the cards for this open deal!” ‘* Ob, no,” was the carelessreply. ‘*‘ [am not quite so particular asall that comes to. I would not have made the other proposition, only L very foolishly one day took au oath to never —— heavily on a game of faro where a box was used. As for the cards, they matter but little, as lon as they are unassisted by artificial machinery. I flatter myself that I can read a marked card as truly ts the next man, and would ask no better bonanza than to have a well-heeled banker try to run in a deck of that sort on me while play- ing out of hand. What I can’t read at sight, is tee 2 apt to be to the dealer as Greek is to an iot.” ‘*'You have no small opinion of your powers!” “Because the t has proven them. When ou have a little less business on hand, my dear ellow, ll be happy to show you my record,” was the cool retort. “‘But as I was about to remark: of course there are such things as slip- ping the card, to favor the bank, but y a curi- ous chance, I never had a thing of that sort sa 2 to me twice in succession.” s he spoke, Johnny Wild laid a short-barreled but heavy calibered revolver on the table before him, after deftly twirling the cylinder arotind = making sure it was in perfect working cori- tion. ‘*If the cards are marked, so much thé worse for the dealer. I can read them at sight, and place my bets accordingly. The man don't live who can deal second on me from an open deck. If he should be fool enough to try it, there would be a funeral next day, and I’d furnish the material.” | “Ts that intended as a threat, Mr. Wild?” “By no means,” with a low bow. ‘Sim ly a statement of fact. Of course, if you thin it worthy, you can take it as a mild sort of warning.” Faro Saul made no answer, for just ther Queen Titania came hastily in, bearing with her a small, but stout metal box. The piant gambler opened this below the level of the table, then took up the cards and shuffled them deftly, all tell- émotion ban- ished from his face, voice and eyes, Queen Titania stood beside him, armed with a little ivory rake, as if she intended to act as croupier. Having shuffled the cards, Faro Saul ? them over fora cut, according to the rules of long-ago, then turned the deck face u Johnny Wild smiled a little at this mute indica- tion that his significant bint concerning the use of marked cards had not fallen on entirely sterile soil, but said nothing, “spreading” a handful of notes and placing them on the ten. With another bet “‘coppered” on the ace, he nodded. | Saul slipped the ‘‘soda” or exposed card aside, and with a light laugh the Thoroughbred pushed the money staked on his wager that the giant would not dare play with open deck, across to Queen Titania, saying in answer to her look of inquiry: “First blood for the bank! May it bea g omen—for the man who best deserves the of fair but fickle Fortune! Let the game roll on, my dear fellow!” A dozen or more cards were dealt, before either of the other two bets were effected, when two aces appeared in the same turn, thus form- ing what is technically known asa “split.” It may hardly be necessary to state in this connec- tion, that these “splits” form the greatest per- centage a dealer bas, since in all such cases the bank is entitled to take one balf the amount which may have been placed on the cards af- fected. The Thoroughbred gave no signs of annoy- ance or chagrin as Queen Titan divided his stake, simply adding to the remainder, and blowing another ring of blue smoke. And a@ couple of turns later his nerve was rewarded, for the third ace appeared on the banker’s side, which made the “‘ coppered” bet a winning one for the player. | “The ace always did hold a spite against me,” he said, with a careless laugh, drawin down his winnings, ‘‘ But l rather got the bes of him that turn, $5,000 goes on the deuce, I always was a deuce of a fellow!” “To talk, do you mean?” quietly interjected Faro Saul. “Ts it a rule of the house that a man must bridle his tongue?’ ejaculated the Tho - bred, in mock dismay. “If so, I fear Im jump the game. I nevercould keep still. Took after the mother’s side of the house, you see,” “Tt is Liberty Hall in that ae Tay course,” a little tartly retorted Saul. “We b many newly-fled spores in the course of a year, and it would not be politic to bind them by manly rules.” com Ghoo cS Be. reoy ALT 4 2% gs ‘