Pulp - Adventure.19.03.01Dirty Jim - S. B. H. Hurst (pdf)

by OMNICAdmin

his companions had shot one another,

  keeper of three lunatics to keep them mimicked distress at their quarrel.

  amused. While each man was determined

  “Remember we’re sort of partners in

  to do his best to win, not one of them

  business—what they call allies.”

  believed the winner would gain anything

  “Yes,”

  retorted

  Spritz with blunt

  tangible—so little trust did they have in

  honesty, “yes, we’re allies because one of

  one another.

  us alone ain’t heavy enough to stop others

  In fact, if there were anything at all

  from trading here.”

  at stake it was the off-chance that the losers

  “Cut the cards, Bill. Everybody

  would keep their words.

  ante,” Miller interjected.

  Even Nugent, who had intended to

  Spritz, about to deal the first card,

  play fairly, decided that he would be a fool

  paused, squeezing the pack between his

  to do so. But Nugent’s character was far

  huge paws.

  too complex for a superficial analysis. And

  “Seems to me you’re trying to run

  yet the men were as serious and intent as

  things?”

  any three men might be who delighted in

  “Well, is everybody to ante, or

  stud-poker; Miller giving each man ten not?”

  chips, taking ten himself, then

  “Everybody ante, of course—but

  ostentatiously closing the box. After which

  you don’t have to tell us.”

  he directed the boy to take the box, with

  Miller was a long way from being a

  the remaining chips, back to the cabin.

  coward, but a profitless quarrel did not

  appeal to his intelligence. He therefore

  FIRST jack deals.”

  made no answer, in spite of Nugent’s

  He began to deal ’round the cards,

  questioning glances—Nugent being quite

  Adventure

  6

  ready to take sides against the bullying

  “Well,” Miller sneered slightly,

  Sprite—contenting himself with lighting a

  “what are you going to do?”

  cigar.

  Nugent was watching him closely.

  Then Spritz dealt the cards, three

  “Allowed a bit of time, ain’t I?” he

  exposed and three buried. He looked at his

  asked nastily, sparring for that useful

  hole-card, and turned his exposed card face

  commodity.

  down—passing out, having only a deuce

  “All you want,” Miller puffed

  and a seven. He picked up the pack, deeply at his cigar, and grinned as he waiting to deal when the others had made

  looked at the exposed cards.

  their bets. Miller’s exposed card was a six-

  Nugent was thinking. All he had of

  spot, Nugent’s was a jack.

  value was the pair of jacks—his hole-card

  “You’re high,” Miller remarked.

  being a deuce. Of course, he had Miller

  “I see I am.”

  beaten in sight, for Miller only showed a

  Nugent had looked at his hole-card,

  pair of sixes. But what had he in the hole?

  and was now studying his opponent.

  There was the point and the little detail

  “Bet a “couple,” he added suddenly.

  which raises stud-poker to the height of one

  “See

  it.”

  of the greatest games in the world—its

  Miller pushed two chips toward the

  brother draw being of as low a scientific

  center of the table and nodded to Spritz,

  order as roulette.

  who dealt again.

  Nugent could see every card in his

  This time he dealt Nugent another

  opponent’s hand but one, just as Miller

  jack, and Miller a seven. It looked like a

  could see all of Nugent’s cards but one. But

  good place for Captain Miller to get out,

  Miller appeared to be confident of the

  but when Nugent, apparently trying to coax

  issue, while Nugent was not. Yet Nugent

  him along, bet one chip, Miller at once

  knew he had the best hand unless Miller’s

  pushed one chip to the center, grinning at

  hole-card was a six, a seven or a ten. If a

  Spritz’s look of surprise as the latter began

  six, he had three sixes; if a seven or a ten,

  to deal again.

  he held two pair—in either case enough to

  The deal gave Nugent a queen and

  beat Nugent.

  Miller another six. Nugent was still high

  But then the chances in Nugent’s

  with a pair of jacks and a queen in sight

  favor were the better—for he certainly had

  against his opponent’s pair of sixes and a

  the highest pair. But Miller’s confident

  seven; and it looked, unless Miller quit, as

  manner, and his ready calling, made it

  if he would be trusting to his luck to “draw

  appear that his hole-card improved his

  out.”

  hand. On the contrary, unless Nugent was a

  A bit annoyed at having as he player of a rare sort, his hesitancy at this thought coaxed his opponent to stay and

  last bet was proof that he had nothing but

  better his hand, Nugent now decided rather

  the pair of jacks.

  thoughtlessly to make him pay to stay. He

  “I check,” Nugent spoke suddenly,

  accordingly bet four of his remaining six

  meaning he passed the bet to his

  chips. To his surprise and secret alarm,

  opponent—about the best thing he could do

  Miller at once saw the bet, and Spritz dealt

  after waiting so long, and taking into

  the last two cards—Nugent a four and account the limited number of chips.

  Miller a ten. Nugent was still high in sight,

  Miller at once pushed his remaining

  and it was therefore his bet.

  chips to the middle of the table. He didn’t

  Dirty Jim

  7

  say a word.

  wanted to appear.

  Nugent shifted about in his chair

  It was not the first time Miller had

  uneasily. Spritz leaned forward, interested.

  outwitted him. There were matters of trade,

  The game had gripped the players—not one

  and other things, studding the years of their

  of them was thinking about the stake. acquaintance, which irked when they came Nugent sought Miller’s eyes as if to read

  to the surface of consciousness. His face

  through them the secret of his hole-card.

  flushed until the blood could be seen

  Then, still keeping his eyes on Miller’s, he

  creeping under his blond hair. Miller, on

  lifted his remaining chips as if to bet them.

  the contrary, was cool and comfortable. It

  “Sure you don’t want to draw was a favorite pose of his to seem unmoved down, Miller?” he asked, his voice by success. He pulled deliberately at his quavering slightly with excitement.

  mustache.

  “Quite sure.” Miller was laconic.

  “Cut,” repeated Nugent.

  And Nugent shook his head, with a

&nb
sp; “Might be a good idea.” Miller’s

  forced smile, retaining his chips on his side

  tone was silky, but it made Nugent the

  of the table.

  more savage, as it was meant to do.

  “I won’t bet ’em,” he snarled.

  Nugent dealt the cards, giving

  “You’ve got either two pair or threes. Take

  himself an ace and a king—above the

  the pot.”

  average hand. But he was cautious. He had

  Miller, with a slightly insulting only one chip left after the ante, and he gesture, raked in the pot; and as he pushed

  hoped for at least a pair when he was

  his cards away he turned over the buried

  forced to ask for a show-down. So he

  one. It was an ace.

  passed, remarking that he would—

  “——!” Nugent was furious. “I had

  “Just deal this hand, and watch.”

  you beat.”

  And now Tom Spritz determined to

  “Why didn’t you call, then?”

  show that he knew the game. The fact of

  Miller began to stack his chips, his having a pair of aces back to back—the while the other, on the verge of starting a

  best hand he could possibly hold at that

  row, slammed the cards together and began

  stage of the deal—helped him to that

  to shuffle clumsily. Spritz laughed shortly.

  determination. It was true that he only had

  “You ought to have called,” he eight chips in his stack against Miller’s advised.

  seventeen, but, to use an old saying, he had

  “The ——! I suppose you would?”

  chips enough for a good player.

  “Of course—anybody could see he

  Miller had a queen in sight and it

  was bluffing,” returned Spritz.

  was up to Tom to bet. He bet two chips and

  “Well, we’ll see. But you can never

  Miller called. Nugent gave each man

  tell how a hand looks unless you’re playing

  another card—Miller another queen, Spritz

  it.”

  a ten.

  He anteed one of his two chips, and

  “Big hands out, eh, Tom?” Miller

  pushed the pack to Miller to be cut. It

  spoke genially.

  looked as if Captain Nugent would have to

  “You bet,” Spritz grinned back, and

  play not only very good stud-poker but also

  bet another chip, which Miller called.

  play in very good luck if he were to have

  the privilege of kidnaping the Salvation

  THEN Nugent dealt Spritz another ten and

  Army girl. And he was more angry than he

  Miller a four. Spritz laughed loudly. He

  Adventure

  8

  had aces up while Miller only had a pair of

  he’s going to speak to Sydney Dick

  queens in sight, with a four. It looked like a

  about?”

  cinch. He pushed all his chips to the center,

  “What does it matter?” returned

  but Miller saw them without hesitating.

  Nugent cheerfully. “Dick’s probably

  “the ——!” cried Spritz. “It’s a drunk.”

  showdown, you know—but you’ve got lots

  But Sydney Dick was not drunk,

  of chips.”

  and to him the word of Spritz was above

  He turned over his hole-card, any law. The orders he received that showing that he had two pair. But Miller,

  afternoon were unusual, but he accepted

  without a sound, showed a queen in the

  them as if he were not a bit surprised—

  hole—three queens, the better hand.

  which he wasn’t. Then Spritz went back to

  “For God’s sake!” Spritz cried to

  his guests.

  Nugent “Give me another ace, Bill.”

  The game had changed somewhat.

  “I’ll do my best,” Nugent laughed

  When Sprite left Nugent had only a chip

  as usual, but he only dealt a six to Spritz

  left, hence a show-down for the ante was in

  and then as if to add insult to injury gave

  order. But Nugent’s luck had come to his

  Miller another four, making a full hand.

  rescue—for freeze-out is not poker in the

  “Like killing a louse with a legitimate sense of the word—and when hundred-ton gun,” remarked Miller as he

  Spritz returned from his conference with

  raked in the pot.

  his mate Nugent had five chips in front of

  Spritz, his fists clenched, was ready

  him and was shuffling the cards to deal.

  to spring at Miller’s throat, but a certain

  Miller, of course, had twenty-five chips.

  idea restrained him.

  Nugent dealt, and it was his bet—he

  “Guess I’m out of it,” he remarked

  having a king in sight, and Miller a nine.

  as quietly as he could. “Well, you chaps

  Nugent bet one chip, but Miller, perhaps

  will stay to supper.”

  intending to force matters, raised him four.

  They remonstrated, each anxious to

  For a moment Nugent hesitated—lifting his

  win and get away. But Spritz insisted.

  hole-card and looking at it in the curious

  “Besides,” he added, “it may take

  way stud-players do when they know quite

  some time for this game to finish.”

  well what the card is—then he pushed his

  “Don’t look like it when I look at

  four remaining chips to the middle of the

  my stack,” answered Nugent with affected

  table.

  sorrow. “But where are you going, Tom?”

  “Might as well turn ’em face up—

  “Got to speak to the mate,” replied

  it’s another show-down,” suggested Miller.

  Spritz, getting out of his chair.

  Nugent did not answer. He turned

  “Going to his room to weep,” over his hole-card, showing the queen of grinned Miller.

  spades, Miller did the same, showing

  “Don’t you wish you had a chance

  another nine. The odds were all in favor of

  of being a bridegroom, like us, Tom?”

  Miller: two nines against a king and a

  Spritz laughed quite naturally.

  queen of different suits. Then Nugent dealt

  “I told you I hadn’t thought of it

  Miller another nine, cursing as he did so,

  before you fellows came aboard,” he lied as

  and dealt himself the ten of clubs. The

  he left the poop.

  game appeared to be over and Miller

  “The —— he didn’t.” Miller was

  pretended to rake in the chips.

  shuffling the cards. “Now, I wonder what

  “Hold on!” rasped Nugent. You

  Dirty Jim

  9

  haven’t won yet.”

  with you?” asked Spritz impatiently.

  “Pretty near, though,” interrupted

  “Who’s playing this hand?” asked

  Spritz, dropping heavily into his chair.

  Miller nastily.

  Nugent glared, but did not reply.

  “That’s so,” agreed Nugent

  Then his face cleared and very deliberately

  unexpectedly. “I have an ace in the hole,

  he dealt again, giving his opponent the ace

  you know.”

  of hearts and him
self the ace of diamonds.

  “I think so,” admitted Miller,

  “Might be worse,” he grunted.

  turning down his card.

  “Don’t see that you’ve got

  “Ha, ha!” Nugent laughed loudly,

  anything. Just a straight, open in the disregarding the fact that he had only one middle,” retorted Miller.: “But deal the —

  chip belonging to his opponent in the pot

  — things—what are you waiting for?”

  he took in. “Got you that time—measly

  “This.” Nugent dealt with one of

  little deuce in the hole—you had me beat.

  those curious prophetic feelings of Ha, ha! Where’s your nerve?”

  certainty called a sure hunch, giving Miller

  Miller did not answer, but Spritz

  the two of spades and himself the jack of

  reminded Nugent about the time he had

  the same suit.

  laid down a pair of jacks, and an argument

  “Funny, ain’t it?” he laughed as he

  began which Miller terminated by saying

  scooped the chips over to his side; and as

  sharply as he offered the pack—

  he spoke he felt sure that he was going to

  “Cut!”

  beat Miller at stud—to do which was worth

  Nugent cut the cards and Miller

  more than getting the girl, at that moment.

  began to deal. The luck appeared to be

  But Miller had still the greater changing, for Nugent’s exposed card was a number of chips, which perhaps caused two of spades while Miller’s was an ace of him to over-bet his hand. At any rate when