Mississippi Raider

by J. T. Edson

  When explaining to Belle what the plan was, because of his expert reading of the possible situation, Brambile had said that he considered his best chance of detecting any malpractices would be at one of the games supervised for the house by a banker. Therefore, knowing it would be expected of Colonel Culpepper, he had done no more than look briefly at the poker games, even though they were being controlled by a dealer who took a percentage of each pot for the running expenses instead of allowing the handling of the cards to be done by the players. Because of this, his knowledge of how dishonest gambling houses operated caused him to assume that there would be no need of cheating tactics for a continuous profit to be made that more than covered the financial outlay involved, since no layout upon which various bets could be made was required and only one man was needed to run things. Furthermore, even if there were other employees present in the guise of players, he knew exposing them would not be so useful for his purposes as elsewhere.

  Having similar feelings where the few games of whist were being engaged upon by elderly men—most of whom were senior officers in the Army and Navy—the gambler had had no intention of participating. Therefore, when he was offered a place by a ruddy-faced admiral of advanced years and the remaining players gave indications of expecting him to accept it, Belle provided him with an excuse to decline by producing what in theatrical terms was a piece of brilliant ad-libbing.

  “Why, you go right ahead, Third-honey,” the girl said, and waved her right hand languidly toward where a number of younger men, civilian and military, were noisily playing a less demanding type of game. “I’ll just go and entertain myself over there at the birdcage.”

  “Thank you for your offer, sir,” Brambile said, showing no sign of the delight he felt over the response from Belle. Rather, he darted a frown redolent of annoyance from her to the young players and back before continuing, “And my apologies for declining, gentlemen, but my inclinations are directed elsewhere tonight.”

  “Did I do the right thing?” the girl inquired in another of the whispers disguised as flirtatious behavior while walking away, followed by knowing glances and winks on the part of the men at the whist table that implied the required inferences behind the refusal were being drawn.

  “You know you did, you little minx,” the gambler growled, still continuing the pretense of being annoyed over her hint at being willing—even eager—to spend time in company younger than he. “So stop fishing for compliments and keep keeping your eye on your red-haired friend.”

  “I wish I could work out what she’s here for, because I’m certain it isn’t just out of a love for gambling, and although she’s alone as far as I can see, she looks far better off than I would expect her to be,” Belle said in the low voice, then raised it to a point where it could be heard by everybody close by and even farther away. “When are we going to start playing, Third-honey?” She paused before going on archly, “At gambling, I mean, of course. And I don’t mean at one of those stuffy games where li’l ole me can’t join in.”

  Still concealing his amusement and satisfaction over the way in which the girl was playing her part with such skill, Brambile did not bother to show any more interest in the four tables given over to pinochle. He knew there were ways of cheating at both this game and whist, but discounted the possibility of any being employed on the same general grounds that caused him to dismiss the games of poker. In fact, he believed he would achieve his purpose by concentrating on the two kinds of card games involving the use of a bank controlled by members of the gambling house’s staff.

  Although the gambler knew there had been no justification for the apparent concern he had shown over the supposed interest “Magnolia” had displayed in the game frequented by the rowdy younger element, this had not caused him to rule it out. Cheating by loading the three dice that were caused to turn over and over in the rotating wire cage was sometimes practiced at chuck-a-luck. However, the results that accrued could only be attained over a long period, and there was always the danger that more astute players would notice and take advantage of how certain numbers kept showing up more frequently than others by placing bets accordingly. With that in mind, knowing Jacques and Hunt would in all probability follow the example of those who ran most other dishonest gambling houses—by putting their reliance solely on the most favorable percentages offered by the incorrect odds given for the various types of wagers—it was to the bank-operated card games that he intended to devote his attention. Having already made his selection, he guided Belle toward the one upon which he intended to concentrate.

  A preference for faro rather than a lack of knowledge where chemin de fer—which had been imported from Europe—was concerned caused the gambler to select the table at which the basically American game was being played for the highest stakes. Following him, regardless of her “Magnolia” behavior remaining in full flower by declaring loudly that she never could stand that foreign game because of all the ciphering of numbers it required, Belle felt a sensation of anticipation and not a little excitement rising as she realized that they were approaching a spot where he hoped to obtain evidence upon which he could make his move. Without deserting her pose for a moment, she met another brief glance from Roxanne without showing the slightest indication of awareness that it was being made. Being vacated by two naval lieutenants whose expressions suggested they were leaving in a worse financial condition than when they had started to play, the place to which her companion guided her was at the opposite end of the long table where the redhead was now sitting.

  Because her mother and father had never been addicts of gambling, only mingling with a few people such as Brambile who were, and then never indulging in games of chance, the girl had only a basic idea of how faro was played. xiii Not that she had expected she would have any need to do so at more than the level of a novice as featherbrained as she was purporting to be. Brambile had told her what part she was to play, and because of their simplicity, she felt certain she could carry out his instructions. However, she had also decided to add an embellishment as an experiment with one of the devices given to her by Captain Anatol de-Farge. The ruse she intended to employ was a test of whether the means she had devised for its use would be practical under actual conditions.

  On sitting down and studying the way in which the game was being conducted with the eye of a professional well-versed in such matters, Brambile concluded that Jacques and Hunt had either been fortunate not to have had anybody else as knowledgeable as himself among their patrons or succeeded in keeping silent those who were. He only needed one glance at the box from which the cards were being passed out to know he was not in an honest game. Just large enough to hold a full deck of cards, it had a slot in front to allow the dealing of individual cards—apparently one at a time—by a push through a small hole in the top that permitted only a small portion of the back of the one uppermost to be seen. While this ruled out the use of marked cards, as the secret symbols that were needed for the purposes of identification of suit and denomination could not have been seen, he knew they were unnecessary under the circumstances.

  From experience acquired elsewhere, the gambler was aware that such open and aboveboard manipulation was not the purpose of the box in use at the table. There was only a hole large enough for a finger to enter. Furthermore, having examined a number of similarly manufactured devices, he was aware that its operation was achieved by pressure on a tiny unnoticeable button that narrowed or widened the slot so either one or two cards at a time could be emitted.

  The employment of such a “brace” or “screw” box, as the device was known, could be achieved only by using “Sand Tell” or similarly prepared cards wherein the higher denominations were roughened a trifle on the faces and the lower at the back. When both surfaces that were “sanded” came into flush contact, they could easily be caused to stick together by pressure on the uppermost. Therefore, if the dealer did not want a high or a low denomination to appear next, he only needed to press on the top card
and the different widths of the slot allowed him to send out one or two as was required. Since other varieties of bets were available, the use of the contraption did not mean the patrons had no chance of winning. On the other hand, once again the percentages in favor of the house ensured that it received a consistent level of advantage that was enhanced by the cheating being carried out.

  By placing his bets on the layout in a seemingly erratic fashion, Brambile ensured that he maintained steady losses augmented by doubling the amount wagered each time the bet failed. At his side, Belle was playing her part as the inept “Magnolia” with a skill he admired, and she too was a winner only on rare occasions. He was amused and impressed by the way in which she conducted a test that she had never mentioned to him. They were seated next to the dealing box, and when he was asked after joining the game to shuffle the deck about to be put into use, she contrived to scan the backs of the cards he let slide from his seemingly clumsy hands through the magnifying lens at the front of the locket she was wearing. She did this in such a fashion that even a person suspicious of her intentions might not have noticed she had opened the front before manipulating the device in a seemingly casual fashion. However, as there were no secret indications of denomination and suit, he knew her attempts were in vain.

  After about ten minutes of play, during which she displayed a well-simulated growing annoyance at consistently being a loser, Belle received the signal from Brambile that told her she must commence the next part of the scheme.

  “Third-honey!” the girl screeched on receiving the brief nod of the head from the gambler that informed her she was required to carry on with the scheme, at the same time thrusting back her chair and coming to her feet. As she intended, her voice was pitched so it would carry to every corner of the big room. “I do believe we’re being cheated!”

  Instantly, a silence that could almost be felt descended over the people present.

  Chapter Three – Calm Yourselves, Ladies and Gentlemen!

  It was obvious from the response to the declaration by Belle Boyd that the two owners of the gambling house and their staff were prepared to deal with the kind of situation her words threatened to provoke.

  However, although the girl was not yet aware of the fact, her misgivings over the presence of Roxanne Fortescue-Smethers were needless.

  In fact, the red-haired Englishwoman was about to prove herself a useful ally.

  At the other end of the long faro table, Roxanne was feeling a surge of relief as she watched what was happening. Keeping the promise he had made when agreeing to supply the instruction, Captain Anatol de-Farge had not told her or anybody else why Belle had been receiving lessons in the less-than-fair handling of a sword. Thinking about the matter, the redhead had concluded that it had something to do with the girl intending to avenge the murder of her parents. While it had come as a surprise to see Belle arrive at the gambling house dressed and behaving in such an untypical fashion, Roxanne had felt the reason might prove beneficial to the purpose for which she had come.

  A matter of family honor affecting her employer, for whom she had such a great liking and respect that she had not hesitated before agreeing when asked to render the assistance he requested, was responsible for the redhead’s being present. Phillipe de-Farge was among those officers who had transferred allegiance at the approach of open hostilities between the Southern and Northern states by going to serve as a lieutenant in the Army of what soon became called the Johnny Rebs. Posted to the staff of the commanding general in Atlanta, he had fallen so deeply into debt as a result of playing various games of chance at the gambling house operated by Martin Jacques and David Hunt that he had committed suicide.

  Having read the letter the young lieutenant wrote to his parents just before shooting himself, Anatol de-Farge had been convinced there was more than just the repayment of the money. He had always had a liking for Phillipe, and being aware of the pride the other had always shown for the military career, he had concluded that the deed was done to avoid being compelled to deliver secrets that would be detrimental to the Confederate States’ cause. Being just as loyal to the South, he had sworn he would find out whether the supposition was correct. Furthermore, the family’s French-Creole code of honor— to which Anatol adhered as strictly as any of the others, regardless of his way of life—demanded that some action be taken to lessen the stigma of suicide. Therefore, he had been determined to find out the truth of the matter and take revenge on the pair whether his suppositions proved correct or the debt had been incurred as a result of cheating.

  As far as Anatol de-Farge knew, his path had never crossed that of either Jacques or Hunt. However, he was aware that men of the kind he suspected them to be frequently changed their names. Even if this did not apply, he had been successful in one affair of honor that aroused much interest and was brought to public attention during an earlier visit to Atlanta. Therefore, because he was sufficiently well known as a gambler and a duelist to make it unlikely he could pass unrecognized at the gambling house, and in all probability his connection with his cousin would be remembered.

  With those contingencies in mind, de-Farge had brought Roxanne—the one of his female employees he considered the most intelligent, very trustworthy because of the close relationship that had developed between them, and possessed of the courage necessary for doing what was required—with him to Atlanta. Staying with friends he knew could be relied on not to let his presence in the city become known, he had had the redhead dress in a suitable fashion and provided sufficient money to aid her pose of being a very successful—as Joseph Brambile had thought of her—”lady of the evening” who liked to use her earnings for gambling. She had come to the gambling house to carry out a reconnaissance and, if possible, to find out whether he could pay a visit without having his true identity exposed.

  How successfully Roxanne had played the part was shown when, on her arrival, she was taken into the partners’ private office and subjected to questioning about matters that did not pertain to gambling. Jacques had started by wanting to know where she came from, and her reply was that she was visiting Atlanta to decide whether to move there, as she was getting tired of working in Charleston. Asked if she had come to their place in search of clients, showing the contents of her well-filled reticule, she had stated that her only interest was in trying her luck at one or other of their games. They had said they had no objections to this being done, and Hunt warned that they would expect twenty-five percent of any money she was to receive if she should change her mind and take one of the customers to participate in her line of business. Saying the contingency was remote, she had agreed to do as was demanded.

  The arrival of Belle and the elderly-looking man had come as something of a shock to the redhead. While she could not imagine why the beautiful Southern girl was dressed and behaving in such an untypical fashion, she had felt sure that it was not for the obvious reason. However, concluding that Belle had not become a prostitute and might not even be pretending to be one, she had decided against going over and satisfying her curiosity by suggesting that they were acquainted on that account. Realizing that the girl must be experiencing the same kind of consternation that she had felt, she had derived a little amusement at seeing the overt glances directed her way and the response when she was caught doing the same.

  Hearing the statement made by the girl and seeing the response it was eliciting, Roxanne realized that the playacting had been leading up to it for some reason. While unable to guess what this might be, she decided that she might serve her own and de-Farge’s ends by helping out. She had a Henry Derringer pistol loaded, the necessary percussion cap ready for detonation, in her reticule; but it held only a single shot and she had another weapon available that she would be able to use more than once if the need arose, and she felt certain it would. Nevertheless, she refused to let herself be deterred by the danger. In addition to the liking she had formed toward the girl, who could almost certainly have beaten her using savate and had
willingly engaged in putting on a show instead of doing so—also insisted upon her keeping all of the gratuities that the enthusiastic audience donated in spite of its deliberately brought about “indecisive” conclusion—she felt sure de-Farge would not approve if she failed to play a part in whatever was to come.

  ~*~

  Exchanging angry glances, Martin Jacques and David Hunt started to stalk toward the main faro table. Without needing to be instructed, a couple of the burly bouncers started to converge on their employers and the rest began to watch the other players for any sign of taking undue interest in what had been claimed. Stiffening slightly, knowing what was expected of him in such circumstances, the dealer for the game of faro accused of cheating was aware that an examination of the screw box would probably be demanded by the other players and anybody with a knowledge of such things would realize its purpose made the claim valid. Therefore, he prepared to carry out his instructions by exchanging it for one that was identical except for being constructed without the embellishments needed for cheating.

  “I must ask you to keep control of your worn—!” the bulkier of the pair began, all trace of amiability having left his face.