The Game Of Poker

About two yeers ago a Missouri river steamboat left Fort Benton with a party of tough and well-to-do ininers on board. Xhere were also aiuong the passengere three or four " brace men," and before they had reached Sioux City they had generelly cleanod out the pookets of the miners. The boat stopped at Sioux City to " wood up," and found ainong others waiting to get on board a ministerial looking personage with the longest and most solemn countenance on him you can well imagine. He was dressod in black, and wore a white stovapipo hat and ' chokor," collar, ornamented with a black neck handkerchief. . Woll, he got aboard, and the boat started down stream. For two days he was unnoticed by the other passengors, but one of the sports at last thought he saw a chance to make something out of the sad and melancholy individual. The latter would once or twice a day step up to the bar, and with a voice as mild and gentle as a maiden's, ask for for " a glass of soda, if you please," and then he would tako out a roll of bilis froin his pocket and take a quarter from their interior layer. Then ho would say to the barkeeper, asif under a thousand obligations, " thank vou, sir," and walk aft again, as if about to commit suicide. This thing had gone far cnough, and : the gambler I have spoken of at last approached him. " Would you like alittle game otsevenup, sir 't" "Seven-up'r" What is thatr1 Pleaso teil me, ïny good friend." " Why, a game of cards, you know, just to pass away the time ; let us play a game.'1 " My good friond, I know nothing about cards ; I cannot play them." " Well, come along, and we will show you how to do it." And the mild gentleman in black, after somo f urther protests, at longth consented. ïhey showed him how it was done, and they playod several games. The gentleman in black was delighted. Gamblers wantod to know if ho would play poker, five cents ante, just for the fun of the thing. Gentleman in black said that he couldn't ülay the game, but thoy explaiued againfand the poker began. The gentleman in black lost every time. Thero were six men in the game ; each one dealt boforo tho gentleman in black, and the ante raised to u dollar. Gent in black dealt awkwardly, andlookod at bis hand. Next man to the dealer bet five- goos round, and bots are raised to one hundred dollars. Gont in black " saw " it and made it a hundred better. Gamblors looked surprisod, but would not be bluffed. Tho bet had reachod five hundred dollars- a thousand. Geut in black inado it two thousand. All drew out except a Pike's Peak miner, who saw and called him. "What havo you V" " Wfil " answered tho gront in black, " I have- lot me see - I have í'ound íour ones. The gamblcra who had suspected aomething before, now looked wild, and light bogan to dawn in the miner's ruind. He leaned acrosB and said in a most sarcastic tone ho could coinmaud : " Oh, yer heave, heavo yer ? Yer gol durnod sauctimonious sun-of-a gun. ïho gent got up trom the table and handed ono of the gamblers his card. It read. " Bill Walker, New Orleans ' - oue of the most guccessful sharpers in the