The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 5, 1903, Page 7

THE SUNDAY OCALL. h chewed off Lawson gav the madness as the licker we drink, prompt as—" “Cut it short! Find out what the beg- gar wants,” Interrupted Lawson, spolling the peroration. “Vell, Kentucky, tell me 4i Kill von odder man, Bhudge dot man?” “If the evidence suh.” “And the evidence in this hers cas strong enough to hang a dozen men, Jan broke in Red Bill. “Nefer you mind, BiIL I talk mit you next. Now, von anodder ding I k Ken- tucky. If Shudge Lynch hang not der man, vot den?” “If Judge Lynch does not hang the man, then the man goes free, and his hands are washed clean of blood. And further, suh our great and glorious constitution bas sald, to wit: that no man may twice be placed (n jeopardy of his life for one and the same crime, or words to that effect.” “Unt dey can’t shoot him, or hit him mit a club over der head alongside, or do nod- dings more mit him?" No, suh.” “‘Goot! You hear vot Kentucky speaks, all you noddleheads? Now I talk mit Bill You know der plzness, Bill, und you hang me up brown eh? Vot you say?’ “Betcher life, an’, Jan, if yeh don’t give no more trouble ye'll be almighty proud of the job. I'm a connesoor.” “You haf der great head, Bill, und know somedings or two. Und you know two und one makes tree—ain’t it?" BIll nodded. “Und when you haf two dings you hat not tree dings—ain't it? Now you follow mit me closs und I show you. It takes tree dings to hang. First ding, you haf strong enough—y to haf der man. Goot! I am der man. Second ding, you haf to haf der rope. Lawson haf der rope. Goot! TUnd third ding, you haf to haf someding to tie der rope to. Bling your eyes over der land- scape und find der third ding to tle der rope to. Eh? Vot vou say?” Mechanically they swept the and snow with their eves. It was a homo- gencous scene, devold of contrasts or bold contours, dreary, desolate and monoto- nous—the ice-packed rea, the slow slope the beach, the background of low-lying s, and over all thrown the endless mantle of snow. “No trees, no bluffs, no cabins, no telegraph poles—nothin’* moaned Red Bill: “nothin’ respectable enough nor blg enough to swing the toes of a five-foot man clear o' the ground. I give it up.” He looked yearningly at that portion of Jan's anatomy which joins tha head and shoulders. “Give it peated sadly to Lawson. “Throw the down. Gawd never intended this country for livin' purpose: * that’ cold, frozen fact.” Jan grinned triumphantly. “T tank T go mit der tent und haf a smoke.” “Ostensiblce y'r correct, Bill, me son spoke up Lawson, “but y'r a dummy, and you can lay to that for another cold, frozen fact. Takes a sea farmer to learn you landsmen things. Ever hear of a pair of shears? Then clap y'r eyes on this.” The sallor worked rapidly. plle of dunnage where From the they had pulled earthed & palr of long oars. Thess he lashed together at nearly right angles, close to the ends of the blades. WWhers the handies rested he kicked ho through the snow to the sand. At th voint of Intersection he attached two ropes, making the end of one fast to a cake of beach ice. The other g o passed over to Red Bill Hers, me son, an saw his gallows 0! he ctied, re- his fists. hang! writing a tragedy white sheet spread by nature. and anon a hand or foot of Jan to be gripped b: th rope yarns. blaspheming. he was conquered and bound, inch b b, and drawn to whers the inexorable shears lay lfke a pair And ever merged of gigantic dividers on the snow. Red Bill justed the noose, placing the hangman's Tay Kknot properly under the left ear. Mr. lor and Lawson guy, ready at lows. Bill work with art! “Herr Gott! Vood you The horror In Jan's voice caused the rest to desist. The fallen tent had uprisen and in the gathering twilight it napped ghostly arms about and titubated toward them drunken But the next instant John Gordon found the opening and crawled forth “What the flaming —I" For the mo- ment his voice dled away in his throat as his eyes took in the tableau. “Hold onl I'm not dead!" he 1ed out, coming up te v ecountenanc 1 tah Gordon, to congrat- ulate you upon your eseape,” Mr. Tay- lor ventured. “A close shave, suh, & pgwahful close shave.” “C tulate hell! T might have besn rotten and no thanks to you, dead you And thereat John Gordom de- Iivered himself of a vigorous flood of Eng- lish, terse, intensive, denunciative and compased solely of expletives and ade Jectives. “Simply ereased me.” he went en whem he had eased I Just so. That's what happened to ma. Bullet just grazed the base of my skull at the top of the neck unned me, but ne harm done.” He t ed to the bound man. “Get up, Jan golng to lick you to a standstill or you'rs going to apologize. The of you lads stand clear. “I tank not. Shust tie me loose und you see,” replied Jan, the unrepentast, the devil within him still unconquered. “Und after I lck you I take der rest of der noodle-heads, von after der odder, up the beat the preceding fall he uh- altogedder © it oo oot etttk @ AN BY MES. E. P. SCHELL. ODERN developments have af- fected the play of second hand very greatly. The old injunc- tion to “play low’ is no lon, accepted as a maxim. number of tricks that fall to the second player nowadays is probably twice as many as those secured by him a few years back. No other position at the ta- ble demands the exercise of more skill and judgment, and at no other position are so many tricks lost by bad play. The introduction of American leads and the practice of leading supporting cards have done a great deal toward modifying second hand play. More especially has this fact been demonstrated since the in- troduction of the many new systems which have been offered during recen years. Aside from the changed conditions brought about by the many new systems there are a great many opportunities pre- sented to second hand where the point to be decided in determining the play is sim- ply of protection. First, protection to one’s own hand, and second, to that of partr That many players fail to draw the proper distinction as regards the hand tc be thus benefited is shown very often. A card will be played to “save’ partner, Wwhich, as likely as not, results in his complete undoing. Many of the second- in-hand plays of queen or jack, when but one low card.Is held in’additicn, have this effect, permitting a finesse against part- ner on the return of the suit. It is by correct second-in-hand play from equals in accordance with long defined rules that one first learns to benefit therefrom. In determining the extent to which one should go in Bis endeavor to protect part- ner, the length of one's holdings must be considered. For the same reason that one would lead a low card from a com- bination similar to that held second-in- Land, expecting partner to play his best card, one should play low when a high card will simply assist opponent to es- tablish his suit more readily. In many situations the play is almost ldentical with the lead and if, for exam- ple, a player follows with a low card from King, queen and -two small, he runs the same chance that is taken when leading low from this combination. Hold- ing no equals originally, one may often protect partner on the second round opponent’s suits by playing the third best when partner is marked with the master card of the suit. The accompanying hand affords an ex- cellent opportunity to comment upen the play of second hand holding ace, queen, end others when jack is led. The correct play is so apparent and well known that Iittle if any comment is necessary, except, as the general principles which govern the play may be applied to other cases. When second hand holds ace, queen and of EASY LESSO IN WHIST. ers who know enough not te finesse egainst t ves in this situat do all ayers protect properiy change: holds ace, ? For queen, jack, three and the ten any card but the ace s to finesse against one’s self and one's part- ner, inasmuch as the king cannot be with the leader. A deal wh ers 1s a swing of six tricks, due to an unju: trump lead on the part of North on the overplay and on the original play of the deal to an atrocious second-hand play by South. North and Bouth, 4. KEast and West, 9 ‘rick 4—North thinks he is foreing t strong trump and prefers to continu the diamonds rather than open & suit. Trick 6—South's trump lead is quite un- justifiable. North has had a chance to lead trumps and has declined to do s, and the lead Is certainly very rash, taking into ¢ on the fact that the whole club suit w establisuc. with West. Trick 7—North’s trump continuation s equally poor, but the crowning error of the hand on the part of North and South occurs at rick 3—When South, with both ace and n, finesses against him-elf by playing queen on the jack lead. He should, of course play his ace, for king i3 marked with either West or North. Tricks 10-13—West brings in his clubs and No and South score only four tricks TABLE NO. Tk one small, to any small card led he should, of course, play small, because he can gain nothing by playing queen, since if fourth hand holds the king the play will generally make no difference, but it 1y third hand holds this card a loss will probably result. The object of playing or retaining the queen is, of course,to capture the king, if that card is In the leader’s hand. This being so0, it is manifestly absurd for second hand to play queen when the leader announces, “I hold nothing higher in the suit than the jack.” Second hand EE LT gripped a k, wh e neck North and South, 10. Ea Trick 1-M h is scared off e dog helped 10 “yoy right the dia- mond suit by West's play of the 10, and, haf asked me to be politeful, und now I am politeful. Vot piziness vood you do mit me? “That's right, Jan. Be'calm,” soothed Red Bill. “I knowed you'd come to yer . sinses afore long. Jes' be ca'm, now, an’ do it toa T.” from the proffered noose. *“I haf some- dings to ask und to make her great propo- sition. Kentucky, you know about her Bhudge Lynch? “Yes, sir. It is an institution of free men and of gentiemen, and it is an old ess eaflor. Jan's an unestablished possible re- with but three trnmps, diamond suit and but one entry, leads a trump. hanging suit hers s thoroughly unm- sed and help- the strength me! Ho! ho! ho! I tank not! Yes, I tank == was but sud- we'll do the trick with neatness and dis “Hang who? Me?™ Tot one and time honored. Corruption may should play the ace, for he will then re- gound and should cause a loss. ¢ P ason, Jan patch.” Yep."” “And I tank yes, you swah,” Lawson wear the robe of majesty, suh, but Judge main with the second best card guarded Trick 2-East renders valuable assist- s grips and rolled over Vot pizness? Vot trick?” “Ha! ha! Ehust hear der man speak fool- #poke up, mockingly, at the same time 7J,ynch can always be relled upon to give.and may yet take two tricks in the euit, ance to North in playing low aule # back. His adversaries drew “The hangin’. An’ veh oughter thank ishness! Gif me a hand, Bill, and T vill *cutting a sled lashing and colllng it up justice without court fees. I repeat, suh, even if the king is in third hand. But Trick 5-South plays properly here and . dublous and disconcerted. yer lucky stars for havin’ a man what get up und be hung.” He crawled stifiy With ominous care. “Judge Lynch holds without court fees. Law may be bought if the queen is played under these circum- the rest of the hand plays itself. North Jan = sly. knows his business. 1've did it afore now, to his feet and looked about him. “Herr court this-day.” d and sold, but in this enlightened land jus- stances second hand can but look for one and South’s hands are worth in a nominal “Mine- f s, he sald, still grinning, more'n once, down In the States, an’ I can Goit! listen to der man! He vood hang ‘*Von liddle while.” Jan stepped back tice is free as the air we breathe, strong {rick in the suit. There are many play- development but seven tricks.