Calamity Jane 8 by J.T. Edson

Author:J.T. Edson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: action hero, gunfighters, calamity jane, piccadilly publishing, the wild west, jt edson, western fiction ebook
Publisher: Piccadilly

Chapter Nine – I’m Not a Nice Gal

“I still don’t know how he did it,” John remarked after Conway and Thorbold disappeared into their rooms under orders to stay put until morning. “It doesn’t seem possible that he could cut the cards he wanted.”

“He couldn’t,” admitted Cole. “Not to cut ’em and say he’d get one certain card. But he could get ’em close enough for what he needed. Take a look at the deck and see if you can find out how.”

John did as ordered, picking up the cards and studying them. At first he could see nothing out of the ordinary. Then he looked closer and ran his thumb and forefinger gently down the long edges of the deck. In years to come John would gain a reputation for being able to gauge minute measurements as accurately with his finger and thumb as most men could using a micrometer. Already the Browning “feather touch” had developed sufficiently to let him feel certain irregularities in the cards.

“The sides aren’t even,” he said wonderingly.

“That’s right, they’re not,” agreed Cole. “Look at a few high cards.”

Selecting a ten, jack, queen and king, John examined them closely. “They’re thinner in the middle than at the ends.”

“You’ve got real good eyes, boy,” complimented Cole. “Now look at some of the low cards.”

“These’re cut down at the ends,” Johnny said after examining a deuce, three and four.

Which, while true enough, did not mean that the alterations could be seen easily. In fact Calamity studied the cards for a long time before confessing that she was unable to detect the trimmed-down sections.

“They’re there, sister,” Cole told her. “This’s what they call a deck of ‘belly-strippers’ down South.”

“I’ve always heard them called ‘humps,’” Monique put in, having stood in the background.

“Say, thanks for telling us about those two jaspers,” Calamity remarked.

“I didn’t want to see him lose all his money,” Monique replied. “Well, I’m going to bed.”

Waving away John’s attempts to thank her, the girl walked off to her room. Curiosity brought John’s attention back to the cards.

“I may be dumb, but I still don’t see how they work,” he said.

“Look,” Cole answered and gripped the cards in the center to cut them. “It’s low, under eight.” He showed the three of clubs and replaced the cut section on the deck. Taking hold at the upper end, he raised another portion. “This time I’ve got a card over eight.”

When he made the test, John could see how the “humps” worked. By taking hold of the deck in the center, the banker’s fingers closed on the extended edges of the low cards. Not until he gripped at the end of the deck would he come into contact with the higher denominations. By skilled manipulation of the betting, the banker could then arrange to build up his victim’s confidence and be certain of winning in the end.

“But Conway let me keep doubling my bets,” Johnny pointed out.

“Which ought to have made you suspicious for a start,” Cole replied.

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