Read Online Brings the Lightning (The Ames Archives Book 1) by Peter Grant - Free Book Online
Authors: Peter Grant
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“There’s a prime collection of cardsharps and confidence tricksters aboard. I’ve been watching them all afternoon. I hope you won’t be tempted to play.”
“I trust you weren’t taken in by any of their tricks?”
“No, not that they didn’t try. Look sharp, they may try some of them on you as well. You’re bound to catch their eye. After all, you’re the most attractive lady on board by far.”
She dimpled with pleasure. “Why, thank you, kind sir! As for the confidence tricksters, I’ll leave it to you to deal with them.” Her face darkened. “I had some men like that try to talk me out of my farm after my husband died. They went on and on about how much money they could get for me if I let them act on my behalf, but they would never be specific when I asked them questions. My father always told me to beware of fast-talking men. They proved to me he was right!”
The evening meal demonstrated that the
Queen’
s claim to serve the finest food on the Cumberland River was justified. Six courses were served, from soup, to fish, to poultry, to a standing roast of beef, to a steaming glutinous fruit pudding with custard, ending at last with a plate of cheese, crackers and nuts. As they sipped their coffee and picked at the nuts, Rose whispered to him, “I do declare! If we’re going to eat like this every day, I’m going to need the seams let out of all my lovely new dresses by the time we get to St. Louis!”
“I’ll have the same problem with my new clothes,” he agreed. “Would you like to take a few turns around the balcony to settle our meal?” He nodded up at the inner balcony encircling the big dining saloon, offering interior access to the staterooms.
“That sounds like an excellent idea.”
Several other couples were doing the same, and they exchanged greetings and pleasantries as they passed them. Looking down, Walt watched as waiters cleared the dining tables, separated them into smaller units, and spread them out around the big saloon. It wasn’t long before groups of men began to congregate around them. Cards, dice, roulette wheels and other gambling apparatus were brought out, and soon several games were in progress. He noticed the chief steward keeping a watchful eye on activities, as were the waiters who moved back and forth, taking and serving orders for drinks.
Some of the Union Army men from outside came in to join the games. He wondered for a moment why they’d been permitted to do so, until he saw them produce large wads of greenbacks.
They must be the winners from this afternoon,
he thought.
I wonder how much they’ll have left when the tables close for the night?
They watched from above as a dealer raked in several banknotes after a cast of the dice. “How does he do it?” Rose whispered to him. “He doesn’t seem to win more than one hand in three or four, but the ones he wins are always bigger than the ones he loses.”
“He picks his marks carefully. Notice how most of the times he loses, it’s to those he wants to cultivate. He’ll let them win several rolls of the dice; then, when their confidence is high, he baits them into betting a lot of money and takes it from them. It’s an old trick. Also, notice that burly man walking slowly around the table? He always ends up behind someone who’s about to lose a lot of money. He’ll be working with the dealer. He’ll threaten anyone who makes too much trouble over losing, and hit them over the head if necessary.”
“But how does the dealer make sure to win the big hands?”
“The same way he makes sure to lose the small ones. Those dice are almost certainly loaded. Watch the action of his wrist as he rolls them around in the cup, up and down, and side to side. There’ll be weights in the dice to make sure they line up the right way.”
“You seem to know a lot about it.” She raised a quizzical eyebrow at him. “I hope you aren’t a card sharp yourself, Mr. Ames?”
“No, I’m not, but we had
“I trust you weren’t taken in by any of their tricks?”
“No, not that they didn’t try. Look sharp, they may try some of them on you as well. You’re bound to catch their eye. After all, you’re the most attractive lady on board by far.”
She dimpled with pleasure. “Why, thank you, kind sir! As for the confidence tricksters, I’ll leave it to you to deal with them.” Her face darkened. “I had some men like that try to talk me out of my farm after my husband died. They went on and on about how much money they could get for me if I let them act on my behalf, but they would never be specific when I asked them questions. My father always told me to beware of fast-talking men. They proved to me he was right!”
The evening meal demonstrated that the
Queen’
s claim to serve the finest food on the Cumberland River was justified. Six courses were served, from soup, to fish, to poultry, to a standing roast of beef, to a steaming glutinous fruit pudding with custard, ending at last with a plate of cheese, crackers and nuts. As they sipped their coffee and picked at the nuts, Rose whispered to him, “I do declare! If we’re going to eat like this every day, I’m going to need the seams let out of all my lovely new dresses by the time we get to St. Louis!”
“I’ll have the same problem with my new clothes,” he agreed. “Would you like to take a few turns around the balcony to settle our meal?” He nodded up at the inner balcony encircling the big dining saloon, offering interior access to the staterooms.
“That sounds like an excellent idea.”
Several other couples were doing the same, and they exchanged greetings and pleasantries as they passed them. Looking down, Walt watched as waiters cleared the dining tables, separated them into smaller units, and spread them out around the big saloon. It wasn’t long before groups of men began to congregate around them. Cards, dice, roulette wheels and other gambling apparatus were brought out, and soon several games were in progress. He noticed the chief steward keeping a watchful eye on activities, as were the waiters who moved back and forth, taking and serving orders for drinks.
Some of the Union Army men from outside came in to join the games. He wondered for a moment why they’d been permitted to do so, until he saw them produce large wads of greenbacks.
They must be the winners from this afternoon,
he thought.
I wonder how much they’ll have left when the tables close for the night?
They watched from above as a dealer raked in several banknotes after a cast of the dice. “How does he do it?” Rose whispered to him. “He doesn’t seem to win more than one hand in three or four, but the ones he wins are always bigger than the ones he loses.”
“He picks his marks carefully. Notice how most of the times he loses, it’s to those he wants to cultivate. He’ll let them win several rolls of the dice; then, when their confidence is high, he baits them into betting a lot of money and takes it from them. It’s an old trick. Also, notice that burly man walking slowly around the table? He always ends up behind someone who’s about to lose a lot of money. He’ll be working with the dealer. He’ll threaten anyone who makes too much trouble over losing, and hit them over the head if necessary.”
“But how does the dealer make sure to win the big hands?”
“The same way he makes sure to lose the small ones. Those dice are almost certainly loaded. Watch the action of his wrist as he rolls them around in the cup, up and down, and side to side. There’ll be weights in the dice to make sure they line up the right way.”
“You seem to know a lot about it.” She raised a quizzical eyebrow at him. “I hope you aren’t a card sharp yourself, Mr. Ames?”
“No, I’m not, but we had
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