A FEW weeks ago a "sporting character" _looked in_ at the Hygeia Hotel,
just to see if he could fall in with any subjects, but finding none, and
understanding from the respectful proprietor, Mr. Parks, that he could
not be accommodated with a private room wherein to exercise the
mysteries of his craft, he felt the time begin to hang heavy on his
hands; so in order to dispel _ennui_ he took out a pack of cards and
began to amuse the by-standers in the bar-room with a number of
ingenious tricks with them, which soon drew a crowd around him. "Now,"
said he, after giving them a good shuffle and slapping the pack down
upon the table, "I'll bet any man ten dollars I can cut the Jack of
hearts at the first attempt." Nobody seemed inclined to take him up,
however, till at last a weather-beaten New England skipper, in a
pea-jacket, stumped him by exclaiming, "Darned if I don't bet you! But
stop; let me see if all's right." Then taking up and inspecting it, as
if to see that there was no deception in it, he returned it to the
table, and began to fumble about in a side pocket, first taking out a
jack-knife, then a twist of tobacco, &c., till he produced a roll of
bank notes, from which he took one of $10 and handed it to a by-stander;
the gambler did the same, and taking out a pen-knife, and literally
cutting the pack in two through the middle, turned with an air of
triumph to the company, and demanded if he had not _cut_ the Jack of
hearts. "No, I'll be darned if you have!" bawled out Jonathan, "for here
it is, safe and sound." At the same time producing the card from his
pocket, whither he had dexterously conveyed it while pretending to
examine the pack, to see if it was "all right." The company were
convulsed with laughter, while the poor "child of chance" was fain to
confess that "_it was hard getting to windward of a Yankee._"