Was a worker tipping the dice tonight? I never felt it, he said. But the table had dropped nearly forty grand during the shift, which was about over when you started to play. He s too good for me, Wally. But you felt _my_ lifts, I protested. You called TK on the table. Smythe shrugged and took off his glasses. I thought I felt you tipping when you first came to the layout, he said, waving them around. I nodded confirmation. But it was smooth work, and I could hardly be sure. Most of these maverick TK s strong-arm the dice, and they skid across the layout with their spots up.
Let s see some credentials. He scuffed through the sawdust to the bar and took a stack of silver dollars from his apron. He held them, dealerwise, in the palm of his hand, with his fingertips down, so that they were a column surrounded by a fence of fingers. How many? he asked. I shrugged. The whole stack, Smythe, I told him. His eyebrows went halfway up his tall, tall forehead. But he put them all down on the bar top, about twenty-five silver dollars. Show me, I said. He ran his fingertips down the side of the stack of silver.
Munshets or Munshits Is played by two boys as follows:--One of the boys remains at home, and the other goes out to a prescribed distance. The boy who remains at home makes a small hole in the ground, and holds in his hand a stick about three feet long to strike with. The boy who is out at field throws a stick in the direction of this hole, at which the other strikes. If he hits it, he has to run to a prescribed mark and back to the hole without being caught or touched with the smaller stick by his playfellow. If he is caught, he is out, and has to go to field. And if the boy at field can throw his stick so near to the hole as to be within the length or measure of that stick, the boy at home has to go out to field. A number of boys often play together; for any even number can play. I am told that the game was common fifty years ago. In principle it resembles cricket, and looks like the rude beginning of the game.--Addy s _Sheffield Glossary_.
Under no circumstances can more than eight cards be seen during the play of the hand, _viz._: the four cards on the table which have not been turned and quitted, and the last trick turned. ETIQUETTE OF WHIST. The following rules belong to the established Etiquette of Whist. They are not called laws, as it is difficult--in some cases impossible--to apply any penalty to their infraction, and the only remedy is to cease to play with players who habitually disregard them: Two packs of cards are invariably used at Clubs; if possible, this should be adhered to. Any one, having the lead and several winning cards to play, should not draw a second card out of his hand until his partner has played to the first trick, such act being a distinct intimation that the former has played a winning card. No intimation whatever, by word or gesture, should be given by a player as to the state of his hand, or of the game. A player who desires the cards to be placed, or who demands to see the last trick, should do it for his own information only, and not in order to invite the attention of his partner. No player should object to refer to a bystander who professes himself uninterested in the game, and able to decide any disputed question of facts; as to who played any particular card--whether honours were claimed though not scored, or _vice versa_--etc., etc.
The movement of each piece should be studied separately. ♟ _=The Pawns=_ move straight forward, one square at a time, except on the first move, when they have the privilege of moving either one or two squares, at the option of the player. In capturing, the Pawn does not take the piece directly in its path, but the one diagonally in front of it on either side. Such a capture of course takes the Pawn from the file it originally occupied, and it must then continue to advance in a straight line on its new file. In Diagram No. 2, the white Pawns could not capture either of the black Bishops or Rooks, but the Pawn on the left could take either of the black Knights:-- [Illustration: _No. 2._ | ♞ | | ♞ | | | | ♙ | ♜ | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | ♙ | | | ♝ | | ♜ | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | ♙ | ♝ | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ WHITE. ] After a Pawn has crossed the middle line of the board into the adversary’s territory, it is called a _=passed Pawn=_. If an adverse Pawn attempts to pass this Pawn by availing itself of the privilege of moving two squares the first time, that would not prevent the passed Pawn from capturing it _=en passant=_.
_ +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | ♛ | ♚ | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | ♕ | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | ♔ | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | ♜ | | | | | | | ] If the black Queen moves diagonally four squares, placing herself in front of the white King, and on the same horizontal file as the black Rook, it will be check-mate, because the white King cannot get out of one check into another by taking the Queen, which is protected by the Rook. For the same reason he cannot move, as the only squares open to him would leave him in check from the Queen, or move him into check from the black King. _=Stalemate.=_ If the King is not in check, but cannot move without going into check, and there is no other piece for the player to move, it is called a stale-mate, and the game is drawn. In Diagram No. 10, for instance, [Illustration: _No. 10._ +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | ♟ | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | ♗ | | ♟ | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | ♜ | ♟ | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | ♚ | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | ♙ | ♟ | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | ♔ | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ | | | | | | | | | +---+---+---+---+---+---+---+---+ ] the black King cannot move without going into check from the Pawn or the King; none of the black Pawns can move, and Black cannot move the Rook without putting his own King in check, (from the Bishop,) which is not allowed. _=Perpetual Check.=_ If a piece gives check to the adverse King, and the King moves away, the check may be repeated, and the King must move again, or interpose a piece, or capture the checking piece.
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May, Ogbourne and Manton (Wilts); Mrs. Haddon (Cambridge); Mrs. Harley (Lancashire); and Miss Burne, Platt, near Wrotham (Kent). There are also similar printed versions in _Folk-lore Journal_, vi. 214 (Dorsetshire); _Folk-lore Record_, v. 84 (Hersham, Surrey). Northall prints a version in his _Folk Rhymes_, 362-3, identical with No. 17. The tune of the Platt version sent by Miss Burne, and the Ogbourne and Manton (H. S.