THE BITERS BIT.

A small company of gamblers had prepared a room and table in this way, by which they were very successful in fleecing the old as well as the young player. They continued to practice their wicked artifice in this room for some time, until they enticed a couple to their room, whom they supposed to be unacquainted with the tricks of gambling, and consequently easily fleeced. One of these was a young man, called Perch. They played, and tricked Perch out of his money. This he could not account for, as he was a clever gambler, except on the supposition that mechanism were used. He accordingly set his wits to work to contrive a plan by which he might be equal with them. And as the table was in a lower room, he was sanguine of success. On a favourable opportunity, he went to the house, and prized off an outside brick or two opposite to the table, and saw the string; this at once determined him what to do. At night he placed his partner outside, with instructions to intercept all signs by holding the cord, while he went inside and engaged in play. And soon Mr. Perch got a very fine betting hand: bnt the winner, who was depending on the cnstomary sign, not receiving it, supposed that Perch's hand was good for nothing, and he bet freely until the stakes were several hundreds. The man overhead seeing him about to lose their money, pulled with all his might, bnt the sign did not reach his partner below, who staked all his money that his cards were the best, and lost. By these means, Perch was enabled to win several hundreds, and made good his retreat without his plan being discovered. By this discovery which Perch had made, the house was broken up, and the gambler was frequently tantalized by his acquaintance, who would say to him, that he had been fishing for bullheads, but had caught a Perch instead, that ran off with the bait.

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