Part 47 (2/2)

Shuffling, cutting, dealing out and ~358~~ dealing in, double dealing and double faces, have long been the order of the day. Some men's cards are all trumps, whilst others have _carte blanche_; some honours count, whilst others stand for nothing. For instance, did not the little man who cast up his final accounts a short time back at St. Helena, like a Corsican conjurer, shuffle and cut about among kings and queens, knaves and a.s.ses, (aces I mean) dealing out honours when he liked, and taking trumps as he thought fit?--did he not deal and take up again almost as he pleased, having generally an honour in his sleeve to be played at command, or _un roi dans le marche_; by which cheating, it was scarcely possible for any one to get fair play with him, till, flushed by success, and not knowing how to bear his prosperity, he played too desperately and too long? The tables were turned upon him, and his enemies cheated him, first of his liberty, and ultimately of his life.”

At this moment Tallyho, who was listening in close attention to his Cousin, struck his foot against a brown paper parcel which rolled before him.--”Hallo!” exclaimed he, ”what have we here?--somebody has dropped a prize.”

”It is mine, Sir,” said an old woman, dropping them a curtsey with a smile which shone through her features, though thickly begrimed with snuff.

”A bite,” said Tom.

”I dropp'd it from my pocket, Sir, just now.”

”And pray,” inquired Tom, ”what does it contain?” picking it up.

”Snuff, Sir,” was the reply; ”a kind, good-hearted Gentleman gave it to me--G.o.d bless him, and bless your Honour too!” with an additional smile, and a still lower curtsey.

Upon examining the paper, which had been broken by the kick, Tom perceived, that by some magic or other, the old woman's snuff had become sugar.

”Zounds!” said he, ”they have played some trick upon you, and given you brimstone instead of snuff, or else you are throwing dust in our eyes.”

The parcel, which contained a sample of sugar, was carefully rolled up again and tied, then dropped to be found by any body else who chose to stoop for it.

”This,” said Dashall, ”does not turn out to be what I first expected; for the practices of ring and money ~359~~ dropping{1} have, at various times, been carried on with great success, and to the serious injury of the unsuspecting. The persons who generally apply themselves to this species of cheating are no other than gamblers who ingeniously contrive, by dropping a purse or a ring, to draw in some customer with a view to induce him to play; and notwithstanding their arts have frequently been exposed, we every now and then hear of some flat being done by these sharps, and indeed there are constantly customers in London to be had one way or another.”

”Then you had an idea that that parcel was a bait of this kind,”

rejoined Bob.

”I did,” replied his Cousin; ”but it appears to be a legitimate letter from some industrious mechanic to his friend, and is a curious specimen of epistolary correspondence; and you perceive there was a person ready to claim it, which conspired rather to confirm my suspicions, being a little in the style of the gentry I have alluded to. They vary their mode of proceeding according to situation and circ.u.mstance. Your money-dropper contrives to find his own property, as if by chance.

He picks up the purse with an exclamation of 'Hallo! what have we here?--Zounds! if here is not a prize--I'm in rare luck to-day--Ha, ha, ha, let's have a peep at it--it feels heavy, and no doubt is worth having.' While he is examining its contents, up comes his confederate, who claims a share on account of having been present at the finding.

'Nay, nay,' replies the finder, 'you are not in it. This Gentleman is the only person that was near me--was not you, Sir? 'By this means the novice is induced to a.s.sent, or perhaps a.s.sert his prior claim. The finder declares,

1 The practice of ring-dropping is not wholly confined to London, as the following paragraph from the Glasgow Courier, a very short time ago, will sufficiently prove:--'On Monday afternoon, when three Highland women, who had been employed at a distance from home in the harvest, were returning to their habitations, they were accosted by a fellow who had walked out a short way with them, 'till he picked up a pair of ear-rings and a key for a watch. The fellow politely informed the females that they should have half the value of the articles, as they were in his company when they were found. While they were examining them, another fellow came up, who declared at once they were gold, and worth at least thirty s.h.i.+llings. After some conversation, the women were induced to give fifteen s.h.i.+llings for the articles, and came and offered them to a watch-maker for sale, when they learned to their mortification that they were not worth eighteen pence!'

~360~~ that sooner than have any dispute about it, he will divide the contents in three parts; recommends an adjournment to a public-house in the neighbourhood, to wet the business and drink over their good luck.

This being consented to, the leading points are accomplished. The purse of course is found to contain counterfeit money--Flash-screens or Fleet-notes,{1} and the division cannot well be made without change can be procured. Now comes the touch-stone. The Countryman, for such they generally contrive to inveigle, is perhaps in cash, having sold his hay, or his cattle, tells them he can give change; which being understood, the draught-board, cards, or la bagatelle, are introduced, and as the job is a good one, they can afford to sport some of their newly-acquired wealth in this way. They drink and play, and fill their grog again. The Countryman bets; if he loses, he is called upon to pay; if he wins, 'tis added to what is coming to him out of the purse.

”If, after an experiment or two, they find he has but little money, or fight shy, they bolt, that is, brush off in quick time, leaving him to answer for the reckoning. But if he is what they term well-breeched, and full of cash, they stick to him until he is cleaned out,{2} make him drunk, and, if he turns restive, they mill him. If he should be an easy cove,{3} he perhaps give them change for their flash notes, or counterfeit coin, and they leave him as soon as possible, highly pleased with his fancied success, while they laugh in their sleeves at the dupe of their artifice.”

”And is it possible?” inquired Tallyho--

”Can such things be, and overcome us Like a summer's cloud?”

”Not without our special wonder,” continued Dashall; ”but such things have been practised. Then again, your ring-droppers, or practisers of the fawney rig, are more cunning in their manoeuvres to turn their wares into the ready blunt.{4} The pretending to find a ring being one of the meanest and least profitable exercises of their ingenuity, it forms a part of their art to find articles of much more

1 Flash-screens or Fleet-notes--Forged notes.

2 Cleaned out--Having lost all your money.

3 Easy cove--One whom there is no difficulty in gulling.

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