The gun came out between the church and the wood into a position from which it did a considerable amount of mischief to the infantry on our right, and nearly drove our rightmost gun in upon its supports. Meanwhile, Red s two guns on his right came forward to Hook s Farm, rather badly supported by his infantry. Once they got into position there I perceived that we should be done for, and accordingly I rushed every available man forward in a vigorous counter attack, and my own two guns came lumbering up to the farmhouse corners, and got into the wedge of shelter close behind the house before his could open fire. His fire met my advance, littering the gentle grass slope with dead, and then, hot behind the storm of shell, and even as my cavalry gathered to charge his guns, he charged mine. I was amazed beyond measure at that rush, knowing his sabres to be slightly outnumbered by mine. In another moment all the level space round the farmhouse was a whirling storm of slashing cavalry, and then we found ourselves still holding on, with half a dozen prisoners, and the farmyard a perfect shambles of horses and men. The melee was over. His charge had failed, and, after a brief breathing--space for my shot--torn infantry to come up, I led on the counter attack. It was brilliantly successful; a hard five minutes with bayonet and sabre, and his right gun was in our hands and his central one in jeopardy. And now Red was seized with that most fatal disease of generals, indecision.
Sir John Suckling also has given a description of this pastime with allegorical personages, which is quoted by Brand. In Holiday s play of the _Marriages of the Arts_, 1618, this sport is introduced, and also by Herrick (_Hesperides_, p. 44). Barley-break is several times alluded to in Massinger s plays: see the _Dramatic Works of Philip Massinger_, 1779, i. 167. We ll run at barley-break first, and you shall be in hell (Dekker s _The Honest Whore_). Hee s at barli-break, and the last couple are now in hell (Dekker s _The Virgin Martir_). See Gifford s _Massinger_, i. 104, edit. 1813.
It was big as a squash court, and as high and as square. Every wall was glass. It couldn t have been in greater contrast to the contrived hominess of the casino if they d thought about it for a year. Then, for the last twist, the furnishings were straight out of the old Southwest--Navajo rugs, heavy, Spanish oak desks, and a pair of matching couches or divans of whole steer leather stretched over oak frames. * * * * * Peno Rose came quickly toward me the moment Fowler Smythe showed me into the office, spurs jingling. Hey! There he is! The boy they had to rule off the track! How s a boy, Lefty? Long time no see. He had his hand stuck way out ahead of him. His sharp, dried-out features repelled me twice as much as they had ten years before. That hatchet face of his was gashed with what he thought was a smile. I ve seen sharks with a pleasanter gape.
The cards are drawn from this box in couples, by pushing them one at a time through a slit in the side. As the cards are withdrawn in this manner a spring pushes the remainder of the pack upward. The first card in sight at the beginning of each deal is called _=soda=_, and the last card left in the box is _=in hoc=_. The first card withdrawn is placed about six inches from the box, and the second is laid close to the box itself. [Illustration] Every two cards withdrawn in this manner are called a _=turn=_, and there are twenty-five turns in each deal, Soda and Hoc being dead cards. In making the first turn, the Soda begins the pile farther from the box, and the next card taken out is called a _=loser=_, which is placed close to the box. The card left face upward in the box is the _=winner=_ for that turn, so that there must be a winner and a loser for every turn; the loser outside the box, and the winner left in it. On the next and all following turns, the winning card on the previous turn will be placed on the same pile as the Soda, so that it shall be possible at any time to decide which cards have won, and which have lost. The _=Object of the Game=_ is for the players to guess whether the various cards on which they place their money will win or lose. They are at liberty to select any card they please, from the ace to the King, and to bet any amount within the established limit of the bank.
I shrugged. I had my way with the dice, Peno. I dropped nine yards as fast as I could, then won it back. The spots came up for me every single roll but two, when I had my eye on something else. He snickered. We saw her, he said. How about it, Fowler? I asked my Lodge Brother. 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.