Louis
and New Orleans in 1886.
A sedate and rather severe looking stranger challenged Bird to
a game of chess once, just when Bird had finished a long sitting
with a strong player, and was in rather a lively mood. "A stake,
I suppose," said Bird. "No, I don't like stakes," said the stranger.
"Then suppose we say a chop, or even a basin of soup, fried sole,
or box of cigars." The stranger looked awful for a moment but
dismayed by the good temper of his vis a vis, suddenly relaxed
and conformed to the usual rule, and as the love tales conclude
was happy ever afterwards.
It is best to understand that the stake on each game is a
shilling, not to say simply we play for a shilling. Once, after an
eight hours sitting, a countryman after losing twenty games
blandly handed Mr. F. one shilling for the sitting, and could not
be induced to part with more.
Stakes at chess must not be confounded with the favourite
"Comestible." Missing Word calls it by that name. Meat is
sometimes pronounced by some we know almost like mate. An
Irishman addressing the cook instead of the mate once on board
of a vessel, said, " Are you the mate?" and was met with the
reply, "No, I am the man what cooks the mate.
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