kward as he was, he
evidently did his best, and never flung a chance away by permitting
anyone to win. He had just won three shillings from a farmer, who,
incensed at his loss, was calling him a confounded cheat, and saying that
he would play no more, when up came my friend of the preceding day, Jack
the jockey. This worthy, after looking at the thimble man a moment or
two, with a peculiarly crafty glance, cried out, as he clapped down a
shilling on the table, 'I will stand you, old fellow!' 'Them that finds
wins; and them that can't--och, sure!--they loses,' said the thimble man.
The game commenced, and Jack took up the thimble without finding the pea;
another shilling was produced, and lost in the same manner. 'This is
slow work,' said Jack, banging down a guinea on the table: 'can you cover
that, old fellow?' The man of the thimble looked at the gold, and then
at him who produced it, and scratched his head. 'Come, cover that, or I
shall be off,' said the jockey. 'Och, sure, my lord!--no, I mean your
honour--no, shure, your lordship,' said the other, 'if I covers it at
all, it must be with silver, for divil a bit of gold have I by me.'
'Well, then, produce the value in silver,' said the jockey, 'and do it
quickly, for I can't be staying here all day.' The thimble man
hesitated, looked at Jack with a dubious look, then at the gold, and then
scratched his head. There was now a laugh amongst the surrounders, which
evidently nettled the fellow, who forthwith thrust his hand into his
pocket, and pulling out all his silver treasure, just contrived to place
the value of the guinea on the table. 'Them that finds wins, and them
that can't finds--_loses_,' interrupted Jack, lifting up a thimble, out
of which rolled a pea. 'There, Paddy, what do you think of that?' said
he, seizing the heap of silver with one hand, whilst he pocketed the
guinea with the other. The thimble-engro stood for some time like one
transfixed, his eyes glaring wildly, now at the table, and now at his
successful customer; at last he said, 'Arrah, sure, master!--no, I manes
my lord--you are not going to ruin a poor boy!' 'Ruin you!' said the
other, 'what! by winning a guinea's change! a pretty small dodger you--if
you have not sufficient capital, why do you engage in so deep a trade as
thimbling? come, will you stand another game?' 'Och, sure, master, no!
the twenty shillings and one which you have cheated me of were all I had
in the world.' '