Page:Our Sister Republic - Mexico.djvu/478

462, won, and doubled it and won again, the crowd in front fell back respectfully, and I had the game all to myself until I was a dozen dollars ahead, and concluding the game too uncertain, bid the dealer good-night, received a courteous good-night in turn, and moved on. The poor people appear to play right on, as long as they have a dime left, and of course the bank comes out ahead in the long run.

Farther up there is a large booth in which quino is played, for fancy articles, china ware, etc., etc., the cost of a card being six and one-fourth cents, or four for twenty-five cents. I did not know the game, but Col. Green acted as my padrino, and in half an hour I was the happy possessor of seven sets of fancy china cups and saucers, with two servers to match, all at an outlay of only one dollar and a quarter. I regret to be compelled to add that I offered them for one dollar—they were valued at seven—and got no bidder among my companions; but I made a family of little children happy with them, and felt that I had got more than the worth of my money, after all.

Chuck-a-luck games ran down the center of the plaza; monte, faro, etc., etc., were scattered about—in the minority, and not well patronized—and the side opposite the roulette booths, is covered with a great shed capable of seating one thousand or fifteen hundred people, which is devoted exclusively to quino, played for money. The cards or tickets, are pasted down upon the tables and must number at least one thousand all told. Each player is provided with a handful of corn with which to keep the game as the numbers, drawn out by the dealer are called, and as fast as one game is, finished—it takes about three minutes—the