CAD METTI AND OSCAR DUNNE DO SOME FINE "CHUMMING" AND SUCCEED IN BRINGING A BIG FISH TO NIBBLE AT THEIR BAIT.
Oscar Dunne and Cad Metti were indeed great experts in enacting a rôle. They took a seat in the grand stand and through a messenger boy bet on the races. They won, and they laughed and tittered in delight over their success, and, as intimated, attracted a great deal of attention, and they exhibited considerable money. Oscar was playing the rôle of a dude with plenty of "stuff," as the vulgar phrase puts it, and Cad was playing the rôle of a fast young girl who was leading the exquisite fool to squander his roll. Well, it was a great chumming game well played—played before a lot of men who were as avaricious as impecunious gamblers always are. There were men there who bet and lost. There were men there who had no money to risk, and they all thought themselves possessed of brains, and here was a silly fool loaded with money, and here also was a silly girl reaping a rich harvest in greenbacks from her enamored dude, as it appeared, and so the game went on until a man with a keen eye got them under his glance. He stood awhile and watched them, and various expressions passed over his face. After a little the man strolled away. He joined two other men, and going close to them he said in a low tone:
"I've struck a chance to make a raise."
"Good enough," was the response.
"Yes, and it's dead easy."
"What is it?"
"I'll go over opposite the grand stand; you fellows follow me. Come up offhand and I'll show where a big haul lies right in sight."
The rogues had struck a lead and so had the two sharp-eyed detectives who were playing such a neat game.
"Cad," said Oscar, "we've got a bite."
"Yes, I felt the nibble."