After two or three failures to bring the cold deck into action Sam Bugg brushed a spider--an imaginary spider, of course--from the gambler's coat collar, for an instant distracting his attention--and in the momentary confusion the stacked cards were duly dealt and the betting began, the gambler confident and aggressive.
Finally, all the money up, the four aces beat the four kings, and for a greater amount than the Nashvillians had lost and the gambler had won.
Whereupon, without change of muscle, the gambler drawled: "Mr.Bugg, the next time you see a spider biting me let him bite on!" I was told that the Senate Game had been played during the War of Sections and directly after for large sums.

With the arrival of the rebel brigadiers it was perforce reduced to a reasonable limit.
The "road gang" was not unknown at the White House.

Sometimes it assembled at private houses, but its accustomed place of meeting was first Welcker's and then Chamberlin's.

I do not know whether it continues to have abiding place or even an existence.

In spite of the reputation given me by the pert paragraphers I have not been on a race course or seen a horse race or played for other than immaterial stakes for more than thirty years.
IV As an all-round newspaper writer and reporter many sorts of people, high and low, little and big, queer and commonplace, fell in my way; statesmen and politicians, artists and athletes, circus riders and prize fighters; the riffraff and the elite; the professional and dilettante of the world polite and the underworld.
I knew Mike Walsh and Tim Campbell.