THE GAMBLER
Sung by Kenny Rogers

You got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away, know when to run
You never count your money, while your sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealing’s done

        Couldn’t really fault Chad’s reasons.  That sweet, dark-haired Rose he’d met five months ago had promised she’d be back in Laredo for Chad’s birthday.  So Chad was bound and determined to beat her there.  Erik was likely to be back in Laredo by now and he’d made a big play for her five months back.  And Erik wasn’t the only one.  The Randall boys had been hot after her, even fighting each other, something they didn’t usually do.   And who knew what army officer might be hanging around?  No, Chad better get back to keep the prize he seemed to have won five months earlier.

        Joe suspected such victories tended to be fleeting.  As a slim six foot in height with dark hair, hazel eyes and an easy charming manner, women seemed to look on Chad favorably, especially when he didn’t come on too strong.  He tended to overdo at times, mostly when he was trying to compete with Erik.  Erik’s European manners and fancy-dressed dandy look gave him an advantage with some women.  And those Randall brothers, both tall and blond with striking blue eyes.  Well, combine that with their father’s money and they were a force to be reckoned with.

        So under the circumstances, Chad’s breakneck speed was called for, at least for him.   Joe would have been more enthused if she’d been his prize.  If those haunting green/blue eyes that seemed to change color with the color of her clothes were waiting to look fondly on him, well Joe would be riding hell bent for leather too.  Course Chad also liked it that Rose seemed to have money behind her; Joe wouldn’t have cared about that.  But what he cared about didn’t matter anyway.  Here he was taking it the hard way just so Chad could have Rose’s sweet lips on his.

        They made Chad’s birthday deadline with a time to spare. It was early evening before the big day when they reported to the Captain. Chad was bouncing around with so much excess energy it was like he’d just finished a full night’s sleep, a good meal and a hot bath instead of having been without any of those things for most of a week. The Captain took the wind out of his sails soon enough.

        “This came for you yesterday Cooper,” the Captain said as he handed him an envelope containing a telegram and a hundred dollars.   Normally the money would have excited Chad enough that it wouldn’t have mattered what the telegram said.  Not this time.  After reading the telegram, Chad crumpled it and the five twenties and threw them in a corner. The energy just drained out of him as he left the office for the barracks.

        Joe picked up the telegram and the money. He had no compunction about reading the telegram. Chad would have done the same had it been his. He was glad he did because he saw more in it than Chad.  It was from Rose.

        “Dear Chad: Can’t make it for your birthday. Wiring $100 so you can try your luck against the new dealer at the Laredo saloon.”

        What struck Joe was how, if Rose was in Austin, she knew there was a new dealer in the saloon. There hadn’t been anyone new when he and Chad had ridden out and Rose hadn’t been in Laredo for five months. Must be a friend of hers.  And that could be interesting.  So he headed across the street to the saloon for supper.

        It was early for the gambling crowd so Joe ate his meal and watched the regulars trickle in.  He was working on his second beer when the two Randall boys arrived.  They usually frequented a more classy establishment as befitted the sons of the wealthiest rancher in the area, but they took a table and seemed settled in to stay.  When two young cavalry officers joined them at the same table, Joe knew something was up. There was a growing crowd around that table.  Soon he saw why.  A blonde woman joined them, a spectacular blonde woman. She was wearing a dress that was too classy for a dancehall girl, at least those to be found in these parts. But it was too risque for a respectable woman, again he added, at least for these parts. She looked to be mid-twenties Joe thought, but it was hard to tell because she had on face paint like the saloon girls wore only not so obvious or garish.

        She had a dog with her, some kind of big terrier with a fancy collar. The four men at the table fussed over it as though they were all especially fond of dogs. The dog was pretty clever. It would fetch things she pointed at and had a little basket it carried so it could even fetch a full glass.  But even so, it seemed a little odd to see the men fawning over it to such an extent.

        As Joe sat back to watch how things developed, Erik came in and joined the group at the table.  Erik’s arrival seemed to signal the game to start.  Joe had been watching the game for a quarter hour when Cotton and Reese brought their beers over to his table.

        “Why’s that game drawin' such a crowd?’ he asked Cotton.

        “It’s not the game, it’s the woman and the side bets,” he answered.

        “Side bets?” Joe was curious.

        “Chloe, that’s the blonde, been dealing at that table for . . . , well this is her fourth night.  All the men playin' there are more interested in her than the game.  Which is good for her, because she seems to be winnin', although not so much as to wipe out the big players completely.  She’s milkin' them slow.  She usually stops for supper around ten and then the game goes on until two. They’ve all tried to get her to have supper with them privately but so far she’s just had supper at a big table and invited them all to join her.  Well, invited may not be the right word.  More like allowed.”

        Cotton stopped to take a drag on his beer.  And to take another look at the woman who was the center of attention.  Then he continued.

        “The hands from the Randall spread made a bet with some of the soldiers on the second night about whose man could get her off for supper alone. Then they added another side bet on the third night as to whether one would spend the night in her room.  When Erik came in yesterday, he joined the game and some of the Rangers started betting.  So far no one’s even gotten as far as supper.”

        Then Reese interrupted. “Hey Joe, where’s Chad? He should get in on this. It’s not right the Rangers only have Erik in the running. Looks bad for us.”

        Joe started to tell them that Chad was both bone-tired and broken-hearted when he remembered the telegram. He decided to take a closer look at the game and the woman. He could actually see more of the woman’s bosom than her face. Her blonde hair kept falling over her cheekbones. She probably wore it that way because it was so alluring when she tossed her head to get it out of the way. She had some piled on top as well. Joe knew nothing about hair styles but that one looked vaguely stylish. She wore little spectacles that would have looked schoolmarmish on a lesser woman. Her eyes seemed to be the same color blue as her dress.  He walked around the table a few times. Something was nagging at him.  Then he caught her eye and she winked at him. And it was all clear.

You got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away,
Know when to run
You never count your money,
while you’re sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
when the dealing’s done

        That was a real battle. Chad saw no need to wake up much less leave the barracks. He was tired and saw nothing to justify rousing himself. But Joe insisted. The honor of the Rangers was at stake.  Chad couldn’t let Erik take on the officers and the Randall brothers all by himself. But he clinched it when he reminded Chad that Rose had specifically mentioned the dealer in her telegram. “Come on Chad boy. Ain’t you even curious?  Must be a friend of hers.”

        And Chad had to admit he was curious. So he bathed, shaved and put on the clothes Joe had laid out for him. That in itself had him interested.  It wasn’t like Joe to act like some kind of backwoods valet.

        Chad was only in the saloon for a few minutes when he knew why Rose’s telegram had suggested he come.  And his energy returned. There would be a nice betting pool to be won here.

        When he approached the table there were no empty seats. But there were only six serious players – the Randalls, the officers, Erik and the lady herself.  As he stood there, the lady looked up at him. “Are you a serious player or just a watcher?” He pulled out the hundred Rose had sent. He’d given Joe his own money to get in on the side bet action, betting on the Rangers of course. They’d just gotten their pay and hadn’t had time to spend it. The lady waved her hand dismissively at one of the cowhands who was sitting in with only a couple of chips left and Chad had a seat. Before he sat down, the lady held out her hand to him.

        “Chloe Wingate” she said in an accent that suggested Georgia or possibly South Carolina.   As Chad introduced himself in his best New Orleans accent, he kissed her hand with a delicacy even Erik couldn’t have faulted. She counted out some chips and put them directly in his hand rather than sliding them across the table. But then she was back to business.

        But business included flirting with every man at the table, at least all the serious players. She ignored the men who drifted in to lose ten or fifteen dollars to be replaced by another small-timer. She flirted with real players equally, and now she included Chad in that favored little group. He felt at first that the words she spoke to him had special meaning, that she was singling him out. Then he realized, each one of the men at the table probably felt exactly the same way. She was good.

        Turned out It was a good thing he’d saved out some of his money for the side bets, because it didn’t look like he would make a killing at this table. Sometimes his admittedly reckless manner of play left him a big winner, if he had the will power to hang onto it. More often the rise and fall of his luck ended with a big fall.  He never knew when to fold.

        He started playing more conservatively when he got down to $25. Joe slipped him another twenty to make sure he stayed in the game, but his bigger game was to figure what ploy to use to get her to a private supper with him.  When Joe brought the twenty, he’d let Chad know the odds favored one of the Randall boys so he’d collect five to one if he won. Those odds were rather an insult, especially as Erik was lumped in with him. You’d think some of those yokels would have more faith in the Rangers.  But maybe there were just more of the Randall’s cowhands in town than Rangers or soldiers.

        His opening came around 9:30. He was left in a hand with her alone. As she was about to meet his $50, he suggested that she bet her dog instead. He thought it would seem a compliment to the dog to put such a high value on it. He apparently thought wrong.

        She appeared to be gravely insulted. The idea that he would think she was such a cold and heartless person that she take this sweet and devoted little dog and put him up as a poker bet to possibly be lost to a total stranger was highly offensive. She directed no more sweet words at him for the next thirty minutes.  At 10 p.m. she simply said, “If you would excuse me gentlemen, it’s time for my dinner.

        Chad swooped in as one of the Randall boys, he could never tell them apart, pulled out her chair.

        “Miss Wingate, please allow me to apologize and explain my earlier behavior.”

        She made a gesture to the other waiting men, indicating she would be just a minute. She looked at him expectantly, but not warmly. She called the dog to her and made a show of fussing over it as it stood with its front paws in her lap.

        “I had no intention of insulting you or implying you're a cold-hearted person. I'm sure when you knew why I wanted your clever dog there, you would be sympathetic. I saw how agile he was fetching things. I have a little friend who’s in a wheelchair. A dog like yours would be a godsend to her. Not only could it fetch things for her, but having a dog like that would make other children more likely to talk to her. You know how kids are about other kids who are different.”

        Chloe looked at him with interest tinged with skepticism. But her look invited him to go on. The other men were waiting impatiently at the supper table. They hesitated to interrupt, but they wouldn’t hesitate for long if they sensed he was getting an advantage.

        He hurriedly added, “I realize now that you would never want to sell this dog. You’re too attached to him. But perhaps you could tell me how to find a puppy I could train for the little girl and give me some tips on how to train it.”

    “Do you really expect me to believe that a Texas Ranger who spends most of his time riding all over Texas shooting bandits and capturing stage robbers is going to have the time to train a dog for a crippled little girl.  Really Mr. Cooper, I would be very surprised if this girl even exists. Are you looking for some kind of admiration from me?”

        “It wouldn’t be just me, there’s my friend Joe over there. He would help with the training. You ask him about her. Her birthday is tomorrow. Her name is Melinda.”  Chad loved it when his “lies” were based in truth. Made consistent stories so much easier.   Little Melinda was the daughter of a former Ranger, injured in an accident that had taken the use of her legs when she was only a toddler.  That dog really would have been a blessing to her.

        Chloe gestured for Joe to come over. She asked him, “Chad tells me you have a little friend. A little boy in a wheelchair whose thirteenth birthday is next week. Is that true?”

        Joe was taken aback and not just a little confused. He looked at Chad.  Chad just said. “The truth Joe.”

        “I don’t know what Chad’s been saying Ma’am but our friend’s name is Melinda and she’ll be eleven tomorrow. That’s also Chad’s birthday. The past three years we’ve pretty much celebrated her birthday ‘stead of Chad’s.  No point wasting money on presents for Chad when that little girl appreciates them so much more.”

        Chloe looked back at Chad. “You surprise me Mr. Cooper. But perhaps I’ll call your bluff. I’m sure a little girl’s birthday party is early enough in the day that it wouldn’t interfere with tomorrow’s game. If I brought her a nice present suitable for a young girl, perhaps I might attend this social function with you? I could talk to her and her parents about dogs. I might get a better idea of what to look for. If indeed a dog would be a help to her, I might be willing to give you a little instruction.”

        Chad jumped on his chance. “Perhaps we could discuss more details over dinner?  There’s a little table over there that would give us some privacy. Joe can bring something over to us.”

        “Better yet, you said your friend Joe would be helping to train a dog. He should join us.” She looked at Joe expectantly.

        “Love to” Joe responded immediately.  Chad stepped on his toe as unobtrusively as he could until Joe added. “But I promised the Captain I would report back about this time.” As Chad looked ready to step on his toe again, he hastily said, “I’d be happy to get your supper first though.”

        And so Chad won the first bet.

        At supper she ran through her dog Barney’s repertoire and gave Chad a rundown on the steps she’d gone through for each one. And he made arrangements to pick her up at noon the next day.  Out of the corner of his eye Chad saw money exchanging hands at the bar. Joe was back, and a lot of the money was going into his hands.  Of course, he’d be putting it all back. He and Joe had bet everything on this first challenge. They figured to reinvest it by letting it ride on the second one.

        The second bet wasn’t going to be won right away though.  By 1:30 Chad was really dragging. He was not only betting reckless, he was betting stupid.   He could barely keep his eyes open.  Too many days out on the trail with not enough sleep had dulled his wits.  He held when he should have folded and folded when he could have won.  He was out of the game before she called it quits. And being out of the game meant being out of her circle. Joe had nothing for him as the money had already been re-bet. He knew he could get some loans from the Rangers who had money bet on him for tomorrow’s game, but not in time to keep him in tonight. So one of the itinerants took his place at the table and he was left watching. And when she did call it quits, she barely paid him any mind.

        But by noon the next day he was back in good form. He had his wits about him and was ready to be irresistibly charming.  She had told him that she had a buggy and horse at the livery and “suggested” he should bring it around at noon.  So by 11:30 a.m. he was hitching up a hot blooded little black bay mare to a fancy buggy.  Ten minutes before noon he was at the hotel lobby. And ten minutes before two he was still there despite having sent a note up to her room when he first arrived.

        She came down at two o’clock with no apologies. She merely said, “you’re very punctual Mr. Cooper” as though that was not quite a fault, but certainly nothing to be applauded.

        It was an hour out to the Master’s farm.  By the time they got there Chad could tell she was quite taken with him.  She laughed when he was amusing, which was frequently.  And she was properly sympathetic when he talked about the accident which had put Melinda in the wheelchair.  She talked about the games she had been in as she traveled from Denver toward a big game in New Orleans, his home town.  He was able to give her all kinds of advice about how to make her way in that city, although his information was almost four years old by now.

        Joe was already there when they arrived.   Once Chloe started showing off Barney’s tricks, she completely won over the little girl.  And the girl won over the dog.  Chloe gave Melinda some tidbits as treats and had her run Barney through his tricks again. The dog seemed to sense that when he fetched things for Melinda, he was really doing her a service, not just performing. Before long, Melinda had a whole lap full of mostly useless items she’d had the dog fetch for her

        But the highpoint of the day came when the party was over and they were getting ready to go back to Laredo.  Barney seemed reluctant to leave. Maybe that’s because Melinda had been sneaking him food under the table during dinner or maybe he liked the way she scratched his ears.  In any event, he sat there by her chair when Chad started to help Chloe into the buggy.  Chloe took Hank aside and had a whispered conversation with him.   She then knelt beside the little girl. “Melinda honey. For the next few months I’m going to be going some places that wouldn’t be any fun for Barney.  Do you think you could keep him for me?”

        Melinda lit up. She looked at her father, who nodded. “I’ll take such good care of him, I promise.  I’ll throw sticks for him every day so he gets his exercise. And I won’t let him forget anything.”

        “I know you will or I wouldn’t leave him with you. He may decide he wants to stay here forever. If he does, are you ready to keep him?”

        In response, Melinda threw her arms around Chloe’s neck.

        As he helped her into the buggy, Chad told her with genuine admiration, “That’s the nicest thing I’ve ever seen anyone do. I know how much that dog must mean to you.”

        She smiled and shrugged. “It’s just a dog.”

        It was long past nine when they got back to the hotel, almost time for the dinner break at the Laredo saloon. Chad wondered if the game was actually going on or if all the men were merely waiting for Chloe to arrive.  He offered to escort her over to the saloon, but she declined. “I can’t go over there looking like this.”

        Chad looked her over. She looked absolutely perfect. Out of respect for the family she had been visiting, she was wearing a very respectable blue and white print dress that completely covered her legs. No visible bosom, no flashy jewelry, no silk, no fancy shoes. Chad could understand why she couldn’t possibly make an appearance at a poker game thus attired.  So Chad escorted her to her room.

        And she invited him in.

You got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away, know when to run
You never count your money, while your sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealings done

        By the time she’d finished dressing and doing up her hair, it was past ten. Would everyone be waiting dinner or had they given up?  Most likely Joe had gone to tell them about the delay. He might just let it slip that Chad had made it inside her hotel room.

        When there was a knock at her door, she asked him to answer it. When it turned out to be one of the Randalls with one of the officers, Chad figured they were checking to see if he was actually in the room.  Of course, to win the bet he would have to stay most of the night. That could be a little tougher. Chad saw the two men looking over his shoulder to see that she was actually in the room with him. Chloe just called out, “Mr. Cooper, tell them I’ll be down shortly.”

        But after they left and Chad closed the door, she looked to be in no hurry. “I really miss my little dog. I guess that sounds silly to you.”

        Chad took the opportunity to put his arm around her. “No, not at all. But that was a wonderful thing you did for that little girl. That dog will be more than a friend to her. And Barney will be happy. I’ll check on him regular.  I promise.”

        She turned and put her head against his shoulder. Her voice caught as though she was trying not to cry. That gave him the chance to put both arms around her.  A minute later they were kissing.

        But when he tried to go further, she stopped him.   “I didn’t mean to lead you on Mr. Cooper. I won’t try to tell you I have no experience with men, but I’m afraid you just aren’t like the men I’m attracted to.”

        That was not what Chad wanted to hear. “And what kind of man would that be?”

        “Not one who can’t hold his own in a poker game for a whole night.”

        “You’d reject a man because he has a bad night at cards?”

        “Not just a bad night. You’re impetuous. You can’t bide your time. You have no self-restraint. I like men who play intelligently, not cautiously, but not with reckless abandon.”

        “And who at that table plays that way?”

        “Oh there’s no one here in Laredo who plays a really intelligent game. Your friend Mr. Hunter may be the closest, but he’s not clever enough.”

        Chad was glad to hear that. Of course, if Erik spent the night with her, Chad would still win his bet since it was Rangers against officers against Randalls. Didn’t matter which one on the “team” won the hand so to speak.

        But Chad would rather lose the bet than have Erik be the one to win it for them. And his share of the bet would only be a couple hundred at best so the pleasure he would take in winning it was now the biggest part of the prize. Since he’d managed that supper coup he was looking at even odds on the Rangers. Good for the pride, bad for the betting.

        Chad kissed her neck as he offered, “Perhaps you spend too much time playing cards. You don’t know what it’s like to be with a real man.”

        “And that would be you?”

        “Of course.”

        “And what makes you a real man?”

        “I have a man’s job. I play cards for fun. I don’t sit around making a living at it.”

        She smiled, “I’d say that was just as well.  At least being a Ranger puts a roof over your head.  Poker wouldn’t.  I’ll bet you never walk away from the table until you’re broke.   But anyway, don’t those soldiers do a man’s job?  And your friend Mr. Hunter?”

        “But I do it so much better.” He kissed her again and she didn’t resist. But again, she let him go no further.

        “Mr. Cooper, I’m not a reckless woman. Making love to a man like you, a man with no self-restraint would be a reckless thing. A rash pleasure that could leave me with regrets later."

        “Regrets?”

        “There are certain physical consequences to the act of love Mr. Cooper.”

        He suddenly realized what she was getting at.

        “I have that kind of restraint. Even a man reckless at cards may not want the consequences of being reckless with a woman.” With that he kissed her again and this time she didn’t push him away.

        And they never made it to the game at all.

        They were awakened  around 5 a.m. by banging on the door. “Chad, Chad, get out here. The Captain wants you.”  It was Reese’s gravel voice. Not the most pleasant way to wake, as by now half the people on this floor of the hotel must know.

        Chad pulled on his long johns and went to the door. Reese was standing there, impatient and urgent as always. But Chad figured this was just a ploy to get him to the door so whoever was holding the bets would know that he was still there. He took a quick look down the corridor. Sure enough, one of the Randall cowhands was at the end of the hallway.

        “OK Reese, I’ll be along. He closed the door in Reese’s face, having no intention of “being along.”

        Reese persisted. “Right now, Chad.”

        But Chad wasn’t going to fall for that. They’d love to see him scurry out of here only to find it was just a little Ranger joke. If the Captain really wanted him, he’d have sent Joe. “Go away, Reese. I’ll be along later. The Captain can wait.”

        Chad crawled back into the bed. And now she was awake and reaching out for him. Reese’s visit hadn’t been wasted after all.  But before things went where he was heading, there was another pounding on the door.

        “Go away Reese.” Nothing was going to get him out of this bed now.
But the pounding persisted.

        Exasperated, Chad got up again.   He was tempted to grab his revolver. But he supposed Reese would know he wouldn’t really shoot him.

        He opened the door. “Reese, God damn it, get your flea ridden carcass and . . . .” And he looked up to see the Captain.

        “When I send for you, I expect . . . .” The Captain stopped, looking over to the bed. Chad followed his glance. Chloe’s face was turned away but her golden hair was streaming across her pillow.  The Captain looked back at Chad.  I guess it’s a good thing Rose missed your birthday.” Then remembering why he’d come. “We’re riding out in fifteen minutes. I expect you there dressed, horse saddled, ready for a week-long assignment.”

        “But Captain, we just got back . . . .”

        "Beau Moncrief and his gang are holed up in the mission in Three Rivers.  If they make it past the local law, we need to be close by to track them down. Do you think that might just be important enough to warrant rousting you from your current activities?”

        “Be right there Captain.” And this time he meant it.  He knew when to run.

        Chad hurriedly got dressed, gave Chloe a quick kiss that turned into a not-so-quick kiss and said a regretful good-by.

“You never count your money,
while you’re sittin' at the table
There'll be time enough for countin'
when the dealing’s done.”

        Outside, the men gathered by the stable to wait for the Captain.  Chad saw Chloe outside the hotel and rode over to say good-by a second time. A few of the men followed him over.  A couple of ranch hands from the Randall spread were standing around nearby. He jumped off his horse and reached for her.

        But instead of her lips on his, he got her hand across his cheek in a slap so hard it brought tears to his eyes. He would have fallen on his ass if he hadn’t hit the hitching rail first. As the men behind him laughed, he looked at her stunned.

        She almost spit out her words, “I hope you got enough money from your bet to make that worthwhile.” Then she spun on her heels and walked into the hotel and out of his life.

        Chad rubbed his jaw. “She could have been a little more subtle.”

        They rode in silence for a couple of minutes. Then Joe said, “That was a great disguise she had. For awhile there, I wasn’t sure you knew it was Rose.”

        Chad grinned. “You know Joe, mostly she wasn’t.  Rose I mean.”

        “Come on Chad.  You couldn’t take playactin’  that serious?”

        Chad thought a moment.  “’Serious’ isn’t quite the word.  But I wasn’t going to break until she did, and she was never anything but Chloe.”

        Joe rolled his eyes.  He guessed it was just as well he hadn’t even entered the competition, for Rose or for Chloe.  It was one thing to playact to win a bet.  But to do it when they were alone?  Way too strange for him.  But he was glad he had told Rose about Melinda when she’d promised to come back for Chad’s birthday.  Even if it was Chloe who’d delivered the dog, he bet it was Rose who’d trained it.

With thanks to Kenny Rogers