`NOT KNOWING YOUR MAN.'
A certain high military character sat down to play with a
Russian prince, who introduced loaded dice. The travelled
Englishman lost every bet; for the Russian never missed his seven
or eleven, and modestly threw only ten times. The supposed
pigeon then took up the box with fair dice; and,
having learned to `secure,'[33] called different mains at
pleasure; threw sixteen times; won all the aristocrat's money,
and wished him good night. Such is the effect of not knowing
your man!
[33] This term means making sure of what you throw.
