Gamblers have a saying: "If you bet on a sure thing, be sure to save enough money for carfare home." They say this because even the most carefully planned proposition bet can sometimes have a nasty way of boomeranging. The Hiker once had trouble of this sort. It began when he met Lefty Welch boarding a train in Frisco en route to Miami. Lefty was a Miami rackets boss back before World War II. When it came to figuring odds at a dice table he was a whiz, and this talent earned him a sizable fortune. But he quit school before he learned to read or write and he signed his name with an X. The smart-money boys all knew this and the Hiker knew they knew it, so he dreamed up a proposition that made use of it.
He began by giving Lefty a selling talk on culture, pointing out that if he ever wanted to mingle with the upper social circles he would have to acquire some class. "To get that," the Hiker pointed out, "you have to have a good gift of gab. And first you need to know how to spell."
Lefty wasn't impressed. "I haven't done so badly without this high-class stuff."
The Hiker saw that he'd have to do what he planned the hard way, so he propositioned Lefty. "If you can learn to spell two words by the time we get to Miami, I'll pay your fare. I'll bet you can't do it."
"Two words?" Lefty said. "It's a bet. What are they?" "
'Hippopotamus,' “the Hiker said, "and 'rhinoceros:"
"You don't have to make it that tough," Lefty objected. "Give me two easier ones:'
The Hiker shook his head. "Two C-notes just to learn to spell two words is a hell of a lot more than the minimum wage. I don't think you can do it."
Nobody like to be thought that dumb, so Lefty rolled up his sleeves and went to work. He studied those two words and practiced all the way across the county. By the time they pulled into Miami he had them down cold. All the Hiker had to do was call out, "Hippopotamus," and Lefty would proudly rattle off the spelling of both hippopotamus and rhinoceros.
The Hiker congratulated Lefty, gave him the two hundred and went off to look up a courtly, well-dressed gentleman whose moniker was Silver Tongue and who had worked with the Hiker on more than one con game.
"Silver Tongue," he said, "when I go into this restaurant where Lefty eats you stick around outside, and when I give you the office, come in. And later, when I ask you to write five words of ten letters or more each, write 'hippopotamus' and 'rhinoceros' and any three Italian dishes on the menu."
A few days later, with some of the smartest money gamblers in Miami at the Hiker's table, Lefty eating across the room and Silver Tongue staked outside, the Hiker noticed Lefty and remarked casually, "Lefty is the most educated gambler I ever met."
Several eyebrows went up, and one of the boys howled, "Educated I Why that mug signs his checks with an X."
"I don't know how you got an idea like that," the Hiker said. "I know Lefty well. I'll lay you a bet that he can spell any word with ten letters or more in the dictionary." He took out a pencil and asked that someone write down a word of ten letters or more. He got no takers on that one; nobody in the crowd knew any words that long.
At this point Silver Tongue came in on cue, walked past the table, and was stopped by the Hiker. "Pardon me, sir, we want to settle a little wager and would appreciate your help. May I ask what business you're in?" "I'm a lawyer," Silver Tongue replied.
"Perfect," the Hiker said. "You're our man. Would you be so kind as to write five words of ten letters or more on this menu?"
Silver Tongue scanned the menu, jotted down mozzarella, prosciutto, scaloppini, and then thought a moment and added hippopotamus and rhinoceros.
"Thank you," the Hiker said. "Now I've got a thousand bucks that says that Lefty can spell anyone of those words."
The gamblers figured that if they couldn't spell the words themselves, it was a sure thing Lefty couldn't.
"I'll take part of it," one of the boys said, "provided you cross out those Italian dishes. Maybe he can read Italian."
Then somebody also crossed out hippopotamus. Everybody agreed that everything was on the up and up and the bet was covered. The Hiker called Lefty over to the table. "Lefty," he explained, "the boys and I have a little bet and we need your help." He pointed to Silver Tongue. "This gentleman will read a word which is written on this menu. When he calls it out, I want you to spell it." "Sure," Lefty said enthusiastically. "Very well," Silver Tongue said. "Spell rhinoceros." Lefty grinned. 'That's a cinch. H-I-P-P-O-P-O-T-A-M-U-S."
The Hiker's comment after he recovered was: "All that rehearsing from Frisco to Miami, and I never thought to have him spell the words the other way around!" This is good story which is searched from online links directory.This story leaves a question: Was Lefty really that dumb or did he double-cross the Hiker? The Hiker thinks he did, but Lefty isn't talking.
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