led by some one else, and you attain your object without misleading your partner.

Thus the long suit system has not only peculiar benefits of its own, but it permits full advantage being taken of the other systems also, and, used as an opening, is in all cases the safest play. To this we may add that it has characterized the scientific game ever since it was invented; it has stood the test of long experience; and is universally adopted by the best authorities we have. At the same time, by the more recondite and scientific character of the play it admits of, it is preferred by all eminent players, as calling into operation the highest intellectual and reasoning powers, and thereby greatly ennobling the

game.

Accepting, therefore, this system as the preferable one, we are now able to enunciate the fundamental theory of the modern scientific game, which is—

That the hands of the two partners shall not be played singly and independently, but shall be combined, and treated as one. And that in order to carry out most effectually this principle of combination,

each partner shall adopt the long suit system as the general basis of his play.

CHAPTER IV.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE THEORY.

WE now proceed to explain how this theory is developed into a practical shape; and this we must divide off under several heads. The most important is

Its influence on the Management of Trumps.

The treatment of trumps is a great puzzle to illtaught players, who generally use them in the wildest and most unskilful way. To play them in detail to the best advantage always requires much judgment, even in the most educated; but the general principles of their management are easily and clearly determined by our theory, as we shall endeavor to show.

Trumps may be used for three distinct purposes― namely,

1. To play as ordinary or plain suits. This usę, however, ignores their higher or special value, and ought therefore to be made quite subordinate to the other two.

2. To make tricks by trumping.

3. To aid in making your own or your partner's long suits or high cards.

The theory we have enunciated points clearly to the third use of trumps as the highest and most scientific, and accordingly this application of them is always the most prominent in the scientific game. It is obvious that the chief obstacle to making long suits is their being trumped by the adversary; and that therefore the advantage will be with that party who, having predominant strength in trumps, can succeed in drawing those of the adversaries.

For this reason, whenever you have five trumps, whatever they are, or whatever the other components of your hand, you should lead them; for the probability is that three, or at most four, rounds will exhaust those of the adversaries, and you will still have one or two left to bring in your own or your partner's long suits, and to stop those of the enemy. And notice, that it is numerical strength of trumps that is most important for this purpose, so that you must not be deterred from leading them, even if all five should be small ones; for in this case probably your partner will hold honors, and even if the honors are all against you, you will probably soon bring down two together.

And, further, you must recollect that it is no argument against leading trumps from five, that you have no long suit, and that your hand is otherwise weak;

for it is the essence of the combined principle that you work for your partner as well as yourself, and the probability is that if you are weak, he is strong, and will have long suits or good cards to bring in. And if, unfortunately, it should happen that you are both weak, any other play would be probably still worse for you.

The lead of trumps is considered so important to the science of the modern game that, for many years back a conventional signal has been introduced, by which, when a player wants them to be led, and cannot get the lead himself, he may intimate the fact to his partner, and call upon him to lead them. This signal consists simply in throwing away, unnecessarily, a higher card before a lower. Thus, suppose king and ace of some suit are led consecutively, and your two lowest cards are the seven and the three, the usual play is to throw away first the three and next the seven. But if you reverse this order, playing first the seven and then the three, this is a command to your partner to lead trumps immediately. It is called the signal for trumps or asking for trumps; it is explained in all modern works, and it is become a recognized arrangement in all the best Whist circles.

It will also be evident that, as the success of the long suit system depends so much on the early extraction of trumps by the hand strong in them, it is

your imperative duty to return trumps immediately if your partner leads them, or to lead them the first opportunity if he signals for them. You must not consider your own cards; for if you agree to play the correct game, you are bound to do what is best for the combined hands, and your partner, having the power of conferring so great a mutual benefit, must not be thwarted in his design. It is the understood etiquette for the strong hand in trumps always to take precedence, and a partner who refuses to conform to the rule should be sent to Coventry' by all good players. It is an old Joe Miller in Whist circles, that there are only two reasons that can justify you in not returning trumps to your partner's lead; i. e., first, sudden illness; secondly, having none. There is, however, one case in which you have an option, and that is where your partner, in desperation, leads trumps from weakness, in hopes you are strong; if, therefore, you are also weak, you can return them or not as you think best for the game.

The foregoing remarks apply to the cases of great numerical strength in trumps, one hand being supposed to hold five. It remains to be considered how trumps should be treated when you hold a less number.

With four trumps you are still numerically strong, but you have not, as in the former case, such overpowering strength as warrants you in leading trumps