diff options
| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-02-05 18:11:48 -0800 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-02-05 18:11:48 -0800 |
| commit | 591ef00bbb1c4e0e3cb38a472fe8ca48bae7be91 (patch) | |
| tree | de1fbcd49af257b66e9bb55e2577ce8ea10cd998 | |
| parent | 5cd357af414516087e8e2f807ab4b0d6810365eb (diff) | |
22 files changed, 17 insertions, 12227 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..748b14f --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #51760 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/51760) diff --git a/old/51760-0.txt b/old/51760-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 0455d7f..0000000 --- a/old/51760-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6058 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Stand Pat, by David A. Curtis - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Stand Pat - Poker Stories from the Mississippi - -Author: David A. Curtis - -Illustrator: Henry Roth - -Release Date: April 14, 2016 [EBook #51760] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAND PAT *** - - - - -Produced by deaurider, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - STAND PAT - - [Illustration: "THERE WAS NO NEED, HOWEVER, OF ANOTHER SHOT.” - - (_See page 36._)] - - - - - - Stand Pat - - Or - - Poker Stories from the Mississippi - - By - - David A. Curtis - - Illustrated by - - Henry Roth - - [Illustration] - - Boston L. C. PAGE & - COMPANY Mdccccvi - - _Copyright, 1900, 1901, 1902_ - - BY THE SUN PRINTING AND PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION - - _Copyright, 1906_ - - BY L. C. PAGE & COMPANY - - (INCORPORATED) - - _All rights reserved_ - - First Impression, May, 1906 - - Colonial Press - - Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co. - Boston, U. S. A. - - - - -PREFACE - - -The things that I saw, that seemed worthy of note, I have set down -without prejudice to the little town of Brownsville, which has grown -since I was there. Let no citizen of the place pursue me vindictively -because I found him less interesting than Stumpy. And let no one’s civic -pride suffer because I noted in the town only what seemed to me -picturesque. I have no quarrel with Brownsville. I got away from there. -What I saw while there seems worth the telling. Much of it I have told -in the _Sunday Sun_. That, and more will be found in this book. - -DAVID A. CURTIS. - - - - -CONTENTS - - -CHAPTER PAGE - -I. A NEW POKER DECK 1 - -II. THREE KINGS 11 - -III. FINISH OF THE ONE-EYED MAN 23 - -IV. LOOKING FOR GALLAGHER 37 - -V. STUMPY’S DILEMMA 53 - -VI. GALLAGHER’S RETURN 67 - -VII. GALLAGHER STRIPPED 80 - -VIII. A TRIAL OF SKILL 93 - -IX. A SOCIAL CALL 103 - -X. STUMPY VIOLATES ETIQUETTE 115 - -XI. THE NEW POKER RULE MADE IN ARKANSAS 128 - -XII. A STRANGER AND FOND OF POKER 143 - -XIII. ON HAND JUST ONCE 155 - -XIV. IT WAS A GREAT DEAL 168 - -XV. HE SAT IN WITH A V 183 - -XVI. HIS QUEER SYSTEM 198 - -XVII. AN EXTRA ACE 213 - -XVIII. PLAYED BY THE BOOK 227 - -XIX. ONLY ONE SURE WAY TO WIN 243 - -XX. KENNEY’S ROYAL FLUSH 253 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - PAGE - -“THERE WAS NO NEED, HOWEVER, OF ANOTHER SHOT” -(_See page 36_) _Frontispiece_ - -“JUST THEN THE REPORT OF A PISTOL-SHOT RANG OUT” 56 - -“‘YE HAVE SIX CARDS IN YER HAND, YE SPALPEEN’” 112 - -“IN PAYING FOR THE DRINKS STUMPY SHOWED A -ROLL OF RESPECTABLE SIZE” 150 - -“‘WITH ONE HAND HE GRABBED WINTERBOTTOM’S -GUN WHILE HE PUT THE MONEY IN HIS POCKET WITH THE OTHER’” 210 - -“‘BUT CERTAINLY YOU AIN’T GOIN’ TO BET ON THAT HAND?’” 268 - - - - -STAND PAT - - - - -I - -A NEW POKER DECK - - -It was with entire unanimity, though without haste or undue excitement, -that the male population of Brownsville emerged from the various -buildings on the street when the hoarse whistle of the _Rosa Lee_ was -heard at about five o’clock one afternoon in June of 1881. The feminine -portion of the community was seldom in evidence, but such glimpses as a -stranger might enjoy were to be had at the same time, for the women came -to their doors and looked out, listlessly, indeed, but with as much -interest as they ever displayed in anything short of a fight such as -occasionally disturbed the normal quietude of the place. - -It was noticeable that the men who came forth and who made their way -toward the landing all paused at the barroom near the wharf. There was -ample time to attend to such business as the boat might bring, for she -would not arrive for half an hour, at least, and the barroom was handily -located for a meeting-place. - -No great amount of money had been squandered on the decorations of this -particular temple of Bacchus, but such furniture as was deemed essential -had been provided, and the main piece of it, outside of the bar itself, -was a circular table about four feet in diameter, covered with what had -once been green baize. It had suffered long from rough usage, but was -still serviceable. - -Around this table, as the citizens of Brownsville straggled in, they saw -four men sitting with cards in their hands and chips in front of them. -One was Long Mike, whose nickname was no mark of disrespect, since he -was the richest and most influential man in town, but whose enormous -height and general appearance made it impossible to call him anything -else, once the nickname was uttered. Wherefore, his surname, if he had -one, had been by general consent, forgotten. - -Another was Gallagher, his foreman. A third was a man with one eye only, -who dealt cards with singular deftness, and was never known to do any -manual labour. - -And the fourth was a short, but very thick man, usually known as Stumpy, -because of his figure. His hair was of a vivid and gorgeous red colour, -and he had no quarrel on the ground of nationality with either Gallagher -or Long Mike. - -The game was not a big one. People seldom played for very large stakes -in Brownsville, except on occasions when strangers came to town, when -sometimes there would be real gambling, for Long Mike had sporting -proclivities, as well as means, and the one-eyed man had never been -known to decline any sort of proposition involving a game of chance. - -This afternoon they were playing a dime limit, but with as much spirit -as if the game was for blood, and they had just called on Sam, the -bartender, for a new deck of cards. - -“I’ll have time to take in about three more pots,” said Long Mike, -“afore the boat lands, so I’ll make ’em as large as I can,” and he -opened the jack-pot for the limit. - -“Well, ye may take three pots,” said Stumpy, who came next, “but I’m -thinkin’ ye’ll not take this wan. Av ye do, ye’ll get more than that.” -And he boosted it the limit. - -The one-eyed man said nothing--he never wasted words--but he put up -thirty cents. - -“Here’s where I get a chanst o’ pickin’ up money,” said Gallagher, who -was dealing. And he put up forty cents. - -“Once more,” said Long Mike. And he raised again. - -“As often as ye like,” said Stumpy, and his forty cents went in -promptly. - -The one-eyed man also raised it, and Gallagher fairly whooped with joy -at the opportunity he had to make it ten more to play. - -“I reckon it’s no good givin’ yez b’yes good advice,” said Long Mike as -it came his turn again. “The best thing I can do for yez’ll be to take -your money. Yez may learn that way, when to lay down.” And once more he -raised it the limit. - -“It’s all right y’ are,” said Stumpy. “Sure it’s downright dishonest to -be lettin’ thim play furder. Let’s kape thim out.” And he raised again. - -But the others wouldn’t be kept out. The one-eyed man raised, and -Gallagher, getting his turn again, said: - -“I’ll give yez all warnin’. I’ll raise this pot ivery toime it cooms to -me. Kape on now. Ruin yersel’s av ye loike.” And his money went in with -a bang. - -Long Mike looked puzzled. - -“Sure yez ahl must have straights or flushes or such trash, an’ guns -wudn’t kape yez out. Wudn’t it be best to take off the limit? We’re -losin’ time this way and th’ boat’ll be in soon. What d’ yez say?” - -“That’d suit me fine,” said Stumpy. “I have yez all bated a mile, an’ -the sooner I get th’ money the betther for me.” - -“Take it off,” said the one-eyed man, and Gallagher, who had been -growing more and more excited, declared that his pile would go on his -hand in one bet. - -“Well,” said Long Mike, “it’s five dollars more I’ll make it.” And he -put up the money. - -“I have siventeen dollars an’ fifty cents here,” said Stumpy, producing -an old wallet and counting out the bills. The odd half-dollar he fished -out of his pocket, and placing the whole amount in the middle of the -table, together with a few chips that he still had left, he said: -“That’s my pile. Av yez want to see my hand, ye’ll match thot.” - -The one-eyed man was as quiet as ever, but he carefully counted out the -equivalent of Stumpy’s bet, and added ten dollars to it, shoving the -entire sum into the pot. - -Not even at that was Gallagher daunted, but after exploring his pockets -carefully he declared he was all in with about twelve dollars. He made -bigger wages than Stumpy, but spent his money more freely. - -Long Mike said nothing until he had carefully portioned out the pot, -putting the share in which Gallagher had an interest in one pile, and -that which Stumpy expected to win in another. Then he made good, up to -the amount of the one-eyed man’s wager, and raised him twenty dollars. - -That worthy appeared entirely undisturbed. All the chips on the table -were already in the pot, and he produced a small roll of bills from an -inside pocket which he proceeded to count. Finding some sixty dollars in -it, he threw it all on the table. - -Long Mike covered it, and raised one hundred dollars. - -“Well,” said the one-eyed man, “I reckon that will be about enough till -after the draw,” and he made good. - -“How many?” said Gallagher, as he picked up the deck. - -“Well, ye moight give me wan,” said Long Mike, with ostentatious -indifference. And when Gallagher dealt it to him, he let it lie face -down. - -“These’ll do me,” said Stumpy, and it was observable that the ring of -confidence was lacking in the tone of his voice. - -The one-eyed man skinned his cards carefully before calling for any, and -for just one instant an expression of bewilderment might have been noted -on his face, but after a moment’s hesitation he also called for one -card. - -As a matter of fact he had discovered that two of his queens were clubs, -but he had quickly resolved to say nothing and trust to the chance of -the others not noticing it. - -“Well,” said Gallagher, “I’ll take wan messilf, just to kape yez -company,” and he dealt himself one. - -“It’s your bet,” he said to Long Mike, who then picked up the card he -had drawn. - -When he saw it his eyes seemed to bulge out suddenly, and his mouth -opened wide with astonishment. - -“Pfwat the divil!” he exclaimed, and then he burst out laughing so -loudly that no one paid any attention to the toot-toot-toot of the -_Rosa Lee’s_ whistle, which, had they heard it, would have told them -that the boat was approaching the landing. - -The others looked in wonder while he laughed--all but the one-eyed man, -who seemed to have an inkling of the truth, and he grinned, though -rather sorrowfully, as if he thought of the money he had felt sure of -winning. - -“Well, b’yes, yez can’t bate that hand, anyhow,” said Long Mike as soon -as he could speak, and he threw down five aces. - -They all stared--Stumpy the hardest of all. Then he joined in the laugh. - -“Sure there do be aces to burn in thot pack,” he said. “I have two of -thim me own silf, wid three kings.” And he showed them down. - -“Sure I have you bate, anyhow,” said Gallagher, who was as surprised as -any one else, but who seemed to cherish the idea of winning something, -somehow. “I have four jacks,” and he showed them, but they were all red. - -“Let’s have a look at the deck,” said the one-eyed man, and he spread -the cards out, face up. - -A most surprising number of face cards remained, despite the eleven that -had been distributed in the deal, and there was a conspicuous absence of -small cards. - -“Wat sort of a divil’s game is this, I don’t know?” asked Stumpy. - -The one-eyed man picked up the case that had held the deck, from the -corner where it had been thrown, and read the word “Pinochle” on it. - -“It’s a game the Dutchmen play in the East,” he said. “I’ve heard of it, -but I’ve never seen it played. But it does give a man good poker hands, -doesn’t it?” - -There was nothing to do but divide the pot, and by the time each man had -drawn down his money the _Rosa Lee_ was screeching a continuous toot for -rousters to catch her lines, and the barroom was quickly emptied. - - - - -II - -THREE KINGS - - -After the river was frozen up and the boats could no longer ply the -upper Mississippi, the only approach to Brownsville from the other river -towns was by the stage-sleigh that came from La Crosse. This crossed -three times a week each way, and occasionally brought some stranger to -the town, though why a stranger should come, unless he arrived on a boat -that would presently carry him farther along on his way, was a thing -Brownsville could not readily understand. - -It was therefore with mild surprise that the citizens of the place saw -one Jack Britton jump out of the low box sleigh one evening in the -middle of winter. Nothing was said to him when he alighted. It was not -Brownsville’s way to greet newcomers with enthusiasm. - -But such of the citizens as happened to be near lined up expectantly in -front of Sam’s bar, when Mr. Britton, after stamping his feet a few -times, and thrashing his arms across his chest to get his blood in -circulation, entered the barroom and walked over to the stove to warm -his fingers. - -After he had stood there for a few minutes, and had, presumably, -recovered from the chill of the long ride, he stepped up to the bar and -called for some whiskey. His manner was that of a man who is immersed in -thought, and for the moment he seemed not to observe that there were -others present. - -Sam produced a bottle and a glass and set them on the bar, and Mr. -Britton poured out a drink for a grown man. He did not know it, or it -seemed as if he did not, but the eyes of the community were fixed upon -him. - -That is, eyes belonging to some eight or nine representative citizens of -Brownsville were so fixed, and for one critical moment there appeared -to be a strong probability that Mr. Britton would fail to establish -himself on any footing which would entitle him to favourable -consideration. - -In some mysterious way he became aware of this without anything being -said. Being, as he was, the focus of eight distinct glares of surprise, -he became aware that something was wrong, and, pausing in the very act -of lifting his glass, he looked slowly around, and then said, heartily -enough: - -“Excuse me, gentlemen. Won’t you join me?” - -They would and they did, and it remained possible for Mr. Britton to -make a good impression. The mere fact that he was unusual would not, of -itself, damn him hopelessly, but the curious behaviour of a man who -would come so near a fatal breach of etiquette in apparent -unconsciousness, was enough to raise a doubt, and while the doubt -remained Brownsville was not likely to make overtures. - -Jim Bixby, the stage-driver, had swallowed his liquor and gone outside -to attend to his horses, and, after an interchange of glances among -some of the others in the room, Larry Hennessy slouched out through the -door and was lost to sight. - -Making his way to the stable, where Bixby was rubbing his horses down, -he stood for a few moments looking on. Presently he said: - -“Thot mon inside, yonder. Is he a La Crosse man, I don’t know?” - -Bixby finished with one horse and began on the other before he answered. -Then he said: - -“He’s on’y been around f’r about a week. Come f’m somewheres East. Been -playin’ cards a good bit in Russell’s place. Left kind o’ sudden. Didn’t -hear much about it, but they was some kind of a mix-up in a game last -night. Didn’t have nothin’ to say comin’ over.” - -This marvel of succinctness being duly absorbed by Hennessy and reported -to the community in a much enlarged form, was sufficient to prepare -Brownsville for the campaign which Mr. Jack Britton entered upon -forthwith. - -Having once shaken off the preoccupied and abstracted air which he wore -when he arrived in town, he developed into a jovial, free-handed man of -convivial tendencies, though sparing in his own consumption of Sam’s -liquor, and was accepted readily enough as a nomad whose occupation was -that of a professional gambler. - -It might have been supposed, because of certain previous experiences, -that Brownsville would be reluctant to afford Mr. Britton an opportunity -to exercise his skill, but Brownsville, in some respects, was like the -rest of the world, and Long Mike and McCarthy were both resident in the -place. - -“Sure, I do be thinkin’ that McCarthy can play more poker an’ win less -money than any other mon in Iowa,” said Stumpy, when he came into the -barroom that night and found a game in progress, as he had, indeed, -shrewdly suspected would be the case. - -Long Mike was also in the game, but Long Mike sometimes won, having -remarkable streaks of luck, such as McCarthy never seemed to get. And -the one-eyed man was playing, too, so that there was really no reason -to suppose that the stranger was the only man at the table who -understood all the tricks of the game. - -Hennessy had bought a stack of chips, and even Stumpy, though he was a -prudent man usually, was soon interested enough to ask for a hand. As -there was no objection, he took the sixth seat. - -It cost him only five dollars for a stack, and as the game was table -stakes, there was a chance for him either to go broke speedily, or to -win considerable money. At first, it seemed likely that he might do the -latter, for the very first hand he picked up had three kings. - -Long Mike was dealing and it was Hennessy’s age, so Stumpy had first -say, he having sat down between Hennessy and McCarthy. - -“I’ll play,” he said, throwing in his red chip with the two whites that -Hennessy had put up for an ante. - -McCarthy played also. It was to be expected that he would, for it was as -hard for him to stay out as it was to win. The one-eyed man came in, -Britton raised it, and Long Mike and Hennessy laid down. - -“Sure I’ll raise that,” said Stumpy, making it one dollar more. - -McCarthy swore, but even his optimism was not enough to induce him to -see a double raise on two nines, and he threw down his cards. The -one-eyed man and Britton both made good, however, and they called for -cards. - -Stumpy took two, which proved to be a small pair. The one-eyed man took -one, and Britton stood pat. - -Stumpy threw in a white chip, being sure of a raise, but the one-eyed -man dropped. He had not bettered his two pairs. Britton raised it one -dollar, and Stumpy pushed all his chips forward. A king full seemed -worth backing, and, when Britton called, he showed them down -triumphantly. - -“Give me another stack,” was all that Britton said as he threw down his -cards. - -It may have been part of his plan to lose at first, and in any case the -loss was not heavy enough to daunt him, but he smiled as cheerfully as -if he had won. - -There was no play on Hennessy’s deal, and a jack-pot was made. Stumpy -dealt next and caught three kings again. - -No one opened until it came to him and he put up the size of the pot, -hardly expecting any stayers. Britton, however, came in, taking a chance -on a red and a black eight, and Long Mike decided to speculate on a four -flush. - -Neither of them bettered, and Stumpy showed his kings and took the pot. - -“Lucky cards,” said Britton, and no other comment was made. - -Again there was no play and another jack-pot was made. It was not opened -for two deals, but when the cards came to Long Mike in turn, Stumpy was -fairly amazed to find that once more he had three kings. - -It did not look right, and if it had been Britton’s deal he would have -hesitated about playing them, but Long Mike was above suspicion, so he -opened the pot with cheerful confidence. - -Again Britton was among those who came in, McCarthy and Long Mike both -finding enough to justify a play, but they all took three excepting -Stumpy, and he was quite easy in his mind when he bet two dollars. -Britton was the only one to call, and he said, with a laugh: - -“I’ve a notion to raise you, but maybe you have them three kings again.” - -“I have,” said Stumpy, and scooped the pot again. - -They all stared, but Britton was the only one to speak. - -“If I was you,” he said, in a nasty way, “I wouldn’t play them kings so -frequent. You might get beat on ’em next.” - -Now there are men to whom a remark of this sort may be made without -immediate trouble, but such men are not Irishmen of the peculiar redness -as to hair and beard that Stumpy had. He flared in an instant. - -“Oi’ll play thim cards whiniver Oi do be gettin’ thim to play,” he said, -with great heat. “An’ if ony gintleman i’ th’ room, f’m La Crosse or any -other place, has anything to say, Oi’d loike t’ hear what it is.” - -“Oh, well,” said Britton, “I said what I had to say. It don’t look well -for any man to hold three kings all the time.” - -“Av it’s a question o’ looks,” said Stumpy, very coolly, but with -evident wrath, “Oi don’t loike th’ looks o’ that nose you do be carryin’ -round wid youse.” - -Britton looked around, but seeing that no one else at the table was -likely to side with him in case of trouble, he controlled himself with -an effort. - -“‘Tain’t as good-lookin’ as I’d like to have it,” he said, with a forced -laugh, “but it’s the only one--” - -“An’ Oi do be thinkin’,” interrupted Stumpy, “it ud look a dom sight -betther av it was longer.” - -“Perhaps it would,” said Britton, still reluctant to accept the quarrel, -“but--” - -“But nothin’,” shouted Stumpy, reaching over and grasping the feature he -had mentioned. “Maybe pullin’ it a little moight do it good.” And he -gave it a mighty tweak. - -Two things only were possible after that, in Brownsville, and -unfortunately for Mr. Britton he chose the wrong one. A stand-up fight -with nature’s weapons would have established him as a person worthy of -consideration, even though he had been well licked, but he was not in -the habit of fighting in that fashion, and he reached for his gun. - -It was an unlucky movement. Long Mike sat next to him, and as they all -rose to their feet in the excitement, the big man seized him by the -wrist and the neck, and shaking him as a dog shakes a rat, he exclaimed: - -“Ye’ll pull no gun in Brownsville, ye double-jointed spalpeen, ye. An’ -ye’ll understhand that any gintlemon in this town that wants to play -kings, can play as many as he loikes, an’ as often as he loikes. An’ the -loikes o’ yez can get back to La Crosse whin ye loike.” - -And after he had shaken Britton sufficiently, he threw him into the -corner of the room. - -When the stage-sleigh was well out on the frozen river surface next day, -Jim Bixby turned to his passenger and said, briefly: - -“Them fellers in Brownsville kind o’ stands by each other most -generally.” - -But the passenger made no reply. - - - - -III - -FINISH OF THE ONE-EYED MAN - - -The one-eyed man sat playing solitaire at a table in the extreme rear of -the barroom. This particular room was not the only place in Brownsville -where liquor could be had by those bibulously inclined, for whiskey was -recognized as one of the staples. There were few of the citizens of the -place who allowed themselves to remain destitute of a domestic supply, -and there was none so inhospitable as to refuse to share what he had -with even a casual passer-by who cared to stop, but the room in which -the one-eyed man sat, on this occasion, was known as the barroom. -Brownsville was too small a place to encourage competition unduly. - -There was the usual crowd in the room, it being early in the evening, -and a river boat being expected soon. It was not every time a boat -arrived that anybody came ashore to stay, but sometimes it happened that -somebody would do so, and, even if it didn’t, there was usually some -freight to be landed, and while the roustabouts were bringing that off, -the boat would have to stay. - -On such occasions, the barroom, being handy to the landing, became not -only the social centre of Brownsville, but also the news exchange where -all the available intelligence of the happenings of the outside world -was to be obtained. It was not that Brownsville cared specially what the -outside happenings might be, or might not be, but there was more or less -excitement to be had by conversing with strangers who might stroll -ashore for even a few minutes, and Brownsville craved excitement. - -The usual crowd was unusually noisy this evening. Long Mike, the labour -contractor, who had organized a trust in handling of freight, and owned -eight mules, representing a goodly proportion of his accumulated -capital, had been drinking more than usual ever since the landing of the -last boat, and, after his fashion when he drank, his voice was being -overworked. Moreover, the small crowd of able-bodied men who were -enjoying his hospitality had all of them opinions of their own which -they were anxious to express, and so, though Sam, the bartender, was a -man of few words, there was no lack of conversation. - -The one-eyed man did not drink, and as there was an ill-defined popular -prejudice against him, partly for that reason, no one paid much -attention to him, or to his game of solitaire. - -Suddenly somebody called Long Mike a liar. Opinions differed when the -matter was afterward discussed, as to who the person was. Some of them -said it was Stumpy, but the only reason why they thought so, as they -were obliged to admit when the statement was questioned, was that Stumpy -was Irish and also red-headed, and a red-headed Irishman was always -liable to make a bad break. Others thought that Gallagher had spoken the -word, and this seemed more probable, for Gallagher was of a morose -temper at best, and utterly reckless when in his cups. But Gallagher -denied it, and nobody excepting the man who spoke ever knew who it was -that uttered the word. Several persons were talking at the time, but -there was no doubt that somebody exclaimed, “You’re a liar!” - -At the word the one-eyed man disappeared under the table at which he had -been playing. Had the door been nearer to him, or had there been a -window in the rear of the room, there is little doubt that he would have -gone outside, but the door was the only available exit, and it would -have taken two or three seconds for him to reach that. Two or three -seconds form an appreciable interval of time. - -The tendency of most persons to shoot too high, rather than too low, is -well known to everybody who has had experience in such matters, and the -course of action pursued by the one-eyed man in getting under the table -is the one generally approved. He never carried a gun himself, and -moreover, while he did not distinctly approve of the use of the -expression that had been applied to Long Mike, he had sufficient -sympathy with the thought expressed to restrain him from any impulse -toward resenting it on Mike’s behalf. - -The fusilade, though it was furious, was brief. Five revolvers were -emptied, and as three of them were seven-shooters, while the other two -had only five chambers each, it was readily reckoned up that thirty-one -shots were fired. Considering the size of the room, which was not great, -and the fact that there were fifteen or sixteen persons present, it -seemed a little remarkable that no one was hurt, but after the first -volley Sam came out from behind the bar and interfered gently, but -firmly, with Long Mike, who was trying in a fumbling sort of way to -reload his pistol. - -“Put that away,” said Sam, “or I’ll brain you where you stand.” - -Long Mike looked at him and then at the bung-starter which he held -poised ready for use, and forthwith put his pistol back in his pocket. -Being unable, in the confusion of words which followed, to determine -who it was that had insulted him, he burst out crying and invited all -hands to drink at his expense. - -There was a prompt response to the invitation by everybody but the -one-eyed man, who had resumed his game of solitaire, and Sam was -juggling his glasses with his usual skill when the whistle of the _Rosa -Lee_ was heard from the river. Three minutes later Sam and the one-eyed -man were alone in the room. - -“The boys is pretty lively to-night,” said Sam, but the one-eyed man -only grunted. - -“I heer’d Jim Wharton was comin’ down the river this week,” said Sam, -cheerfully insistent upon conversation. “‘Twouldn’t be none surprisin’ -if he was on the _Rosa Lee_.” - -The one-eyed man grunted again, but his eye gleamed, and after a moment -he said, slowly: “Well, he’ll find me ready for him.” But he kept on -playing solitaire as if he had no active interest in anything outside of -his game. - -Neither did he seem to be paying attention to any outside happening, -when, after the noise of considerable confusion outdoors, the crowd -came straggling back into the barroom. It was not the same crowd, for -the _Rosa Lee_ had brought a considerable load of freight, and Long -Mike, though insufficiently sober to bear himself with dignity in social -affairs, was not too drunk to attend to business, and he remained -outside attending to it. Several of his men, who had been with him in -the barroom on terms of equality, were now working for dear life while -he stood talking to them with all the emphasis of an army teamster -addressing a balky span of mules. - -There were several strangers in the incoming party, though, and the room -was even more crowded than before. The boat was not likely to start -again for an hour or more, and a number of passengers were stretching -their legs. Among the newcomers was a tall, swarthy fellow who swaggered -like a lumberman, but was dressed like a dandy, and who looked around as -he entered as if in search of some familiar face. With him were three -others, as well dressed as he, but all of them having the indescribable -appearance and manner which marked them as “professional sports”--in -other words, gamblers--and all being of the type that was common along -the Mississippi River years ago. - -The one-eyed man did not look up, but he showed no mark of surprise when -the tall stranger, having first called for a bottle of wine, which he -shared with his three companions, left them standing at the bar and -strolled over toward the card-table. - -“Howd’ye, George,” he said, quietly enough, but with a curious -suggestion of inquiry in his tone. - -“Howd’ye, Jim,” was the one-eyed man’s response. - -He did not even look up from his game, and so far as his voice or manner -indicated, he was utterly indifferent to the fact of the other man’s -presence. He kept on laying down the cards with no show of emotion of -any kind, but a close observer might have noticed that he made two -mistakes in his play during the short while that the other stood -looking on in silence. Presumably the other was a close observer. -Gamblers mostly are. - -Presently the newcomer spoke again: - -“Bygones is bygones, ain’t they, George?” he said. - -“Yes,” said the player, for the first time looking straight at his -questioner, and speaking very slowly. “Yes, I reckon bygones is bygones. -Anyway, my eye is gone.” - -“Well, it was a fair fight, George?” said the tall man. - -“Yes, it was a fair enough fight,” said the one-eyed man. “If it hadn’t -been. I’d ha’ looked you up an’ killed you, ’fore now.” - -“So I reckon,” said Wharton; “you was always quick for a fight, George, -an’ I don’t remember as I ever shirked one that was coming my way, did -I?” - -“No, that’s right enough,” said the one-eyed man, indifferently. Then -there was another silence and the one-eyed man resumed his game. -Presently Wharton spoke again. - -“Well,” he said, “I reckon there’s no grudge between us on account of -the fight. You talk fair enough, an’ I hain’t nothin’ to say, but -there’s another thing that ain’t settled. What do you say to that?” - -“What is it?” asked the one-eyed man, shortly. - -“There’s a matter o’ seven hundred dollars o’ mine that you got away -with in that last game. I called your play crooked an’ I couldn’t prove -it, so I don’t hold it against you that you pulled a knife, but I want -that money. I hain’t fool enough to think you’re goin’ to hand it over, -but I’ll play you a freeze-out for one thousand dollars right now. If I -lose, I’ll take back what I said an’ couldn’t prove. If I win I’m -satisfied. But God help you if you don’t play straight an’ I do catch -you.” - -“That kind o’ talk is cheap,” said the one-eyed man, contemptuously. “I -don’t reckon the Almighty’s goin’ to help anybody much if he’s caught -cheatin’ along the Mississippi River, but you can say your prayers now, -Jim Wharton, if you think o’ makin’ any breaks at me, like you did once. -I’ll play you the freeze-out, an’ what’s more, I’ll win your money -unless you’ve learned to play poker since I seen you last. If it’s play, -I’ll play you, an’ if it’s fight, I’ll fight you to the finish.” - -Neither man had raised his voice; they were too much in earnest for -that. So no one in the room had seemed to pay attention to them. When -the one-eyed man called to Sam, however, to bring him cards and chips -for the game, a number of bystanders came up to look on, and among them -were the three men who came in with Wharton. A looker-on might have -thought that they were expecting an invitation to join the game, but -none was given, and they said nothing. - -The chips were counted out, the two thousand dollars placed in Sam’s -hands as payment, and the new deck of cards ripped open and shuffled, -and the two men cut for the deal, which fell to Wharton. - -It was a fruitless deal, for, finding nothing in his hand, he threw in a -red chip to cover the two white ones that the one-eyed man had anted, -and declared a jack-pot. The one-eyed man made good and took the cards. -As he shuffled and dealt them, the other watched him keenly, but -evidently saw nothing wrong, though it was impossible not to see, from -the way his fingers moved, that he was dexterous to a degree in their -use. - -In four or five hands neither man held openers. Then Wharton caught -aces, opened the pot, and took it down, the one-eyed man having nothing. - -“Your first pot. It’s a bad sign for you, Jim,” he said, jeeringly. - -“All right,” said Wharton, “I’ll take all the pots that come. The first -is as good as any.” - -But for the next twenty minutes it almost seemed that the superstition -was to be upheld. Wharton won no more, and the one-eyed man was four -hundred dollars ahead when there came a struggle on Wharton’s deal. - -Catching two pairs, he made it ten dollars to play, and the one-eyed man -promptly raised it ten. Wharton made good and the one-eyed man drew two -cards. - -It was evident enough that he had threes, having raised back before the -draw, so Wharton, instead of standing pat, as he had thought of doing, -took one. It proved to be a jack to his jacks up, and, as afterward -appeared, the one-eyed man got a pair with his three sevens. - -It was Wharton’s bet and he put up a hundred dollars. - -“As much more as you have,” said the one-eyed man, pushing his blue -chips forward. - -“I call you,” said Wharton, and they counted the piles. Wharton had -almost six hundred left, so the show-down put him ahead in the game. - -“Good dealing,” said the one-eyed man, coolly, as he picked up the deck, -but Wharton made no answer. Instead, he watched the deal more narrowly -than ever. Something he saw seemed to interest him greatly. - -The one-eyed man bet after the draw, but Wharton refused to see him, and -he scooped the pot. Then Wharton took the cards. - -Running them over rapidly, face down, he threw three cards to one side. -Then, picking up the three, he examined their backs carefully and -exclaimed with an oath: “By the marks on them I reckon they’re all -alike. Maybe they’re aces.” - -It was done as quickly as lightning flashes, and he threw down the three -cards, face up, before any one had fairly realized what he was doing. -They were all aces. - -Both men sprang to their feet on the instant, and as they rose Wharton -drew a revolver and the one-eyed man a knife. - -The revolver spoke as the man with the knife rushed around the table, -and, with a yell, he stumbled forward, stabbing viciously at the other -as he fell on the floor. Wharton dodged quickly, but not quickly enough -to avoid a bad cut in the arm, and shifting his pistol to his left hand, -he stood ready to shoot again. - -There was no need, however, of another shot. - - - - -IV - -LOOKING FOR GALLAGHER - - -Brownsville was disturbed. It can hardly be said that the industries of -the place were interrupted, for there were no industries in Brownsville -that were liable to interruption, except at such times as one of the -river steamboats was lying at the levee, either loading or unloading. - -Outside of Brownsville the prairie stretched indefinitely to the north, -west, and south, and there were persons who cultivated the soil with a -minimum of labour and obtained a maximum of results, and so far as -planting, harvesting, and marketing the products constituted an -industry, these persons were industrious. - -Inside the town, people mostly sat around. Except, as aforesaid, when -there was a boat at the levee. - -To a stranger no visible signs of disturbance would have been apparent. -Looking up and down the long street that constituted the main portion of -Brownsville, he might have noticed that there were no women to be seen, -but the feminine fraction of the population, insignificant in number, -was at no time obtrusive. - -Such social functions as were in vogue with the female sex consisted -mostly of long-range conversations between women who stood, each at her -own door, or leaned out, each at her own window. And the subject-matter -of these conversations would have been totally devoid of interest to the -stranger. - -At the moment when the action of this tale was about to begin, there was -no sound of conversation, nor appearance of a petticoat. There was, -instead, an ominous hush, though the stranger might not have recognized -the omen. - -It was yet early in the forenoon, and the only interruption to the -unwonted silence of the morning had come from a crash in Long Mike’s -house half-way up the street. It was such a noise as might have been -made by an angry man who should survey his breakfast-table, and, finding -nothing on it to his liking, should upset it with such violence as to -send some of the dishes against the walls of the room and others through -the front window. - -The strained attention of Brownsville had caught no further sound for -half an hour, and though at every other door but his and one other, men -stood as if prepared for observation or action, as the case might be, -they had heard nothing further, nor seen anything. - -Suddenly Long Mike’s door flew open. What force impelled it cannot be -stated positively, but Stumpy, whose house was almost opposite, saw the -recumbent figure of a man several feet back from the doorway, where it -might have fallen after an energetic kick and a sudden recoil. - -Slowly and with evident effort the man arose to his feet, and after some -minutes stepped uncertainly forward. Steadying himself by the lintels, -he gazed out, as if dubious of the result of further effort. - -Up and down the street he looked for a long time, with as much -earnestness as was compatible with a confusion of ideas that seemed to -be buzzing around his head, seeking entrance as bees might endeavour to -enter a sealed hive. - -Presently his eyes fell on the one doorway, not far from his own, where -no man stood. The faces he saw at the other doors were all mistily -familiar to him, but he gave no sign of recognition, and no man spoke to -him. The alert but motionless figures might have been graven images, so -far as any emotion could be detected, and they stirred him not. - -But the empty doorway fixed his unsteady look. His eye cleared, and with -a mighty lurch he sallied forth, saying nothing when he started but -gurgitating violently as he strove to arouse his vocal organs to action. - -“Mother of Moses!” muttered Stumpy, grimly observant. “He’s lookin’ for -Gallagher. Now if Gallagher was home what a broth of a shindy there’d -be! Saints be! but it’s good he’s took a sneak.” - -Deviously, and with many pauses and new starts, Long Mike made his way -toward Gallagher’s house. Arriving in front of it he paused, and cleared -his throat with a yell, the like of which Brownsville had never heard, -save from the exhaust-pipe of some steamboat. - -Following this came a monstrous cataract of vituperation, Homeric in -strength, Gargantuan in explicit epithets, shameless in profanity, and -seemingly endless in continuance, but bibulously uncertain as to its -exact purport. The general tenor of it seemed to indicate a strong -desire for a personal encounter with one Gallagher. - -When, after a long period of this, silence ensued, Long Mike waited for -awhile, but no answer came. The door remained closed, and no sign of -life came from within. Standing forward at length, he raised his foot, -and Gallagher’s door flew in. - -“Glory be!” muttered Stumpy again, “it’s little use he has for latches -and locks the mornin’. And it’s little good Gallagher’ll get of his -furniture from now.” - -This last statement was undeniably true, for Long Mike, finding no -living being in the house, seized a chair and painstakingly demolished -everything destructible on the premises. Then he came out, and after -whooping wildly a few times at the uttermost pitch of his powerful -voice, made his way slowly and crookedly to the barroom. And after him, -one by one, the heads of the households in Brownsville came slowly. - -Now Gallagher, as all Brownsville knew, was Long Mike’s foreman, and -Long Mike’s ownership of all the mules in Brownsville was hardly more -absolute than his proprietorship in all the available human labour of -the place, and, moreover, the imperious character that had enabled him -to conquer his position in the community made him its autocrat. - -The reflected glory of such a man, to be enjoyed by one fortunate enough -to be his foreman, would be enough for any ordinary person, but -Gallagher was not ordinary. Debarred by nature from the possibility of -attaining the highest eminence, he was still covetous of distinction, -and the satisfaction he derived from the hearty hatred of the men he -tyrannized over, was poisoned by the reflection that the good-natured -giant who tyrannized over him held him in contempt. - -Because of these things there was frequent friction between the two. -Gallagher could extract more work from a mule or a man than any one -else, and Long Mike valued him accordingly. Nevertheless, there were -times when the foreman’s unruly tongue would so stir up the temper of -his employer as to secure his immediate discharge. Having little -confidence in anything that Long Mike said, Gallagher would proceed with -his work, serenely indifferent to his dismissal, and would collect his -wages as usual at the close of the week. - -It had happened, however, that ever since the night when the one-eyed -man had suddenly perished in a controversy with one Wharton, which -controversy touched on points of etiquette appertaining to the game of -draw-poker, Long Mike had been unable to steady his nerves, despite his -persistent efforts to do so by a liberal use of the one specific in -which he had faith. Being unusually irritable, therefore, he had -resented Gallagher’s latest impertinence more bitterly than usual, and, -in addition to discharging him, had attempted also to kill him. - -This he would undoubtedly have succeeded in doing with his bare hands, -for he had the strength of seven men, but, fortunately for the foreman, -there was considerable uncertainty in his movements, and his intended -victim had eluded him by a quick movement which was continued in a -panicky flight. The flight had taken him across the gangplank of the -_Pride of the River_, just as the deck-hands were hauling it aboard, and -he had gone down the river on the boat, a fact not yet known to his -employer. - -There was a Mrs. Gallagher, but she had found refuge with a sympathetic -neighbour, and took no part in the events of the day. - -In the barroom there was an atmosphere of doubtful expectancy. Just -what Long Mike would do when he found his rage balked in the direction -of Gallagher, no one could tell, and in truth none was anxious to see. -The consequences of any fresh accession of fury might be decidedly -unpleasant. - -It was therefore with considerable anxiety that the crowd listened for -Sam’s answer, Sam being the bartender, when Long Mike questioned him. - -“Where is that man Gallagher?” he demanded, thickly. - -“I’m lookin’ for him every minute,” said Sam, in a matter-of-fact way, -as he placed bottles and glasses on the bar. No order had been given, -but Long Mike’s ways were known, and a round of drinks at his expense -seemed to be an appropriate ceremony. - -The due performance of this engrossed the general attention for a few -minutes, and then Long Mike again demanded to know where Gallagher was. - -“I’m lookin’ for him every minute,” said Sam in the same tone as before. -And to the same question, repeated at irregular intervals for the next -quarter of an hour, he replied in the same words. - -After each answer Long Mike stood, apparently satisfied, looking as -steadily as he was able to do toward the door, with the evident -expectation of seeing his foe appear, but abstaining from speech. -Slowly, however, he seemed to gather the idea that he was being trifled -with, and presently he said, with a violent hiccough: - -“Where is that man Gallagher?” - -“I’m lookin’ for him every minute,” said Sam, imperturbably. - -Long Mike turned and look at him with a scowl. - -“Ye said that before,” he exclaimed. - -“I was lookin’ for him before,” said Sam. - -This seemed to divert the big man’s mind to a new channel of thought, -and he pondered it awhile, uncertain whether to laugh or be angry. - -At length he leaned over the bar and shook a huge forefinger in Sam’s -face. - -“You’re a fool,” he said, and glared. - -Sam made no reply, but Stumpy, judging that something must be done, -interposed: - -“Ye’ll all have a drink with me,” he said. - -Ordinarily this form of speech was unchallenged by any critic in -Brownsville, and Long Mike was possibly the one citizen least likely to -offer any objection, but on this occasion he turned to the speaker, and, -shaking his forefinger at him, exclaimed again: - -“You’re a fool.” - -Stumpy stepped back a little. Long Mike faced the crowd and said with -additional emphasis: - -“You’re all fools.” Then he broke out with a roar of fury. “Will ye tell -me where is that man Gallagher?” but no man dared make answer. - -“In just about a minute, now,” said Joe Thorp in an undertone to his -nearest neighbour, “there’ll be a ten-acre fight in this here barroom if -nothin’ ain’t done to get the old man’s mind off’n Gallagher.” - -“I reckon you’re about right,” replied Jim Hunnewell, “but there ain’t -nobody here as cares about fightin’ ’cept him. An’ when he’s loaded, -he’d a heap rather fight than do anything else, ’thouten it’s play -poker.” - -“That’s the idee,” exclaimed Thorp, struck with an inspiration. Then, -raising his voice, he continued: “Who’ll play a game of poker? Speak up, -quick, you chump,” he whispered, and Hunnewell spoke. - -“I will,” he said, eagerly. - -“And I,” “And I,” “And I,” said Baxter and Wilson and Cosgrove almost as -quickly. They had caught the whispered words, and appreciated the -emergency. - -“Give us the chips, Sam,” called Thorp, bustling toward the card-table -in the rear of the room. “Will you take a hand, Mike?” he added, -carelessly, as the others followed him with more noise than seemed -necessary. - -Long Mike considered the matter for a moment, but, finding that he no -longer held public attention, he wavered and then said: - -“I will.” - -“It’s like picking his pockets,” said Cosgrove, with some compunction, -as they all took their seats. Even in Brownsville the code prohibits -playing with a man who is hopelessly drunk if he happens to be your -neighbour and friend. - -“Isn’t it better than to have him kill somebody before he sobers up?” -said Thorp, and the argument was sufficient for all of them. - -But the picking of Long Mike’s pockets did not proceed with any alarming -speed. They played the usual game, table stakes, and each man took five -dollars in chips at the start. The first pot was a jack. - -Cosgrove dealt. Thorp passed. Baxter passed. Wilson opened it for a -dollar and a half. Hunnewell threw down. Long Mike raised it two -dollars. Cosgrove stayed. Thorp stayed and Wilson stayed. - -When they came to draw cards, Thorp took one, Wilson took two, and Long -Mike was found to be fast asleep. They roused him with some difficulty, -and after scanning his cards with every appearance of dissatisfaction, -he called for four. Cosgrove took three. - -Wilson bet a white chip. Long Mike chipped. Cosgrove shoved in his pile, -having caught a third ace. The others all stayed, and Wilson showed -three tens. Thorp had a small straight, and Long Mike had a king-high -flush. - -It was quick action and called for another jack. As three of the -conspirators bought more chips, they consoled themselves as well as they -could with the thought that sheer luck like that seldom comes to one -player frequently in one sitting. - -This time Baxter opened it under the guns. Wilson passed. Hunnewell -raised it one dollar on a small straight. Long Mike stayed on a pair of -deuces. Cosgrove and Thorp laid down and Baxter saw the raise, having -kings up. - -In the draw Long Mike caught the three aces Cosgrove had had the deal -before. After Baxter and Hunnewell had bought again, there was -fifty-five dollars on the table, of which over thirty was in Long Mike’s -pile. - -In the next deal he caught nothing and promptly went to sleep again. -They woke him up in time to look at his next hand, and that failed also -to interest him. In the following deal, however, he caught three sevens. - -It had been his ante, and the money had been put up out of his pile -without waking him, but even under existing circumstances no one cared -to go so far as to play his hand for him, the more especially as they -all had pretty good cards and saw his raise when he made it two dollars -to play. - -Catching the fourth seven in the draw, he made good on two raises that -had been made before it came to him, and threw in five dollars more. -Thorp and Wilson both called for their piles, one having a flush and the -other a full. - -Just what might have happened in a few hands more it is impossible to -say, for the whistle of the _Prairie Belle_ startled the crowd as she -steamed up to the levee, and Long Mike staggered to his feet, stuffing -his winnings in his pockets as he rose. Neither whiskey nor poker was -potent to hold him when there was business to be done. - -As he stepped unsteadily into the open air, Sam heard him asking of the -wide, wide world, “Where is that man Gallagher?” - - - - -V - -STUMPY’S DILEMMA - - -The only thing stirring on the levee at Brownsville on Sunday morning, -usually, was a small dog belonging to Stumpy. It was of record that when -Stumpy arrived at Brownsville with his dog Peter, bringing their entire -earthly possessions wrapped in a large red handkerchief, Peter came -across the gangplank first, being in hot pursuit of a rat. The rat -escaped, finding its way into a crevice near the edge of the water, and -the most of Peter’s spare time for the two years that had elapsed since -then had been spent near that crevice. No sign of the rat had ever been -discovered, but Peter’s faith was abiding. - -It was possibly characteristic of the breed of Peter, which was -considered in Brownsville to be some sort of terrier--and it was -certainly characteristic of Peter that he did not sit down by the -crevice to watch for that rat, but ran back and forth continually, -barking, meanwhile, with cheerful disregard of the effort involved. He -did not wag his tail, being possessed of a totally insufficient amount -of tail to be wagged. “Sure his tail was never cut off,” Stumpy used to -say, “it was drove in.” But he wagged the entire hinder portion of his -body, as he ran, with an enthusiasm that frequently sent two of his legs -high in the air. - -While he was engaged in this fashion one otherwise peaceful Sabbath day, -his master appeared in view, and the two were soon in conversation. - -“Thim two spalpeens that kim off the boat last night, I’m thinkin’, is -goin’ to do up the town, I do’ know,” said Stumpy, whose habit it was to -discuss matters with Peter when he found them too difficult to -understand easily. - -Peter looked at him anxiously, but finding that Stumpy had paused for -reflection, he barked once, and waited. - -“That’s just it,” said Stumpy, eagerly. “The divil’s own cousin cudn’t -tell if they was Mormon missionaries or retail grocers on a holiday -trip. If it was down the river, now, they’d be cotton factors maybe, but -whhat’d a cotton factor be doin’ in Brownsville, I do’ know. An’ the -drink! Glory be, but they’re divils for drink. An’ Long Mike on’y a week -after the last wan.” - -This last remark called for no explanation in Brownsville, where Long -Mike’s sprees were events in municipal history. Peter whined -lugubriously. - -“An’ it’s right ye are, Peter,” said Stumpy. “If he starts in again now -there’ll be an end. Didn’t he wipe out Gallagher’s place from door to -door, wid the glory o’ drink in him, two weeks ago? It’s none too -peaceful at the best, that Brownsville is, but wid him drunk it’s hell. -An’ it’s drunk he’ll be again if thim two strangers stays. An’ I do be -thinkin’, Peter, that if he’s drunk again afore the change o’ the moon, -he’ll sober up in the life everlastin’.” - -At this Peter howled long and loud, and Stumpy lapsed into silence. - -To them presently appeared Sam. The exigencies of business required -Sam’s presence in the barroom, as a usual thing, regardless of the day, -or time of day, he being the only dispenser of potable necessities in -Brownsville, but the stress of Saturday nights was commonly followed by -an interval of calm on Sabbath mornings, and his custom was to go abroad -for air on those occasions. - -Seating himself on a piece of driftwood, he chewed the end of his cigar -for a time, and then observed: “It was a large night.” - -“It was,” said Stumpy. “Is thim two strangers stayin’ here long, I don’t -know?” Stumpy’s brogue defied spelling. - -“They’ll be dead if they do,” said Sam. “I’ve saw wild men afore, but I -never seen two men try to pull up the Mississippi River by the roots.” - -“If it was thim ’ud die,” said Stumpy, gloomily. “An’ Hennessy. We c’d -do widout Hennessy an’ wan or more others. But I do be thinkin’ Long -Mike is off again.” - -“Looks like it,” said Sam. - -Just then the report of a pistol-shot rang - -[Illustration: “JUST THEN THE REPORT OF A PISTOL-SHOT RANG OUT.”] - -out, and Peter leaped in the air. He was not hurt, but the bullet had -struck between his fore paws, and he was frightened. - -Stumpy turned like a flash. The two strangers were approaching, laughing -heartily, and one of them was about to shoot again. Stumpy was a small -man, probably a foot shorter than either of the newcomers, but his hair -was very red. He sprang to his feet. - -“That’s my dog,” he said, pulling off his coat, and the man who was -poising his revolver lowered it. - -“No offence, friend,” he said, pleasantly. “I just wanted to see the dog -dance.” - -“Dance, is it?” shouted Stumpy, in a fine rage. “That dog’s no circus. -If it’s dancin’ ye want, I’ll dance, but it’s on your ugly face it’ll -be, wid you on the flat o’ your back.” And he squared off in excellent -style. - -“There, there,” said the big man, soothingly, “I’ll not fight you, and -I’ll not bother your dog, if it’s yours. Come and have a drink.” - -It was not easy to placate the little Irishman, but the two strangers -finally accomplished it, and the entire party went over to the barroom. -Peter, however, refused to enter the place, and showed his teeth -viciously when the sportive pistol-player, whose name was Carruthers, -offered to pat his head by way of apology. - -As the day wore on, the male population of Brownsville, one by one, -appeared in the barroom, and Carruthers and his mate, Hopper, played the -part of hosts with great assiduity, so that the general condition of -hilarity that had prevailed on Saturday night, but which had been -greatly modified in the early morning hours, was fully reëstablished -before nightfall. - -The two men told about themselves without reserve, and there seemed to -be no reason to doubt their story. They were sports, they said, frankly, -it being fully understood that the word sport was a mere euphemism for -professional gambler, and, having “made a killing” in La Crosse a few -days before, they were enjoying a trip down the river with the ultimate -purpose of getting into a big game at Vicksburg or New Orleans. Things -being too slow to suit them on the boat on which they started, they had -stopped off at the first landing-place to wait for another. Being thus -in Brownsville, they proposed to enjoy themselves as heartily as -possible, so what was the matter with all hands having another drink? - -Whatever latent prejudice there was in the minds of Stumpy and one or -two others who recognized an element of peril in the situation, was of -little force against the popular enthusiasm the two strangers evoked by -their liberality. Being men of seemingly unlimited capacity themselves, -they soon discovered that Brownsville had also a few mighty drinkers, -and, while now and again some less gifted man dropped out of the bout -and made his uncertain way to some hiding-place, there were others on -whom even Sam’s brands of red liquors had no appreciable effect. - -Long Mike, indeed, seemed in his element. Glass for glass with anybody -and everybody he tossed off his tipple as if it were filtered water, -and his eye grew brighter, his hand steadier, and his tongue more nimble -with each potation, so that only those who knew the awful cumulative -effect drink had on him when his limit was actually reached, could -realize that the commercial standing of Brownsville was at stake, for -without Long Mike there was no head to the community, and no prospect of -carrying on any business of importance. Therefore Stumpy--and -others--had misgivings. - -Not all the boats that ply the Mississippi stop at Brownsville, and the -intervals at which some do stop are uncertain, so that Carruthers and -Hopper had no means of calculating the length of their stay. It did not -appear to trouble them much, but toward evening, no boat having -appeared, and none being expected that night, Carruthers remarked, -casually, that he could wish for a little excitement. - -“Your liquor is all right,” he said, “and your society here is pleasant -enough to suit anybody, but don’t you ever do anything in Brownsville?” - -“We had a cock-fight here last month,” said Hennessy, “but there’s only -one cock in town now. That was Gallagher’s afore Gallagher lit out, but -even if he was to come home there’s no way o’ fightin’ one cock. That -is, there’s no way I know on, ’thouten you put him front of a -lookin’-glass,” he added, with a foolish laugh that no one echoed. - -“Don’t nobody ever play poker here?” asked Hopper. - -“I knowed it,” said Stumpy, under his breath, to Sam, who nodded -understandingly. - -People did play poker in Brownsville, quite a number of them, but they -had a wholesome respect for travelling sports, realizing that the -domestic variety of the game was by no means up to the standard -established on the boats by gentlemen who made a business of playing. -Liquor, however, played the mischief with Long Mike’s bump of caution, -and he was fond of poker anyhow. - -It turned out as Stumpy feared, and as Hopper expressed his disdain of -a limit game, and nobody else was strong enough to put up a hundred -dollars, Long Mike was presently engaged in playing table stakes with -the two sports, each of the three having produced that sum. - -“It’s not the hundred’ll break him,” said Stumpy, while Sam was getting -the chips and cards, “but he’ll buy and buy, by and by, till the divil -himself couldn’t save him.” - -And this was the prevailing opinion among the score or more of men who -clustered around to watch the game. No man, however, cared to raise his -voice in protest. It would hardly have been done in any case, for a -wholesome respect obtains on the Mississippi River for the right of the -individual to go to the devil in his own chosen way, but, in the case of -Long Mike, there was an additional feeling that he would make it -extremely uncomfortable for any one who might presume to remonstrate -with him for anything. - -The game was not, at first, a notable one. No particularly sensational -play marked the loss of Long Mike’s first hundred, though it went -pretty fast, and with the second hundred he managed to secure some good -pots, so that he ran up, almost even, for a few moments. But a series of -losses reduced his pile again to less than forty dollars, when he caught -a flush against Hopper’s full house, and called on Sam for two hundred -more in chips. - -It was evident, then, that he had the fever, and Stumpy groaned in -spirit. There was no telling what the end would be, but he felt that it -was among the possibilities for Long Mike to ruin himself in an hour or -two, and his ruin would be disastrous to more than one in the room. - -Suddenly he saw something which set his brain in a whirl. If he could -have been positive and could have given proof, he would have declared -that he saw Hopper deal himself a card from the bottom of the deck. He -knew, however, what the accusation of cheating would mean, and he -hesitated. Possibly he might have been mistaken, he thought, and anyhow -it would be his word against one other’s. It was altogether uncertain -what the result would be. - -He watched the game, however, even more keenly than before, determined -to speak, regardless of consequences, if he should see anything he was -sure of. What he did not notice was that Carruthers had seen the gasp of -astonishment that he had himself been unconscious of, and was watching -him carefully. He stood opposite where Carruthers sat. - -Presently there came a jack-pot that Hopper opened for five dollars. -Carruthers passed, but did not immediately throw his cards on the table. -Long Mike raised it ten dollars, it being his deal. Hopper came back at -him with ten more, and Long Mike stayed. - -Hopper called for two cards, and, as he did so, Stumpy distinctly saw -Carruthers show Hopper his hand as he threw it on the table in the -discard. One of the five was an ace, and Stumpy saw it. - -Watching Hopper as he moved to pick up the cards dealt to him in the -draw, he saw further that Hopper took one of them and one from the -discarded pile. It was deftly done, but he was certain this time. - -Long Mike stood pat, and when Hopper pushed his whole pile forward, Long -Mike called him for all he had in front of him, a hundred and odd -dollars. Then he showed a pat straight and Hopper showed four aces. - -“Hold on!” shouted Stumpy. “There’s foul play here. That--” and then he -paused. - -Every man in the room was looking at him, and he was the only one who -saw the muzzle of Carruther’s pistol just above the edge of the table. -It was pointed directly at him, and the barrel looked to him as large -around as a nail-keg. - -It was not necessary to explain to him that Carruthers had the drop on -him. Moreover, he knew that if he tried to finish his sentence he would -be shot before he got the words out. It was small wonder he paused. - -Nobody spoke for a moment, Stumpy for the excellent reason just stated, -and the others because of their surprise. Then Carruthers said: -“Evidently the gentleman never saw four aces held before. Is that what -you meant when you spoke of foul play?” - -Still all eyes were on Stumpy. No one else had seen the revolver, but he -knew that on his answer depended the question whether Carruthers should -shoot or not. Drops of sweat came out on his forehead. He drew a long -breath. - -Then he saw something else, and he answered Carruthers curiously. - -“Yes-s-s,” he said, prolonging the word into a curious hiss which he -knew that Peter understood. - -At the instant that Carruthers, with an evil smile, was relaxing his -aim, a small, brown dog landed on his shoulders and fastened his teeth -in his throat. - -No man was ever able to recall all the details of the mix-up that -followed, but after two badly damaged strangers had departed from -Brownsville on the next boat, Stumpy observed to Sam: “Sure, it would -ha’ been betther to kill thim, I don’t know.” - - - - -VI - -GALLAGHER’S RETURN - - -When Gallagher came back to Brownsville he did not expect to be met at -the steamboat-landing by a delegation of citizens eager to welcome his -return. There was no thought in his mind of having to listen to an -address of eulogy and being obliged to reply with a few or a great many -well-chosen remarks. - -The idea of a brass band and a display of fireworks tooting and blazing -in his honour had never entered his head. The most he hoped for was to -be able to sneak across the gangplank unnoticed, and to make his way -under the friendly obscurity of darkness, in case it should happen to be -after nightfall, along the edge of the levee to the neighbourhood of his -own house, where he might remain in seclusion until such time as he -should learn what the disposition of the community might be, and more -especially what Long Mike’s attitude toward him was. - -The recollection of all the circumstances attending his departure from -Brownsville was sufficiently vivid in his mind to fill him with -apprehension, and the utmost caution seemed absolutely necessary when he -determined to return. He recalled distinctly that, after he had tried -Long Mike’s temper to the point at which further endurance became -impossible, that usually good-natured person became suddenly furious -with rage, and not only discharged him from his employ--that, Gallagher -was accustomed to--but strove earnestly to preclude the possibility of -hiring him again, by the simple but effective expedient of killing him. - -It should be said that Long Mike seldom attempted to kill anybody. -Murder was not his habit, he being usually a tolerant person, albeit he -required a full equivalent of labour in return for the wages he paid. - -On such occasions, however, as he had deemed serious enough to demand -extreme action, he had never been known to fail to get his man, until -Gallagher had eluded him by a flight that took him far from Brownsville. -Some months had elapsed since then, but Gallagher had no means of -knowing whether his boss’s wrath had cooled or not. - -The caution he displayed in eluding observation when he went ashore from -the river boat was not, therefore, uncalled for. Knowing the ground -perfectly, even in the darkness, he picked his way carefully to the door -of his own house, but before lifting the latch he stopped and listened, -as one who was in great doubt. As he continued to listen he passed -through many phases and degrees of doubt, perplexity, and amazement. - -It was his own house beyond a question, but many things had happened -since his sudden departure. Long Mike was impetuous, but not devoid of -generous impulses, or of a prejudice in favour of fair play. When he -realized that he had wrought injustice to Mrs. Gallagher in the fervour -of his pursuit of her husband, he had taken effective and -characteristic measures to remedy the wrong. - -This was largely due to the personality of Stumpy, whose Irish blood -boiled on slight provocation, and who entertained no fear, even of his -boss, when he was moved to remonstrate against any happening which -failed to comport with his ideas of propriety. Stumpy it was who said: - -“Sure, it was a blackguard’s thrick to lave Misthress Gallagher widout a -bed to lie on, or a shtove or a taable to her back.” - -“Did Gallagher do that?” demanded Long Mike, indignantly. - -“He did not,” said Stumpy, “but there’s them that did.” - -“Who did it?” asked Long Mike. - -“It was yoursilf,” said Stumpy, and stood immediately on the defensive. - -The look of blank astonishment that Long Mike gave at the accusation was -at least presumptive proof that he did not realize his offence, and -seeing it, Stumpy’s wrath was somewhat assuaged. It did not right the -wrong, however, and Stumpy wanted that done. - -“It was whin ye was lukkin’ f’r Gallagher,” he explained. “Belike ye was -confused wid the rage that was in ye, an’ maybe a thrifle o’ liquor, -too, but ye found his house, an’ him not bein’ there, by the mercy o’ -God, ye smashed, and smashed, an’ there’s nothin’ left.” - -“Did I, now?” said Long Mike, and he chuckled, whereat Stumpy’s wrath -blazed up again. - -“Ye did,” he said, briefly, “an’ ’twas a blackguard act for to lave a -lone woman deshtitoot.” - -“Aisy now, Stumpy, aisy now,” said Long Mike, good-naturedly. “Av that -pirut, Gallagher, has left his woman deshtitoot--” - -“‘Twas you drove him away,” interrupted Stumpy. - -“Yis, an’ a good job. Av he cooms back, I’ll break ivery dommed bone in -his body,” exclaimed Long Mike, with sudden fury. “But I’ll have no -woman suffer in Brownsville, Stumpy. Av that dirty pirut lift her -deshtitoot, as ye say, she’ll be took care of. Mind that.” - -Taken care of, she had been, in Brownsville fashion. New furniture had -replaced the stuff that Long Mike destroyed, and, as the house contained -two rooms, or one more than Mrs. Gallagher required to live in, the -sporting element of Brownsville had established the custom of using her -extra space for a card-room. - -Whenever a game was in progress, the good lady retired to her own -apartment, but after the players had departed she always found that the -kitty, established for her benefit, remained on the table. And inasmuch -as the income she derived from this source was much larger, and no more -irregular, than that which she enjoyed from Gallagher, it had come about -that she no longer felt any very keen anxiety for his return. - -All this was, of course, unknown to Gallagher, as he listened, and his -surprise at the unexpected sounds he heard was natural enough. - -One Harrison had been in Brownsville for two or three days, in company -with his side partner, Davis, the two being on one of their occasional -business trips down the Mississippi Valley. They had been known to play -in some of the principal cities, but for the most part they preferred -the smaller places, being of the variety of sports commonly known as -crossroads gamblers, and Brownsville was one of their favourite -stopping-places. - -They had at first been inclined to question the use of a private house -for their purposes, but after the circumstances were explained, they had -acquiesced readily enough, and on this occasion they were sitting in. - -Long Mike was there. It would have taken more than one Gatling gun to -keep him out of a game when one was in progress and he was in the -neighbourhood. McCarthy had a hand also, and Billy Flynn. - -McCarthy was a character. He loved the game of poker with a fervour that -would have made him a large winner if he could only have learned how to -play the game. As it was, he only sat in at such times as he had -sufficient money saved up from his wages to buy a stack. And he never -sat long. - -Flynn was a good player, and Long Mike was better than the average, but -neither of them knew enough of the game to detect the peculiarities of -play that gave Harrison and Davis a large percentage in their favour. - -They had been playing for half an hour, and only the remnants of his -stack remained to McCarthy, when he caught a king full, pat, on Flynn’s -deal. It was a jack-pot, and Harrison, having first say, opened it for -the size of it, which was a dollar and a quarter. The game was a small -one. - -McCarthy raised it all he had, which was about seven dollars more, and -the others all laid down, including the opener, who showed jacks. -McCarthy took down his two dollars and a quarter winnings, and proceeded -to make the only additional blunder that was possible under the -circumstances. He showed his hand and exulted in his winning. - -It was nobody’s business to instruct him, and the others smiled grimly -as Harrison took the cards to deal. He was impatient at the smallness -and the slowness of the game and made ready for a killing. - -Shuffling with extra care, he dealt good hands to everybody, making sure -of the aces at the bottom of the deck that he could utilize in the draw. -It would have been pitiful, had there been anybody there to see, to note -the way in which everybody backed his cards, and the fact that -Harrison’s full of tens on aces scooped the pot. - -McCarthy was out of it, and Flynn and Long Mike had to buy again, but -they were brave, if foolish, and being well supplied with money, they -played on. McCarthy sat by watching. The fascination held him, even -though he could play no longer. - -Suddenly he saw that which made his eyelids contract and his jaw set -itself like a bulldog’s. He said nothing at the moment, but watched -carefully until it came Harrison’s turn to deal again. Then he leaned a -little forward and looked a little more intently. - -Again it was a jack-pot, and Long Mike opened it. Davis and Flynn -dropped, but Harrison raised it, and Long Mike stayed. When it came to -the draw he called for one card, and McCarthy spoke up. - -“If it’s two pairs ye’re drawin’ to, you’d better split ’em an’ draw -three cards,” he said, and Long Mike stared at him in amazement. - -“An’ what for should I do that, I don’t know?” he said, but Harrison -broke in with an oath and an angry: - -“What do you mean?” - -“I mean,” said McCarthy, very distinctly, “that you’ve stacked the cards -and--” - -Further than that he did not speak, for Harrison’s gun was out and -almost in position before McCarthy could grapple him and seize his -wrist. At the same moment Flynn grabbed the pistol itself and strove to -wrench it from his fingers. - -Even with two men holding him, and they were both powerful men, the -gambler struggled mightily, and for a moment seemed about to wrench -himself free. The three were all over the room. - -It was harder to keep Long Mike out of a fight than to drag him away -from a bar or poker game. Moreover, though he held McCarthy in contempt -as a gambler, he knew him for a man who spoke the truth, and leaping to -his feet he started forward. - -Davis, however, sprang up at the same instant, and, stretching out his -foot, he tripped the big man and threw him headlong on the floor. -Drawing a knife from his belt, he threw himself on the prostrate form -and raised his arm for a blow. In the excitement nobody noticed that the -door had been opened. - -“Whurroo!” said Gallagher, and threw himself into the fray. - -There was no time to find a weapon, and he carried none, but he was -handy with his feet, and a well-directed kick not only lamed Davis’s -elbow for a week, but knocked the knife from his hand half-way across -the room. It would have been between Long Mike’s ribs but for the kick. -Disarmed and disabled, the desperado was no match for the two men, one -of whom was grappling him from beneath while the other was continuing -to kick from above. - -At this moment the pistol went off and Gallagher fell to the floor. -Flynn had got possession of the weapon, but it had been discharged in -the transfer and Gallagher’s head was directly in line. Having it, -however, Flynn used it promptly and stunned Harrison with a single blow, -practically ending the shindy, for Long Mike made short work of Davis -when he realized the situation. - -“Is he kilt?” he inquired, anxiously, as Flynn and McCarthy bent over -Gallagher. “Sure he saved my life when this blackguard was shtickin’ me -like a pig.” - -“I think he is,” said McCarthy. “There’s a hole in his head the size of -a shtove door.” - -But the bullet had glanced, and Gallagher was only stunned. Sitting up a -moment later he said: - -“Will ye’s all get out o’ my house? I have confidential affairs to -discuss wid Misthress Gallagher.” - -“We will,” said the three friends, as they departed, dragging the -gamblers with them. - -Then the other door opened. - -“Is it you, Pat?” said a female voice. - -“It is,” said Gallagher, “an’ I’d like my supper. But first ye’ll give -me a bit o’ a wet rag till I wipe my head.” - - - - -VII - -GALLAGHER STRIPPED - - -“Sure I do be thinkin’ it’s like playin’ lotthery,” said Stumpy, as he -sat one day in meditative mood near the steamboat-landing with Deaf Dan. -It was a hot afternoon and there had been a long, sociable silence -between them when Stumpy yawned and shot off his comparison. It was -uttered in stentorian tones, for none could converse otherwise with Deaf -Dan. - -“As bein’ how?” inquired Deaf Dan. “Who’s a lotthery?” - -“All of us,” said Stumpy. “Iv’ry marnin’ we do put in, loike the suckers -that buys thim little printed bits o’ paper wid a big number on ’em, an’ -lies. An’ thin we set around, like bumps on a log, waitin’ for to see -what the drawin’ ’ll be, the same as thim same suckers does. Mostly it’s -blanks. Sildom it is that anythin’ happens in Brownsville. But now an’ -again, some wan’ll dhraw a proize. Maybe it’s a chanst at th’ red -liquor, an’ maybe it’s a shindy, an’ sometimes it’s a game of -dhraw-poker, but annyhow it’s a proize, such as it may be.” - -“It’s right y’ are,” said Deaf Dan. “An’ lately it’s all blanks. Sure, -there’s nothin’ do be doin’ in th’ place since the night that Gallagher -got back.” - -“Sure, that was a fine foight,” said Stumpy. - -“They tell me that same,” responded Deaf Dan, “but Gallagher an’--Howly -mother o’ Moses, phwat’s that?” - -“That” appeared at first to be a procession of two, emerging with great -suddenness from the door of the barroom, but, as Deaf Dan and Stumpy -rose to get a better view of the proceedings, the two who first appeared -were followed by a straggling crowd of others, all eagerly intent on -observation, so that presently the entire male population of Brownsville -was assembled on the levee, looking with interest to see the outcome of -what seemed to be a personal difficulty between two prominent citizens. -Last of all to appear was Sam, the bartender, whose appearance on his -doorstep was indisputable evidence that there was no one remaining -inside. - -The leading figure in the procession was Gallagher, and judging from the -earnestness with which he was moving, it was easily to be understood -that he was desirous of putting as much vacant space as possible between -himself and the second advancing figure. He might almost be said to be -flying, rather than fleeing. And every ounce of force at his command was -devoted to the effort to keep in the lead, so that, although his mouth -was open, he emitted no sound. - -His pursuer, on the other hand, though he was no less resolute in his -endeavour to cover the ground quickly, was devoting a part of his -strength to the loud utterance of many words. For the most part, these -words savoured of profanity, too enthusiastic to be well chosen, but -sufficiently impassioned to be exceedingly impressive. There was no -questioning the fact that Long Mike had lost his temper again, and small -doubt that he would do bodily harm to his foreman if he should succeed -in getting near enough to lay hands upon him. - -But Gallagher succeeded, though with great difficulty, in maintaining -his position in the van of the advance until he reached the brink of the -river. Then, instead of turning, or possibly making a stand, he -surprised the onlookers beyond measure by making a flying leap, and -disappearing in the muddy flood. - -Right here it may be said that no man, with the possible exception of -Gallagher or Long Mike himself, was ever able to tell just how it -happened that the long-standing difficulty between the two had blazed up -in such sudden fury. Opinions differed as to whether Gallagher’s -intemperate habits of speech had provoked the outburst or whether Long -Mike’s apprehension had been warped by his indulgence in superfluous -stimulant. All that was known was that Long Mike had aimed a sudden -blow, which the other had dodged, and that the foot-race began -forthwith. - -When the pursued plunged into the river, the pursuer paused on the -brink. For a moment it seemed as if he were only waiting for his victim -to appear at the surface before leaping in after him, and Stumpy and two -or three others laid detaining hands on him. Almost immediately, -however, it appeared that he was not minded to risk himself in the -water, although his wrath was by no means assuaged, for, after a few -moments, Gallagher, who could swim like a fish, reappeared some twenty -yards from shore, and, keeping himself easily afloat, turned to his foe. -Thereupon, Long Mike, making no effort to break away from the men who -held him, opened his mouth and spoke. - -“---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----,” he said. -“---- ---- ---- ----.” - -“Is that so?” responded Gallagher, mockingly. He was not devoid of -courage, though neither he nor any three men up and down the river -cared to face Long Mike in a rough-and-tumble fight. - -“It is,” said Long Mike, “an’ if ye’ll come ashore, I’ll break ivery -bone in yer body.” - -“Ye’ll not,” said Gallagher. - -“An’ why?” demanded Long Mike. - -“Because I’ll not come ashore.” - -Preposterous as this proposition was, Long Mike did not appear to -recognize the fact that the other could hardly remain in the water -indefinitely, and that all he had to do was to wait. He broke out again -in language to which no polite person would willingly listen, and -concluded by saying: “I can lick the life out o’ yez.” - -“Ye can,” said Gallagher, unhesitatingly. “An’ I can outdhrink yez.” - -“Ye can that,” said Gallagher again. - -“An’ I can outrun yez.” - -“Yis.” - -“An’ I can outswear yez, an’--an’--an--an’ I’m a betther man than yez in -ivery way,” sputtered Long Mike, not seeming to be able to call to mind -any more specific accomplishments. - -“Y’ are not,” said Gallagher. “Whin it comes to dhraw-poker, I’ll play -ye fer years ag’in minutes, an’ bate ye the two-thirds of all eternity.” - -“Draw-poker, is it?” exclaimed Long Mike. “Av ye’ll coom in out o’ the -wet an’ play a freeze-out, I’ll win yer money an’ yer house an’ lot, an’ -the clo’es off yer back, till yer naked as a bald head, an’ worn out as -a burnt match.” - -“I’ll go ye,” said Gallagher, “f’r all I have, ag’in everything ye have -yoursilf.” - -There was a murmur of dissent and some derisive laughter from the crowd, -for Gallagher, though fairly well-to-do according to the Brownsville -standard, was the other’s employee and by no means a peer of the -principal capitalist of the town, who, in addition to his visible -resources, had money secreted in his house. But Long Mike raised his -hand. - -“Let be,” he said, sternly. “I have a lesson to tache this omadhaun. -Faith, he’s growin’ too large to live in the same town wid the likes o’ -me.” - -And the unequal match was arranged. In half an hour’s time the two were -seated in Sam’s back room, with all the chips in the house divided in -two equal parts, and the game was begun with the clear understanding -that the winner of all the chips could claim from the other all that he -owned on earth down to his undershirt. - -As there was nothing whatever to attract the attention of anybody in -Brownsville to any other point, the room was crowded with lookers-on, -and all those who could not gain entrance stood outside and discussed -the probabilities. - -“If Gallagher do play close,” said Stumpy, “I’m thinkin’ he’ll win out, -for Long Mike’s the divil for bluffin’ an’ Gallagher knows it, worse -luck!” And this was the general sentiment. - -In the first half-hour--for the game was a long one--Long Mike’s luck -was by no means good, and though the big man made no violent plunges, -his pile of chips dwindled until Gallagher had all but a single stack -of blues. Of course, there was no arbitrary money value to a chip, but -they called them dollars for convenience, the reds being a quarter and -the whites a nickel. - -It was Long Mike’s deal and Gallagher anted the usual nickel, but the -dealer, finding nothing, threw in a blue and took his change from the -other, making a ten-cent jack. This was sweetened, a nickel at a time, -till there was a dollar in the pot. Then, Gallagher dealing, Long Mike -opened it for a dollar. - -“I’ll raise you two,” said Gallagher. - -“Five better,” said Long Mike, pushing in the chips. - -“All you’ve got,” said Gallagher. - -“Go you,” said Long Mike, and they both stood pat. Each had a flush, but -Long Mike’s was ace high and Gallagher’s best card was a jack. - -The next hand was passed and another jack-pot made. Gallagher opened it, -was raised, raised back, and was raised again till once more Long Mike’s -pile was in the centre and Gallagher stood to win it all. Again they -both stood pat and showed two straights, but Long Mike’s was the better. -This gave him eighty dollars to play with, but Gallagher still had -nearly three hundred, so it took another hand like the last to put the -two on anything like even ground. - -“If Long Mike wins again,” whispered Stumpy to his next neighbour in -great excitement, “he’s got his luck wid him, an’ it’s good-bye, -Gallagher.” His neighbour nodded, and their hopeful faces showed that -they shared fully in the general wish that Long Mike would win. - -It was with strained attention that the crowd watched the next deal, and -a sigh of satisfaction followed the making of another jack-pot. This was -sweetened again and again till the spectators lost patience, and Long -Mike expressed his poor opinion of the cards violently and called for a -new deck. - -It was brought and shuffled, and on the first deal both caught openers. -Long Mike opened and Gallagher raised, but instead of raising again, -Long Mike simply made good and called for one card. Then he chipped -without looking at his draw. - -“Yer name is Mud this time,” said Gallagher. “I don’t want any cards an’ -I’ll raise you the size o’ the pot.” - -“Is that so?” asked Long Mike. “Well, maybe I’ve drawed an ace, I don’t -know. If I have. I’ll raise you my pile.” And he turned over the card he -had drawn, exposing it to view. It was an ace, and without a word he -shoved his chips all into the pot. - -It looked like a winning, and Gallagher studied some time before -playing. But, though it looked like a winning, it also looked like one -of Long Mike’s characteristic bluffs on finding himself confronted by a -pat hand, and finally Gallagher said: “I’ve got to call you. Mine’s a -flush.” - -“An’ mine’s a trey full on aces,” said Long Mike. “Faith if I’d known -you was goin’ to stand pat, I’d have taken two an’ been beat.” And a -mighty cheer went up from the crowd, for the two players were nearly -even again. - -Gallagher scowled, but said nothing and played close. Winning and losing -in turn for half an hour more, he fell slightly behind, so that he had -less, instead of more, than half the chips when he caught four fours pat -in a jack-pot that Long Mike opened. He raised, of course, and was -raised in turn, till Long Mike called, and made ready to serve the draw. - -“Gimme one,” said Gallagher, carelessly, and was delighted when the -other drew two. It looked like the chance of his life, and when Long -Mike bet, he raised it his pile. - -But Long Mike called him again and showed down four eights. - -“Now,” he said, “all ye have is mine, isn’t it?” - -“It is,” said Gallagher, pluckily enough. - -“Shtrip, then,” said Long Mike, sternly, and the other without a word -threw off his clothes till he had on nothing but a fine Irish blush. But -he uttered no complaint, and the crowd that had jeered him unmercifully -fell into silence and turned away its eyes as he walked toward the -door. - -Just as he reached it, however, Long Mike stopped him. - -“Come back an’ put on yer clothes,” he said. “They do be fittin’ yez -betther nor they would me. Yer money I’ll take, for ye’ll worrk the -harder for bein’ broke, but yer house I don’t want. Yer a man, afther -all, Gallagher, an’ I’ll hire you over again. There’s a boat whistlin’ -on the river now, an’ ye’ll hustle th’ men down the levee right -speedy.” - - - - -VIII - -A TRIAL OF SKILL - - -“There’s wan thing about Brownsville,” said Stumpy, “that saves the -place from bein’ like wan o’ them asylums f’r the feeble-moinded, where -the min sews patchwork, an’ the women shmokes pipes.” - -“Wot’s eatin’ you?” asked Sam, the bartender. - -Sam had local pride which he held to be justified by his own prosperity, -and he was apt to be gruff when any one spoke disparagingly of -Brownsville. The two men had sat together on the levee, sociably silent -for half an hour, when the spirit moved Stumpy to speech. - -Having spoken, however, he sat as one relieved in his mind, and was in -no haste for further conversation. It was therefore some minutes before -he replied, but at length he said: - -“Sure, it puts me in moind o’ the great famine in Ireland me father used -to tell of. Ye’d go for a week or a day wid sorry a bit t’ ate of -annything at all, at all, an’ thin ye’d get maybe a pratie or a crusht, -that’d kape ye goin’ a bit longer. - -“There do be toimes in Brownsville that’d make ye think ye was dead an’ -buried. Sure, the still o’ the nights is worse nor a thundershtorm for -kapin’ a man awake, an’ the days is worse. - -“An’ thin, whin ye do be goin’ melancholy mad wid the monny-tony o’ -loife that isn’t livin’ at all, at all, but blue-mouldin’, somethin’ or -other’ll hit ye, loike a fri’ndly blackthorn at Donnybrook, an’ ye’ll -sit up an’ take notice. Mostly it’s Long Mike, but times it’ll be -something else. - -“An’ whin it do come, ye’ll think for a time that Brownsville is wan o’ -the hid cinters of all th’ excitement on the Mississippi River. Maybe -it’s a bit o’ gun-play it’ll be, wid a tin-horn gambler, loike th’ -toime th’ one-eyed man cashed in, or belike it’ll be somethin’ or other -wid Gallagher, but annyhow it shtirs things oop. This toime Oi do be -thinkin’ it’ll be Hinnissy.” - -“An’ why would it be Hennessy?” asked Sam. - -“It wouldn’t on’y f’r Gallagher,” said Stumpy, “but thim two is like a -hammer an’ a shtick o’ dynamite, or a mule’s hind leg an’ a sthraw. Av -they do be kept apart, there’s no great harrum, but av ye bring thim -together, belike there’s friction.” - -“They was playin’ cards sociable enough last night,” observed Sam. - -“That’s it,” replied Stumpy. “When thim two gets sociable, ye wants to -kape yer eye open. Whin it’s a cussin’ f’m Gallagher, him bein’ foreman, -or a kick f’m Hinnissy, that bein’ his disposition, they’re good -friends. Sure they’re both of thim Oirish. But whin they get fri’ndly, -they do be two naturalized citizens, wid Oirish blood an’ Mississippi -River manners, an’ God knows.” - -“Did you hear anything?” - -“No, but I shmelt it, an’ this mornin’ the shmell is still in th’ air. -My dog Peter has the scint of it, shtrong. He kim out wid me for a walk, -an’ whin we passed Gallagher’s, he sniffed around loike he do for a rat. -An’ he turned back an’ lay down in the road near Hinnissy’s place. Sure -he knows more o’ some things nor a Christian.” - -“Then you think there’ll be trouble?” asked Sam, somewhat jeeringly. - -“Sure, Oi don’t think it,” said Stumpy, “but Oi do be tellin’ ye Oi -shmell it.” - -What further discussion there might have been was cut off at this point -by the appearance of two or three citizens in the distance. They were -making their way leisurely toward Sam’s place of business, and he, -foreseeing a demand for his services, went indoors. - -As if the appearance of the first comers on the street had been a -signal, others presently appeared, and in a few minutes Brownsville had -put on as much of an appearance of activity as was usual when there was -no boat expected. - -The first to arrive at the barroom was Long Mike himself, and he, -looking around, conveyed with his eyes, in some almost imperceptible -fashion, an invitation to Stumpy to step inside. Accordingly that -gentleman arose, though without unseemly haste, and made one of a small -group that presently lined up in front of Sam’s bar. - -Two of the group were Gallagher and Hennessy, and Stumpy was not the -only one who noted with rising spirits the exaggerated politeness with -which they spoke to each other. There had been nothing of importance -doing in the community since navigation had closed at the beginning of -winter, and as it was now almost warm weather again--warm enough, at all -events, to tempt the people out-of-doors--the prospect of some -excitement was exhilarating. - -“It’s a very good game you play at shtud-poker, Mr. Gallagher,” said -Hennessy, when the drink was swallowed and the pipes were all relighted. - -“You do me proud, Mr. Hinnissy,” replied Gallagher, with equal courtesy, -“an’ ye play very well yersilf, barrin’ th’ matther o’ poor luck now -an’ ag’in.” - -“Oi was thinkin’ that same lasht night,” said the other. “Av the cyards -hadn’t run till ye the way they did, belike ye’d not have won the money -ye did.” - -“Thot moight be, an’ again maybe not,” said Gallagher, still polite, but -with a tone of satisfaction in his voice that Hennessy detected. - -“Ye know,” he said, “they run different, different toimes.” - -“They do,” said Gallagher. “An’ that’s when the shkill comes in. Now yer -own game is wan that wins, av ye have the cyards, but ye lose when ye -haven’t.” - -“An’ don’t ye find that same to be yer own experience?” asked Hennessy. - -“Oi do not,” said Gallagher. “Whin Oi haven’t the cyards, Oi never bet. -It’s the wan thing ye have to l’arn about the game.” - -The matter of seven dollars that Hennessy had lost the night before was -still rankling, and this intimation that it was his lack of ability as a -player that caused him to lose was hard to bear. He commanded himself -with a visible effort and merely said: - -“Maybe ye’d loike to exercise yer shkill some more the marnin’, Oi don’ -know.” - -“Well,” said Gallagher, “ye may have yer revenge an yer lukkin’ for it.” -And the game was on. - -There was some talk as they took their seats at the table about some of -the others joining in, but Hennessy declared that he much preferred to -play with Gallagher alone, and his wish was respected. They made it a -ten-dollar freeze-out, and the others in the room gathered around to see -the play. - -For a considerable time it seemed as if Gallagher’s boasting had some -foundation in fact, for he played cautiously, and several times -abandoned the hand when he had one or even two good cards showing, -evidently believing that he was beaten by the other’s buried card, but -after he had got well ahead, Hennessy began to get good hands. - -A pair of tens, back to back, he played cunningly, letting his opponent -do the betting until the last card was dealt, when Gallagher bet a -dollar on two eights in sight. Then he raised it three dollars, and, as -this looked like a bluff, Gallagher called. - -A similar play when he really held a straight with the middle card -buried, against two pairs, netted him as much more, and the lucky chance -of a third ace for the last card against three queens in sight enabled -him to raise back to the extent of Gallagher’s pile after he had passed -the bet and Gallagher had shown his confidence in his queens. - -He had won the freeze-out and was calmly tolerant when Gallagher said, -with something of a sneer: - -“Yez can all see now what I said. Whin Mr. Hennessy has the cyards he -can play as well as the next.” - -“Oi can,” he replied, loftily. “An’ Oi can do betther nor that.” - -“An’ how?” demanded Gallagher. - -“Oi can lick the shtuffin’ out of anny man that can’t lick the shtuffin’ -out o’ me.” - -“An’ is it me ye mane?” asked Gallagher, almost choking. - -“It is.” - -“It is foight ye mane?” - -“It is.” - -“Av ye’ll shtep outside,” said Gallagher, “Oi’ll shtand ye on yer head, -an’ dhrive yer body so far down in the mud they’ll be usin’ ye for an -artooshun well.” - -“Ye may, thin,” said Hennessy, and two minutes later they were out on -the levee, with their coats off, locked in a grip that seemed -unbreakable. - -“What did Oi say till ye the marnin’,” said Stumpy, as he and Sam stood -watching the proceedings in keenest delight, together with nearly the -entire male population of Brownsville. “There do be things happens here -sometimes.” - -The excitement was so great, in fact, that for the moment no one noticed -a bareheaded woman that came running up the street, almost breathless, -but shouting as loudly as she could. When her voice reached the crowd, -they perceived that it was the voice of Mrs. Hennessy, and there was an -imperative tone in it that arrested even the attention of the two who -were fighting. - -“Mike!” she screamed, “Mike! darlint. The babby fell down in the -cistern, an’ Missus Gallagher climbed down wid a rope, an’ we pulled the -babby up, an’ she’s shtuck at the bottom. Sure ye’ll coom an’ pull her -up. Hurry, for the love o’ God.” - -They did hurry, all of them, and when Mrs. Gallagher was rescued, as she -speedily was, Hennessy turned to his foe: - -“Oi’ll not foight you this day, Gallagher, but you’ll dhrink wid me for -the babby your good woman saved. An’ so,” he added, “will the whole o’ -Brownsville this day.” - -But while they drank, Stumpy remarked: “Sure it’s almost a pity they -couldn’t ha’ finished the shindy. It would ha’ been worth seein’.” - - - - -IX - -A SOCIAL CALL - - -“Hurroo!” exclaimed Long Mike, and fired a shot through the ceiling. - -Had there been any antecedent circumstances to explain his outburst, -Brownsville would have accepted it as a characteristic and perfectly -natural act, but it chanced that nothing whatever had occurred for a -full half-hour. The usual group had been sitting around the stove in the -barroom, and the usual drone of entirely uninteresting conversation had -buzzed along. Everybody had said something, but nobody knew or cared -what anybody else had said. - -It was therefore a matter of some surprise that even Long Mike should -express himself with such vehemence. No one spoke for a moment or so -after the shot, but all looked interested. Presently Sam, the -bartender, inquired with some anxiety if the big man felt well. - -“Oi do not,” replied Long Mike, as he put away his gun. “There do be -nothin’ at all, at all, that wears me out loike the dead shtillness o’ -winter weather, an’ Oi’m thinkin’ it’s toime for a thaw. Ye’ve heard th’ -oice i’ th’ river cr-rack whin it’s makin’ ready to break up. Well, Oi -feel loike cr-rackin’ thot same way. It’s toime somethin’ was did.” - -“An’ it’s right y’ are,” said Stumpy, “but what? Sure, ivery j’int in me -body is blue-mouldin’ wid shtiffness from the want of excitement. Oi’ve -a cr-ravin’ for tumult that’s worse nor a cr-ravin’ for dhrink. Sure, a -flood is betther nor bein’ froze up loike this.” - -“It’s me, too,” said Gallagher. “I have a touch o’ the same complaint, -but I don’t see nothin’ ahead till th’ ice breaks up, an’ the boats run -again.” - -“Oi do,” said Long Mike. “Jim Bixby was tellin’ me yesterday that some -o’ thim shports in La Crosse was goin’ dead, loike us, f’r the lack o’ -things to do, an’ Oi told him to tell thim to come over to Brownsville -the next trip o’ the stage. An’ the stage is due now. Oi do be thinkin’ -there’ll be some comin’ the day.” - -The event proved that the big man had not miscalculated, for even as he -spoke the jingle of sleigh-bells came up from the frozen surface of the -river, and, as they all looked out, they saw Bixby driving, not the -usual span, but a team of four horses over the thick ice, and bringing a -big stage-load of men wrapped in furs and smoking furiously to keep the -keen, cold air from their lungs. - -It was one of the community visits with which men broke the monotony of -the long winters in what was then called the great Northwest, and, -because of the habits of the two communities, it seemed more than likely -that there would be excitement enough before the La Crosse contingent -should be ready to return. - -Of the visiting delegation there were ten in all, but the most -conspicuous among them, as Long Mike was the principal figure in -Brownsville, was one Tom Krags, a man of more than local fame, who had -amassed a competence on the Mississippi boats by his success at the -card-table, and had settled in La Crosse as the proprietor of what he -called the “only first-class second-rate hotel in Wisconsin.” It was a -flourishing hostelry, with a large cardroom adjoining the barroom. - -Krags was a quiet man, usually, with pleasant manners and a large chest -measurement. At least a foot shorter than the big man of Brownsville, he -was, in all his other dimensions, a worthy match, and one of the dreams -of delight among the river men was the thought that sometime there might -be a physical encounter between the two. - -No set programme having been arranged for the festivities, the first -ceremony was the usual tender of liquid hospitality. Sam became busy -without special instructions, and for a long half-hour exerted himself -manfully in response to the demands that came in rapid succession from -this one and that who felt eager to uphold his part of the burden of -hospitality or pay his share of the tax of reciprocity. - -A temporary lull in this exercise was filled with conversation, in which -the dearth of news in both communities was duly discussed, and the day -wore on toward a close with no special outbreak of excitement. It -appeared, however, that three of the guests had brought certain pet -game-cocks with them, so a series of cock-fights was arranged after a -long discussion of terms, and by nightfall the floor of the barroom was -sadly in need of a thorough cleansing. Then, after the lamps were -lighted, and a hearty supper had been discussed, a game of draw-poker -was proposed. - -This, it was felt, was, after all, the main event of the day. -Brownsville was not especially addicted to poker except on occasions -when outside talent appeared, but there was enough local pride to -justify a contest when a challenge was issued. And there was an -overweening confidence in Brownsville in Long Mike’s luck. - -The two leaders arranged the terms and virtually chose the players, so -that the game was table stakes, each man to buy a hundred dollars’ worth -of chips for a starter, and six men to constitute the party. Long Mike -took Stumpy and Hennessy, and Krags named Smithers, a beetle-browed -Englishman in his party, and Jack Bains, a capable-looking lumberman -from the upper river, to represent the visiting talent. Sam set out the -chips and cards and served a preliminary drink, and the game was on. - -For the first half-dozen hands there was little doing. The ante was a -dime calling a quarter, no one caring to hurry the game, and all -realizing that a hundred dollars was enough to give him a considerable -run unless his luck was phenomenally bad. Presently, however, Hennessy -saw what looked like an excellent opening and he opened a jack-pot. - -To his intense joy he got three stayers, for he had three tens and a lot -of confidence. It was Stumpy’s deal, and he and Smithers had stayed out. -In the draw Bains took three cards, Long Mike one, Hennessy one, -holding up an ace to his tens, and Krags called for two. - -It was hard to figure chances on a draw like that, but Hennessy reckoned -they would size him up for two pairs and he threw in ten dollars, -thinking that he would call any raise he might get. He hadn’t looked at -his draw, but did not count on having bettered. - -Krags saw the ten, having three sevens which he had not bettered, and a -proper respect for Long Mike’s one-card draw. Bains surrendered, and -Long Mike raised it ten, having bettered his hand with a six spot that -made a small straight. - -Hennessy investigated and found he had caught another ace, which was, of -course, enough to go back on; but Long Mike was not the player he was -after, so he simply saw the raise, hoping for nothing more than a call -from Krags. That gentleman, however, folded his cards. He had the name -of knowing extremely well how to lay down when he was beaten. So nobody -was badly hurt. - -The next chance fell to Smithers on Long Mike’s deal, there being -another jack-pot, and he opened for one dollar and a half, there being -that amount in the pot. The struggle was longer this time, for everybody -stayed and three men bettered. He threw in a white chip for a feeler, -and Hennessy raised it five dollars on three queens. Krags stayed, -having aces up, and Stumpy raised again with a flush. Bains made good, -having filled a straight, and Long Mike lay down. He had three little -ones, but a double raise scared him out. - -Smithers looked at his hand doubtfully. He had opened it on kings and -fours and had caught a seven in the draw, but deciding, whether it was -good poker or not, to make a bluff, he came back with twenty dollars -more. It was almost good, too, for it looked as if he had made a full -house, and Hennessy dropped his three queens without a whimper, though -he would have called if Stumpy had not raised him on the round before. - -Krags lay down, and Stumpy did some thinking. It took nerve to call even -with a flush, but finally he said: “Ye may have it, I don’t know, but -Oi’ll see it annyhow,” and threw in his chips. - -“That’s good,” said Bains, and Smithers had to show his two pairs. - -“Tried to blow me, hey?” said Stumpy, tauntingly, as he raked in the -chips. “Ye may do that in La Crosse, but it don’t go here.” And Smithers -had nothing to say. - -The next two deals were uneventful, and then Krags took the deck. His -thick muscular fingers were well kept and white, after the usual rule as -touching the hands of professional gamesters, and one who looked closely -would have seen that they were singularly deft as well. As it happened -there were three men at the table who were looking closely, and when he -passed the cards over to Hennessy for the cut, that player riffled them -three times before cutting them, whereat Stumpy grinned with glee, and -Long Mike looked serene and satisfied. - -Krags could say nothing, for Hennessy was within his rights, but he -leaned a little over toward the left side as he dealt, leaving his -right-hand hip pocket a little easier to get at. It was only a slight -indication of the possibilities, but there was not a man at the table -who failed to notice it. - -From that time on the tension increased. After Krags’s deal Stumpy -called for a new deck of another colour, and when that had been used -twice, Long Mike ran over it carefully, and called for still another -deck. “There’s an ace o’ hearts here,” he said, “that a man can tell -across the room.” No charge of crooked play had been made, but the -visitors saw that they were suspected, and they were well prepared for -the row that was coming. - -Long Mike it was that precipitated it. He was watching Krags intently, -and suddenly, as that player was discarding after serving the others -with the draw in his own deal, Long Mike reached over and seized both -his wrists with a lightning-like movement. - -“Ye have six cards in yer hand, ye spalpeen, an’ two in yer sleeve,” and -twisting Krags’s hands remorselessly, he proved that he was right. - -Instantly the room was in an uproar, and - -[Illustration: “‘YE HAVE SIX CARDS IN YER HAND, YE SPALPEEN.’”] - -every one of the ten visitors had his gun out, excepting Krags, who was -struggling violently but ineffectually to free his hands. The -Brownsville men were as quick as the strangers, but, although three or -four shots were heard, none reached a mark. And after a little time, -Long Mike’s voice commanded attention. - -“Av we did the roight thing,” he shouted, “we’d chop holes in th’ oice, -an’ send yez ahl shwimmin’ down th’ river. But Oi’m thinkin’ we can have -more fun nor that. Yez’ll ahl give yer guns to Sam, an’ Oi’ll take this -omadhaun out-o’-doors an’ woipe th’ ground up wid him. An’ Bixby’ll -hitch up an’ carry what’s left back to La Crosse the noight widout -waitin’ f’r sun-up.” - -No one dissented, for Krags and his followers were as confident as the -Brownsville men, and moreover counted themselves lucky to get off as -they did after the exposé. And then Smithers gave a new turn to the -situation by saying, “I’ll bet even money that Krags’ll lick him.” - -In about three minutes all the available cash in the party was staked -on the contest and the two gladiators stripped for the fray. - -Then was Brownsville glorified within three minutes more, for Long Mike -stood with his hands down, waiting the other’s onslaught. It came with a -fury that would have demolished an ordinary man, but he took two blows -that seemed enough to break his bones, and then wrapped his arms around -Krags in such fashion as to hold him helpless. For a moment he stood -thus, tightening his grip slowly, and then said, coolly: - -“Ye’ll tell me when ye have enough.” - -The other made no answer, but struggled like a wildcat, while Long Mike -stood smiling and slowly tightening his awful grip. Not until the bones -began to crack did the defeated man give up, but presently he gasped -“Enough,” and fell, half-dead, to the ground as the other released his -hold. - -“Oi’m thinkin’, belike,” said Stumpy, as they watched the stage start -off, “thot we might have a party up here from Dubuque next week, I don’t -know. Thim social visits is foine divarsion.” - - - - -X - -STUMPY VIOLATES ETIQUETTE - - -The fate of the one-eyed man had not been forgotten in Brownsville, but -the lapse of time since his taking off had been sufficient to allay the -excitement which it had occasioned. - -This excitement, it may be said, was not the result of any fervent -esteem which the one-eyed man might have enjoyed among his fellow -citizens if he had been a person of more congenial temperament than he -was. As a matter of fact, he had various traits of character which had -distinctly failed to commend him to the hearty liking of the community, -and while he lived there were not a few citizens who counted him among -the least desirable of their number. - -Brownsville, however, was not habituated to homicide. Fights there were -in Brownsville not infrequently, and a good shindy was commonly reckoned -among the pleasurable variations to the monotony that characterized life -in the little river town for something like three hundred and sixty days -in the year. - -Such fights, however, were usually carried to a more or less -satisfactory conclusion without loss of life, and the sudden demise of -the one-eyed man had aroused some horror, as well as a strong feeling of -antipathy for the man who shot him. This feeling was also tempered by -the lukewarmness of the sentiment of the community toward the one-eyed -man, but the prevailing opinion was that Wharton had gone a little too -far in shooting. - -There was no disputing the fact, however, that it was a fair fight, and -that the one-eyed man had brought it on himself, so there had been no -attempt made to put Wharton on trial for the killing. He had gone away -from Brownsville, and the general satisfaction at that had, of itself, -tempered the hostility he had provoked, which hostility was indeed no -very powerful sentiment. - -When the _Creole Belle_, however, tied up at the Brownsville landing, -just at the edge of a summer evening, some months after the shooting, -and Mr. Wharton stepped ashore, he failed to receive any enthusiastic -welcome. Strangers who came ashore at Brownsville were not so numerous -as to allow of his escaping recognition, and most of those whom he -greeted on his way from the landing to the barroom responded with a cool -“Howdy,” but no one proffered a handshake, and none gave him spontaneous -greeting. - -It was not observed, however, that any of those in the barroom made any -strenuous effort to avoid his invitation to partake of such refreshment -as Sam had in readiness. It was therefore to be fairly inferred that -time had mellowed the resentment which Mr. Wharton’s violent action had -originally provoked. - -Perhaps no clearer statement of the actual condition of public sentiment -could be made than that which Stumpy put in words, speaking to -Gallagher, as they returned to their work on the landing after they had -followed the crowd into the barroom. - -“I do be thinkin’ this here Wharton ’ud be betther loiked,” he said, “av -he’d shtop some place where they knowed less about him. Av he shtays -here, belike there’ll be doin’s.” - -“Maybe,” said Gallagher, “but I reckon there’s them here that’ll kape -him from too much killin’, an’ the most o’ the houses is nailed down.” - -“Shure, it’s not the likes o’ that I’m thinkin’. ’Tain’t likely he’ll -steal the town, nor yet the river,” returned Stumpy, somewhat nettled at -the other’s indifference, “but he’s not the koind o’ man I loike to see. - -“Shure, he’s a gambler, an’ he’s too almighty free with his gun, I’m -thinkin’. He’ll carry away the money that belongs in the town, an’ av -there’s anny row--an’ belike there will be if Long Mike sits in wid him, -it’s not fightin’ wid fists we’ll see, but a shootin’ scrape. - -“Shure, I don’t mind a bit o’ a shindy, or a sociable game o’ -dhraw-poker, but thim kind is the wrong cattle to play wid.” - -“We’ll see,” said Gallagher, shortly, as he turned to his work. - -He was an enthusiastic gambler himself, though a most unlucky one, and -the notion of playing with a professional had no terrors for him. -Moreover, the scent of a battle, even afar, was sweeter to him than -newmown hay. Stumpy, however, though by no means averse to excitement of -any kind, was more conservative and had his forebodings. - -Later in the evening, after the _Creole Belle_ had discharged her -freight and taken on that which was waiting for her, and had gone on -down the Mississippi, leaving Mr. Wharton still in the barroom, it -appeared altogether probable that some, at least, of these forebodings -would be justified. - -Sam had been kept tolerably busy in the meantime, Mr. Wharton having -realized what was expected of him as a stranger, and being evidently -disposed to fulfil his obligations. Possibly in consequence of this the -crowd around him, when Brownsville resumed its normal inactivity after -the departure of the boat, was conversationally disposed. - -Not less than four persons were talking at once, most of the time, and -though Mr. Wharton did comparatively little talking and did not appear -to have taken enough red liquor to affect his nerves in the least, it -was noticeable that he was doing all he could to promote the general -hilarity. - -There could hardly be a doubt of his object. At all events, Stumpy -entertained none, and though he did his duty conscientiously in seeing -that none of Sam’s liquor should go begging, as became one who was -conversant with Brownsville’s customs, he yet maintained a constant -watchfulness, as one who feared the worst. When, presently, he heard -Wharton propose a game of cards, he muttered: - -“I knew it. Now for a battle, murder an’ sudden death, I don’t know. Av -Long Mike sits in, an’ the saints above cudn’t kape him out, there’ll -be doin’s. Sure it’s me for to shtand by.” - -Stand by, accordingly, he did. Wharton’s proposal was seconded and -adopted with alacrity, and Long Mike and Gallagher took their seats at -the table eagerly. Hennessy also declared his willingness to buy chips, -and the fifth hand was taken by a man named Cutler, who had been in town -for some weeks, and was, therefore, known to them all excepting Wharton, -but who had failed to arouse any feeling of liking or respect among the -citizens. - -Just why he was there he did not explain, nor did any demand an -explanation; but it seemed so utterly unreasonable for a stranger to -remain in Brownsville indefinitely that he was already an object of -suspicion. He flashed his money with the others, however, and no one -made objection to his playing. - -The game was for table stakes, and, as each player bought a hundred to -start, no one else in the room felt rich enough to take a hand. They all -stood around looking on, however, so Stumpy attracted no attention when -he took his stand directly behind Wharton’s chair, getting as close to -it as he conveniently could without touching it. It so happened, -moreover, that Cutler sat nearly opposite to him, being the third man to -Wharton’s left. - -For a considerable time the play was uneventful, and the luck appeared -to run more evenly than was to be expected. Even Gallagher did not lose -as rapidly as usual, and Long Mike’s proverbial good luck failed to -appear. - -In less than half an hour, however, the big hands began to come, and the -play became strenuous enough to put an end to general conversation. -Nothing was heard but the few stock phrases which ordinarily announce -the play at poker, and not only the players, but the onlookers, became -more and more excited. - -A full hand that Gallagher caught pat on Long Mike’s deal gave him the -opportunity to open a jack-pot under the guns, which he did for five -dollars, there being that amount in the pot. Cutler came in, and so did -Hennessy, whereupon Wharton raised it ten dollars. - -Long Mike skinned his cards down, and finding three sevens, concluded -they were worth playing, so he saw the raise, and Gallagher promptly -came back with ten more. Cutler hesitated a little, but saw the double -raise, and Hennessy dropped out. - -Wharton studied a bit, but finally made it ten more to play, and Long -Mike shoved his money forward with a dogged air, as if he knew, as he -did, that he was overplaying his hand, but was determined not to be -driven out. - -Gallagher still had some fifty dollars in front of him, and he pushed -that forward eagerly, whereupon Cutler dropped, and Wharton simply made -good. Then Long Mike made a few remarks. - -They were profane rather than pertinent, being of the nature of a -reflection on his own discretion in playing further, but his -characteristic dislike to being driven out made him put up his money, -and he asked the others what they wanted in the draw. Neither of them -took cards, so, with considerable more bad language, Long Mike took two -for himself. - -“I’m all in,” said Gallagher, and Wharton threw in a white chip -carelessly, with the evident thought that Long Mike had no show and -would not see any considerable bet. - -To his surprise and disgust, however, Long Mike not only saw his side -bet, but shoved his whole pile forward. It was clear that he had made -fours, or a full, or was bluffing outrageously, but as Wharton himself -had four fives, he felt compelled to call. - -Gallagher had struck his usual luck, and Long Mike had found his, for -his last card was the fourth seven. It put Gallagher out of the game, -for he had only twenty dollars more in his pocket, and they refused to -let him buy in again for so little. Wharton, however, took another -hundred, having only a few chips left. - -The next two deals were uneventful, but when Wharton took the cards, -there being a jack-pot on, Long Mike opened it. The other two stayed, -and again Wharton raised. - -No one came back at him, but they all stayed, and on the draw they took -two cards apiece. It looked like three of a kind all round. - -Long Mike bet a chip. Cutler and Hennessy trailed and Wharton raised. -Long Mike stayed and Cutler raised back. - -Hennessy, who had been playing cautiously from the beginning, threw down -his cards, and Wharton raised again. Still Long Mike stayed, and Cutler -raised once more. - -Once more Wharton went back at him, and though no single raise had been -more than five dollars, Long Mike seemed suddenly suspicious. He looked -from one to the other keenly, and then studied his hand carefully. -Suddenly he pushed fifty dollars forward, and it was up to Cutler. - -That worthy hesitated and looked at Wharton. Whether it was a look of -inquiry is doubtful, but Stumpy chose to consider it so, and he -violated all poker etiquette unhesitatingly. - -“Why don’t ye play yer own hand, ye omadhaun,” he demanded, fiercely, -“an’ not be lookin’ at yer pal for insthructions?” - -The uproar came on the instant. The players all sprang to their feet, -upsetting the table, and Wharton and Cutler both reached for their guns. -Hennessy, however, grabbed Cutler, and Stumpy seized Wharton’s wrist in -a grip of iron. - -“Ye’ll not shoot,” he said. “Ye’ve kilt wan man in Brownsville already, -an’ that’s enough. We foight different here. Av ye feel yerself -aggrieved, Oi’ll front ye, man to man, but there’ll be no gun in yer -hand. Sure I saw yez passin’ signals to yer pal, so I’m thinkin’ ye’ll -play no more poker here, ayther.” - -The hubbub was indescribable, but when it became possible to distinguish -voices it appeared that popular sentiment was on Stumpy’s side. Wharton -and Cutler refused to fight with nature’s weapons, and, since they were -not allowed possession of their pistols again, they retired in as good -order as possible to the landing-place, where another boat was just -coming in. - -After they had gone up the river together, Stumpy said confidentially to -his dog Peter: - -“Sure, I saw nothin’ out o’ way, Peter, but ye’ll not mention that same. -Thim gamblers is pizen, an’ the quickest way o’ gettin’ rid o’ thim was -the best.” - -And Peter barked loudly and wagged the remains of his tail. - - - - -XI - -THE NEW POKER RULE MADE IN ARKANSAS - - -It seemed a pity, after peace had prevailed so long in Brownsville, to -have Long Mike and Gallagher at odds again. The big man had made no -attempt for fully a year and a half to kill his foreman, and men had -thought the feud was past, yet once again the smaller man was now -seeking safety while Long Mike raged like a lion in his quest for his -old-time foe. - -“Sure I do be thinkin’ we’ll niver have peace in th’ place widout a -firsht-class killin’. ’Tis th’ only thing as’ll shtill th’ atmoshphere,” -said Stumpy. - -It had broken out over a game of poker, but no man knew whether the -smouldering embers of hatred had blazed up at a chance word, or whether -some fresh spark had been kindled by the friction of the game. - -Jim Titherton had been greatly astonished. Titherton was a gentleman of -more or less elegant leisure, who spent much of his time travelling up -and down the Mississippi River, stopping frequently at the smaller towns -where the boats landed, but very seldom at any of the cities. Ashore he -was never known to busy himself in any recognized commercial pursuit, -but he was always ready and willing to play a game of cards with anybody -who was properly qualified to play. - -He had been in Brownsville for two days, and had already begun to look -for the arrival of the next boat, finding that Brownsville was not -overanxious to play cards with strangers, when somewhat to his surprise -Long Mike invited him to play. - -Of itself, this was a fact requiring explanation, but the further fact -that Long Mike had started in made it unnecessary to seek any -explanation for anything he might do. There was only one thing certain -about Long Mike’s actions once he started in, and that was that he -would do whatever would naturally be least expected. - -When he challenged Mr. Titherton to a game of draw-poker, however, -something like consternation was immediately manifest among the other -occupants of the barroom. One evidence of the simplicity of life in -Brownsville was that Sam had never found it necessary to adopt a name -for his saloon. It did not have to be distinguished from the other -barrooms, because there were no others. - -In consequence, the main part of the male population of Brownsville sat -in Sam’s place evenings, and when the leading citizen of the place, -being not too completely in command of all his faculties, proposed to -play poker with a stranger who was known to have suspicious ability as a -player, to say the least, it was realized that a common peril impended; -for Long Mike was not only the chief capitalist and the sole employer of -labour in the place, but he was also known to be entirely reckless when -he was well started, and capable of playing away his entire earthly -possessions. Mr. Titherton, therefore, stood to win practically all the -money in Brownsville unless something was done promptly. - -It was true that Long Mike was lucky. It was one of the traditions of -Brownsville, and the story had travelled both up and down the river, -that nobody could win money from Long Mike in a square game, provided -that gentleman kept sober enough to count his chips. But Brownsville -realized that luck alone was not likely to avail much to the man who -played single-handed with Mr. Titherton. - -The obvious expedient, therefore, was to increase the number of players -in the game. It seemed certain that if Titherton and Long Mike played a -two-handed game, disaster would befall, but if several others should sit -in, there would at least be the chance of frustrating any schemes of -iniquitous play that might be instituted, and there would be the further -possibility of breaking the game up by force of arms in case the -disaster should become imminent. - -It was usually Stumpy who spoke first, and this occasion proved to be -no exception. Knowing the uncertain temper of his boss, he realized the -necessity for diplomacy, and therefore spoke as one who might address -the entire atmosphere: - -“Av it wasn’t for me bein’ th’ cr-rack player in Brownsville, maybe it’s -me ’ud be as’t for to take a hand, I don’t know. Sure, it’d be loike -takin’ a bottle o’ milk from a babby. It’d be a sin f’r me to play.” - -Long Mike looked at him uncertainly for a time. Then he laughed -contemptuously. - -“Since when did ye l’arn the game, Stumpy?” he said. “Sure, it was last -week I bluffed ye out on a pair o’ deuces.” - -“There’s ne’er a man this side o’ Memphis,” replied Stumpy, steadily, -“can bate me at th’ game, barrin’ it’s Gallagher, yander, an’ maybe -Ferguson, av he have the luck.” - -“It’s Gallagher, is it?” said Long Mike, his face darkening at the -mention of the name. “An’ Ferguson. An’ you. Sure it’s a foine pair the -three av yez is. Belike anny wan o’ yez ’d play betther blindfold. But -there, then, the more o’ yez cooms in, the more money there’ll be in th’ -game. We’ll play five-handed.” - -It took no diagram of the situation to explain matters to Gallagher and -Ferguson, and it is proper to say that they saw their duty and did it -like men, though it is certain that neither of them had any more relish -for the undertaking than had Stumpy. Their loyalty to Long Mike was -greatly stimulated by the realization of the peril to the common -interest involved in his playing single-handed against Mr. Titherton, -and they took their places at the card-table unhesitatingly. - -Moreover, they took their places beside one another, and so contrived, -without seeming to contrive, that Long Mike should sit on Titherton’s -left, leaving the latter gentleman, to say the least, with no advantage -of position. It would be his say in each round before Long Mike’s, so -that he could not model his play on the latter’s. - -For, it should be explained, Brownsville’s dislike to playing with -strangers came from no lack of science, or skill, or courage. It arose -merely from the fact that manual dexterity in the deal was the one thing -which Brownsville could not boast. In all other respects, the -Brownsville game of poker was well up to the Mississippi River standard. - -They made the game table stakes, and each man flashed fifty dollars for -a starter. They were used to a moderate game, but they all knew that it -was liable to grow to much greater dimensions if Long Mike should become -excited. - -For the first few rounds, however, there was no great excitement. The -hands ran tolerably well, two flushes and a full being shown inside of -twenty minutes, with a straight and several threes, but no strong hands -were out together, and there was no contest of any importance. - -Then came what looked at first like a struggle. It was Stumpy’s deal, -and Ferguson had put up the ante, fifty call a dollar. - -Titherton came in, and so did Long Mike. Gallagher raised it two -dollars. Stumpy and Ferguson dropped, and Titherton made it three more. -That was a sufficient indication to Long Mike, and he passed it up to -Gallagher, who promptly raised it five. - -Titherton threw in his five and called for two cards. Gallagher called -for one, and Titherton threw in a white chip. Gallagher looked at his -draw carefully, and pushed his entire pile into the pot. - -Thereupon Titherton studied for a full minute. He looked keenly at his -antagonist’s face, and then he looked at his own hand again. And lastly -he counted his chips, as if intending to call, keeping his head bent -down, but watching Gallagher meantime out of the corner of his eye. Then -suddenly he threw down his cards. - -Gallagher said nothing as he drew in the pot, but there was a slight -twitching at one corner of his mouth which led those who knew him best -to suspect that he had not filled his flush. As this was no longer a -matter of any importance nothing was said about it. - -Ferguson dealt next, and as no one caught a hand, the cards passed to -Titherton, and he dealt for a jack-pot. - -It had not escaped Mr. Titherton’s notice, previous to this deal, that -his manner of handling the cards had been the subject of close scrutiny, -but he had not deemed it expedient to say anything about it. Now, -however, as he began to serve the cards after the cut, he was somewhat -astonished to see three of the players lean suddenly forward, so that -their faces were within a foot of the table, and to notice that three -pairs of eyes seemed to be fixed intently on his fingers. - -“What the ----?” he exclaimed in surprise, and, stopping the deal, he -glared for a moment at each of the three in turn. - -They looked at him blandly in return, but volunteered no explanation, -and he went on dealing, red with anger, but saying nothing more. - -Long Mike had apparently taken no notice of all this, being occupied -with some red liquor that Sam had brought to him in response to his -rather boisterous demand, but when he had received his cards he looked -at them carelessly and promptly opened the pot for the size of it. - -When the others had seen their cards, they all came in, up to the -dealer, and he raised it ten dollars. Long Mike hesitated, as if about -to raise it back, but evidently decided that he was not in a good place -for that play, so he merely made good. - -Gallagher and Stumpy both came in on the raise, but Ferguson dropped. -Long Mike then called for two cards, and as Titherton picked up the deck -to serve him the three leaned forward again and watched the dealer’s -fingers as they had done before. - -Again Titherton paused, as if he had in mind to resent the insult, and -again he thought better of it, and went on with the deal. Gallagher took -one card and Stumpy took two, but they did not move to pick them up, -keeping their eyes fixed on Titherton. - -“The dealer takes one,” said Titherton, and he dropped one card -alongside his hand, which lay in front of him. - -Then the three straightened up and looked at one another, as if greatly -astonished. - -“Is thot the reg’lar game?” asked Gallagher. - -“It is,” said Stumpy. “Thot is, it’s the new rule they’ve made in -Arkansas. Maybe it’s rig’lar on th’ river now, I don’t know. In Arkansas -the dealer has th’ privilege o’ ta-akin’ a card from the bottom or the -top, av ye don’t see ut.” - -“But how if you see ut?” asked Gallagher. - -“Thot depinds,” said Stumpy. “On th’ boats they shoot, but on shore the -dealer gen’ly goes over the levee, an’ all hangs on how he can shwim.” - -“I’ll bet ten dollars,” said Long Mike, throwing the money in the pot. - -He had been looking rather confusedly at his cards while the others -talked, not paying attention to what they said. But Titherton -interposed. - -“Hold on a minute,” he exclaimed, laying his hand down in front of him -and putting some chips on the five cards. - -He moved and spoke very deliberately. - -“Will you gentlemen be good enough to explain what you are talking -about?” he demanded. - -“We will,” said Stumpy. “We was discussin’ a new rule in dhraw-poker.” - -“Ut were called to moind,” said Gallagher, “by a slight pecooliarity av -yer digital manœuvres.” - -They said that Gallagher had once been a schoolmaster. - -“You’re a liar,” said Titherton, that being the next regular move in the -game, and, as custom required, he pulled his gun at the same instant and -covered Gallagher. - -Three other revolvers appeared at the same instant, and if Long Mike had -not been a person of almost preternatural promptness, there would have -been gun-play if not bloodshed in the room. He moved like a cat, -however, and Titherton’s gun went spinning across the room before he -could pull the trigger. Long Mike had seized his wrist and shaken it, -and the bones came near snapping. - -“Ye’ll cease yer palaver, an’ play the hand,” said the big man, as angry -as the others. “Av there’s foightin’ to do, ye’ll do it afther. An’ if -ye’re afther takin’ a card from the bottom o’ the deck, ye’ll kape it -an’ Oi’ll play ye annyhow. But that omadhaun there, he’s no liar. Oi’ll -say that for him. But he’ll settle wi’ me later for breakin’ up this -play.” - -But this amazing proposition met with no favour from any one. Titherton -struggled like a wild beast in his rage, but was unable to free himself, -though he began to bite at Long Mike’s fingers, and the others sprang to -their feet. - -“Don’t shoot,” said Stumpy, putting away his gun. “Let’s run the -spalpeen into the river.” And the other two started to help him. - -But Long Mike was aroused by the pain of a sharp bite, and his temper -gave way. His strength was as the strength of seven men, and he, too, -arose, knocking the table over as he lunged forward. Seizing Titherton -with both hands he lifted him high in the air and threw him violently -against the wall, whence he fell unconscious to the floor. - -Then the big man made a rush for Gallagher. - -“Oi’ll kill yez this time!” he exclaimed, and Gallagher knew that he -would. - -It was, therefore, small wonder that he dodged under Long Mike’s arm and -made a flying leap through the window, carrying sash and all with him. - -There was a frantic pursuit, but Gallagher had gained a few seconds of a -start and was nowhere to be found. After a good part of the night had -been spent in fruitless search, they bethought them of Titherton, and -went back to look for him, but he had recovered consciousness and had -made his escape also. - -“Sure it’s a pity we didn’t throw him in the river whin he were stunned, -an’ he’d niver ha’ knowed th’ difference,” said Stumpy, discontentedly. - -But Long Mike raged as was his fashion, and called for red liquor many -times, breathing out threats of what he would do on the morrow, till the -others saw that it was necessary to encourage him in his effort to get -a sufficiency of liquor. - -And when they had finally accomplished this, and had put him safely in -his own bed, Stumpy said again: - -“Sure there’ll be no such thing as livin’ quiet an’ peaceable in -Brownsville till we have a firsht-class killin’. But Oi do be thinkin’ -it’ll not be Gallagher. He do get away too often.” - - - - -XII - -A STRANGER AND FOND OF POKER - - -The Mississippi River packet _City of Natchez_ had been tied up at the -levee in Arkansas City for possibly half an hour. The passengers who -wanted to go ashore had gone, all but one, and the roustabouts were -struggling with the freight under the inspiring influence of the mate’s -energetic comments. - -Possibly because of their terrified condition, resulting from the mate’s -flow of language, but more probably because of their total indifference -to consequences, they paid no attention whatever to a short, red-headed -gentleman who might perhaps have been born in Ireland, and who came -strolling from the direction of the boat’s barroom toward the single -gangplank, now in use by the freight department. - -Even as they paid no attention to him, he paid none to them, but -approached the gangplank somewhat unsteadily, with the evident intention -of going ashore. The mate’s attention for the moment was fixed on some -point at the other side of the deck, or it is a moral certainty that he -would have interposed language of sufficient strength to arrest the -belated passenger’s progress. - -As it happened, however, there was none to warn him of his danger, and -he stepped in debonair fashion on the sloping gangplank, serenely -unconscious of the fact that four huge darkies were coming behind him, -bearing a case of goods on their shoulders that must have weighed -something like a thousand pounds. - -It is an open question whether they saw that he was in their way, but it -is absolutely certain that they recognized no obligation on their part -to shout a warning. On they came, jog-trotting along till they were only -a single pace behind him, when he either tripped or slipped, and, -staggering, seemed about to fall. Had he fallen and so tripped the -rousters, the matter would have been serious indeed. - -Just as he lost his balance, a sinewy hand was stretched forth from -somewhere in the darkness, for it was late at night, and catching the -tottering gentleman by the lapel of his coat, gave him such a mighty and -overmastering yank that he darted forward on the double-quick for thirty -or forty feet, and fell all in a heap on the levee. As he lay there, he -was hopelessly undignified in appearance, but he was out of the path of -the roustabouts. - -Quite as if nothing whatever had happened, he looked up at his unknown -preserver, who could now be seen indistinctly, and said in a -conversational tone: - -“Sure, Oi do be think (hic) thinkin’ the citizens o’ this (hic) this -town is domned hard oop fer popu (hic) population. Does yez git ivery -(hic) iverybody ashore, loike (hic) iverybody (hic) does yez--” - -Here his voice trailed off to a murmur, and it seemed probable to the -tall, powerful man who stood over him that he was likely to go to sleep -where he lay if something were not done promptly. Promptness, however, -was a prominent characteristic of Mr. Joseph Bassett, the sheriff of the -county, and the stranger speedily arose, a wetter and a soberer -man--likewise an angrier. - -With these various considerations Joe Bassett was no whit concerned -excepting that the fact of the stranger having been aroused made his own -duty somewhat easier of performance. As the short man began sputtering -in a peculiarly red-headed fashion, Joe calmly interrupted him. - -“It’s ag’in the law, stranger, f’r any galoot f’m off’n a boat fer to go -an’ git hisself killed on the levee in Arkansas City by a packin’-case -or any other murderous weepin in the hands o’ roustabouts or anybody -else. ’Pears to me you must be a stranger in these parts. Ever been into -a town of any size afore?” - -The short man continued to sputter as if nothing had been said, so Joe -looked at him with mild curiosity for a moment, and then said: - -“Hyer now. That’ll be about enough. I’d ought for to arrest you for -disturbin’ the peace o’ them roustabouts, but if you’ve got money enough -to settle a hotel bill, I reckon I might better take you there. Have -ye?” - -“Oi have,” said the little man. - -“What’s your name?” asked the sheriff, presuming on his official -position to disregard a point of strict etiquette in the community. - -“Mostly they do be callin’ me Stumpy, whin Oi’m at home in Brownsville,” -said the little man, whose wrath seemed to have cooled as the water -dripped off his face. “Av thot’s a good enough name for Brownsville, -sure it’ll do here.” - -“Come along then, Stumpy,” said the sheriff, good-naturedly, as he -linked his arm in the little man’s and steadied his steps toward the -hotel across the street. - -The landlord had no scruples against dispensing red liquor to any man -who was in the company of the sheriff, and it came about that the three -had sundry drinks which Stumpy paid for with great cheerfulness before -going to bed. - -Soon after he had done this, Mr. Bassett dropped in at old man -Greenhut’s saloon, and after some irrelevant remarks reported the -presence of a stranger in town. - -“What’s he like?” demanded Greenhut. - -“Well, he’s red-headed an’ I reckon he’s Irish, but ’pears like he had -some money. He didn’t flash no wad, but he ain’t no ways mean with his -loose change.” - -“You can’t al’ays tell,” said old man Greenhut. “The Good Book says, -‘Him that hath, keeps, an’ f’m him that hath not, the loose change -ofttimes leaks.’ Still, it’s worth lookin’ into. Some o’ you boys had -better be up to the hotel when he gets round. Maybe he might have a -likin’ f’r draw-poker.” - -Accordingly, it happened that when Stumpy came down to the hotel barroom -next morning in search of an appetite, he discovered a couple of -strangers there who were by no means unsociably disposed. Further, he -discovered that they were Jake Winterbottom and Sam Pearsall by name, -citizens of Arkansas City, who esteemed it a privilege to make strangers -acquainted with the resources of the place in the way of sports and -pastimes. - -Several of these were mentioned, but it appeared that horse-racing was -out of season, and there had been no cock-fights arranged for the day. -In fact, the only amusement available, so far as these two could say, -was a quiet game of draw which was likely to be started at any hour in -Greenhut’s back room. - -“Gintlemen, Oi’m wid yez,” said Stumpy. “We do be playin’ dhraw-poker in -Brownsville whiles, but it’s more f’r th’ spoort we play nor the money.” - -Mr. Winterbottom and Mr. Pearsall heartily agreed that the game ought -always to be played for sport rather than for money. In fact, they said, -the game was always played in Greenhut’s place for sport. Sometimes, -when the players got warmed up, the stakes grew rather large, but -usually it was a small game carried on for amusement and the promotion -of Greenhut’s bar trade. - -“Has he a bar?” demanded Stumpy. - -They assured him that he had an excellent bar, and Stumpy demanded that -they should all three go forthwith to Greenhut’s. As neither of the -others had any objection, they were soon sampling Greenhut’s liquor. - -In paying for the drinks Stumpy showed a roll of respectable size -containing at least a few fives and tens, so no one showed any -reluctance in joining the game which Stumpy himself proposed, and five -players presently bought chips in the back room, Bassett and Plunkitt -joining the two who had invited the stranger in. - -“One o’ th’ most interestin’ stories in the Good Book,” remarked old man -Greenhut to the little group that remained with him in the front of the -saloon, “is that there yarn about the ravens that fetched food to Joseph -when his brethren pitched him in a pit. Nobody knowed where them ravens -come from, but they fetched Joseph so much - -[Illustration: “IN PAYING FOR THE DRINKS STUMPY SHOWED A ROLL OF -RESPECTABLE SIZE.”] - -corn inside o’ seven year’t him an’ his family fed on it f’r seven year -more. - -“‘Pears like there’s ravens comin’ f’m up the river, an’ f’m down the -river, to feed Arkansas City. This here bird is a trifle off colour for -a raven, but his wad looks good.” - -In the back room things were not quite satisfactory. A table stakes game -was started and each man bought five dollars’ worth of chips. The local -talent considered this small, but Stumpy said they always began the game -that way in Brownsville, and they deferred to his preference, -remembering that it was always possible to buy more chips and so -increase the size of the possible bet. - -Presently, however, it appeared that there were other peculiarities in -the Brownsville game, or at least in the game Stumpy played. He refused -to come in, hand after hand, with no apparent impatience at the chipping -out process, even when he was forced to buy his second five. Then, -suddenly, he came in without looking at his hand, and when he was -raised, pushed his whole pile into the pot. - -Winterbottom had three sevens, and he saw the bet unhesitatingly. -Pearsall had nothing, but he put in his money on the theory that his -chance was as good as any man’s who had not looked at his hand. The -sheriff, with one pair, considered it a fair gamble, and Plunkitt came -in to be sociable. - -On the draw Stumpy stood pat, still without looking at his cards, which -lay face down in front of him. Winterbottom drew two without bettering, -and neither of the others improved his hand. - -As Winterbottom had opened, he bet a blue chip on the side, which the -sheriff called, having kings, and the other two laid down. Stumpy, being -all in, was not affected by the side betting, and let his cards remain -on the table. - -Winterbottom, being called, showed his three sevens. - -“That’s good,” said the sheriff, showing his kings, and they all looked -at Stumpy. - -“Sure, Oi don’t know,” he said, drolly, “but Oi do be thinkin’ maybe -Oi’ll bate thim others,” and he turned his cards over one at a time. - -The first four were diamonds, and he looked at Winterbottom. - -“Have yez anny propositions?” he asked, with a grin. - -“I reckon not,” said Winterbottom. - -“Oi thought maybe ye’d be afther wantin’ to shplit th’ pot. Sure, thim -diamonds is mighty pretty.” - -“Go on,” said Jake, impatiently. - -“Oh! Very well,” said Stumpy, and he turned another diamond. - -It gave him nearly sixteen dollars as against the ten he had put in, and -after counting it carefully he said he guessed he’d quit. - -At this there was a chorus of protest. “Do you mean to say you’ve got -four North American citizens to waste half an hour for you to win six -dollars?” demanded Pearsall. - -“It’s what I call a dirty trick,” said Plunkitt. - -“Aisy, now, aisy,” said Stumpy. “Oi told yez Oi play this game fer -spoort, an’ Oi’ve had all the spoort Oi’m loikely to have. Thim things -don’t happen twice. Yez needn’t look dangerous. Oi’ll not foight yez, -on’y wan at a toime. Oi’m Oirish, but Oi’m not Oirish enough for that. -Yez’ll all have another dhrink with me.” - -And that was all the Arkansas City players accomplished with Stumpy. - -After he had gone on his hilarious way, old man Greenhut looked after -him indignantly, and said: - -“I reckon them ravens that fed Joseph must ha’ been some other breed. -They sure wa’n’t red-headed blackbirds.” - - - - -XIII - -ON HAND JUST ONCE - - -“It certainly is really amazin’,” said old man Greenhut, “how folks -keeps on a-missin’ of it, all their lives, by not bein’ on the spot. ’N -I’ve noticed always that the folks that ain’t thar all the time ain’t -never thar. Once a feller gits the habit o’ bein’ thar, he’s always -thar, but once he gits out o’ the habit, or if he never gits it, he -ain’t never round when the grand opportunity comes, and just naturally -he misses it. Don’t seem to make no difference how likely a man is, or -how hard he may try to git a holt o’ the persimmons o’ luck that the -good Lord keeps a-growin’ all the time for everybody that’s got the -gumption to knock ’em off the bushes, he don’t never get none of ’em -’thout he’s thar, an’ as I said, such folks ain’t never thar. - -“Now thar’s Tenspot Ike. Thar ain’t no capabler feller ’n him in town -’n’ everybody likes him. If a man wants to stand treat, thar ain’t -nobody that’d be more likely to get ’nvited than him, an’ yet Ike, he’ll -set around here day in an’ day out, waitin’ for some good angel to step -down an’ trouble the pool o’ Siloam, the same bein’ a bottle o’ good old -rye for the purpose of illustration, an’ thar won’t be nobody. But just -as sartin as some open-hearted friend o’ humanity comes along with a -ragin’ thirst an’ the price for two, Ike ain’t around. I call it wicked -an’ bad for trade for a man to fly in the face o’ Providence like that.” - -The old man looked again at the battered half-dollar he had just taken -in, and bit on it to make sure it was good. Then looking once more into -his cash-drawer to make sure that he had given out the lead quarter in -change that had come back to him so often, he came out from behind the -bar and took his favourite seat by the window. - -“D’ye ever hear how Ike come to be called Tenspot?” he asked in a -general sort of way, after he had carefully inspected the stump of a -cigar that was between his teeth as usual, and had lighted it up again. -If anybody had ever heard the story, he forbore to speak, and the old -man kept right on talking. - -“There wasn’t never nothin’ the matter with Ike,” he said, “except that -pesky habit o’ his o’ bein’ always somewheres else. You could always -count on him with a copper. ’F you wanted him anywheres special, he -wasn’t there. I remember one time we’d ketched a hoss thief right here -in town, ’n’ had everythin’ ready to send him off to glory sudden like, -exceptin’ for a Testament to swear the witnesses on, an’ Ike had the -on’y copy o’ the Good Book there was in town. - -“Some o’ the boys was in favour o’ swingin’ him right up without -formalities, arguin’ that as long as we’d ketched him in the act, an’ -there wa’n’t no doubt o’ what he was tryin’ to do, there wa’n’t no use -o’ wastin’ time on a trial, but I says, ‘No; to do that’d degrade -Arkansas City to the level o’ barbarism,’ I says, ‘or a second-class -minin’ settlement. Sich things is all right,’ I says, ‘whar ther ain’t -no civilization, nor none o’ the refinin’ influences o’ religion, but -Arkansas City ain’t no such place. Let’s hang him decent-like an’ -’cordin’ to law,’ I says, ’s’long’s we’ve got it to do. An’ ther ain’t -no such thing as legal testimony,’ I says, ‘’thout it’s sworn to on the -Good Book.’ - -“Well, the boys was reasonable, an’ some of ’em went looking for Ike, he -havin’, as I said, th’ on’y copy o’ th’ Testament ther was in town. -’Course he wasn’t round in none o’ the saloons where he usually kept -hisself, an’ while they was a-lookin’ fer him, that pesky hoss thief -managed some ways or another to git away. When we did find Ike, he was -tryin’ to teach two Chinamen, that had just come to town an’ was in a -fair way to starve to death runnin’ a laundry, how to play poker. -‘Stands to reason,’ Ike says, when I as’t him how he come to do it, -‘that them unfortunate heathen wouldn’t never make day’s wages,’ he -says, ‘runnin’ no laundry here, so I was just puttin’ ’em in a way to -make an honest livin’ by showin’ ’em the principles o’ draw-poker.’ He -give ’em a fair start, too, as it happened, for he dropped seventeen -dollars in good American money in that little missionary enterprise o’ -his’n. The boys said it was a judgment o’ heaven on him fer not bein’ -where he’d oughter ha’ been, as he usually ain’t, besides bein’ a grave -reflection on Arkansas City in lettin’ that hoss thief git off. I fined -the feller the drinks that had business to’ve shot him as he ran, fer -not havin’ his gun ready, an’ just naturally he bought ’em in my place, -so I wasn’t none the loser, but it was a great public calamity. I’d most -rather he hadn’t got away. - -“I ain’t a-sayin’ but what Ike’s natural talent fer bein’ somewheres -else was a benefit to him on one occasion. That was when Bill Briscom -was found in the road with the top of his head blowed off. We all knowed -that him an’ Ike had had a serious difficulty the day before, an’ there -was some talk o’ holdin’ Ike fer trial on suspicion, but Ike he heard -about it, just naturally, an’ he spoke up like a man: ‘I ain’t a-sayin’ -but that I’d oughter ha’ killed the feller,’ he says, ’fer I caught him -cheatin’ at cards, an’ I licked him good an’ proper, an’ the galoot -swore he’d shoot me on sight, but it stands to reason,’ he says, ‘that -in order to ha’ killed him, I’d ’a’ had to be there at the time. Now I -leave it to all of you to say whether I was ever whar I’d oughter be at -the time when I was needed. You all know my weakness, gentlemen,’ he -says, ’an’ I ask you to join me in drinkin’ to the memory o’ the late -departed. He warn’t no good, but as long as he’s gone we can afford to -forgive him fer all he done.’ - -“Well, that settled that matter, though some o’ Briscom’s friends, for -he had some friends who said he wasn’t half-bad, an’ who kind o’ thought -Ike had ought for to own up that he shot him in a fair fight--them -friends was disposed to push the matter to a trial. But I says to ’em, -‘You can’t never convict him,’ I says. ‘Ike’s constitutional infirmity,’ -I says, ‘is too well known to the community. There ain’t no jury in this -country,’ I says, ‘that’d find him guilty.’ - -“But that ain’t tellin’ you how he come to be called Tenspot Ike,” said -the old man, suddenly remembering what he had started to say. “That were -a most remarkable story, an’ p’ints several morals. In the first place, -it were the on’y time in his life that Ike was ever knowed to be on hand -when he was wanted, and there’s no manner o’ doubt it were the last. -Then it were the occasion of a most miraculous delivery of the credit -an’ cash capital of Arkansas City from eternal smash by means of a -casual ten-spot of clubs that Ike, by some utterly unaccountable -dispensation of Providence, happened to have in his pocket. - -“The way of it was this. It was in the time o’ the spring floods, an’ -the river had been up for nigh two months, an’ Arkansas City was all -afloat up to the second story, ’xcept on the levee. There were a boat -now an’ again, of course, but they’d just tie up at the levee for a few -minutes, an’ the folks that had been thinkin’ o’ comin’ ashore would -just look around for a spell, kind o’ discouraged like, and then they’d -set down on the boat again an’ go on down the river, or up, as the case -might be, an’ you couldn’t blame ’em. The railroad was washed away for -ten miles back, an’ there wasn’t no other way to git out o’ town. Just -naturally folks took the way they was sure of, there bein’ nothin’ to -stay here for. There bein’ no strangers in town, the boys played poker -among themselves pretty constant, for there wasn’t nothin’ else to do -while the river was up, an’ after the first five weeks the entire cash -capital of the place was in the possession of two men. It was a case o’ -what the Good Book tells about when it says that him as has shall win, -and him that has nothin’ shall lose that which he seemeth to have. Jim -Harris and Pete Barlow won everything in sight, an’ there wasn’t another -man in town among the sporting set that had a dollar to his name. -’Course there was some of us taxpayers that didn’t play frequent, that -had money in the bank, but the sports was all flat broke ’xcept them -two. We was all looking for them to come together an’ for one of ’em to -eat the other up, but for some reason they didn’t, each bein’ more or -less afraid of the other as near as I c’d figger it. Pete an’ Ike was -good friends, but Jim Harris hated Ike like p’ison for reasons of his -own, an’ Ike like a good Christian was always lookin’ for a chance to -pile red-hot coals on him. - -“Well, just then some crossroads gambler from Mississippi come along the -river lookin’ for blood. He’d raked one or two other towns clean, an’ -just naturally arrove here with a wad bigger’n his head. He drifted -around the first day tryin’ to get acquainted, an’ some o’ the boys -spotted him, an’ lost no time in tellin’ our two capitalists about him -an’ his wad. Thar was some backin’ an’ fillin’, but the second day the -three come together right here in this room an’ after some talk got to -playin’ cards. The news got around an’ the room was tol’able nigh full -o’ the boys. All of ’em was pinin’ for the destruction o’ that stranger, -just for the sake of encouragin’ home talent, but there wasn’t many of -’em that cared whether Harris or Barlow’d git away with him, so long as -one of ’em should do the trick. Ike was here, o’ course. If he’d had -money enough to set into the game I s’pose he’d ha’ been in Little Rock, -but bein’ as there wasn’t no earthly probability o’ his bein’ wanted -here, he was just naturally here. But the dispensation o’ Providence is -very often mysterious an’ he turned out to be the chosen instrument o’ -heaven for the salvation of Arkansas City. - -“They played an’ played for six or seven hours, settin’ ’em up for the -house once in awhile by way of a kitty, but none of ’em gittin’ much -ahead. Just naturally the boys all stayed. I don’t never give ’em too -much credit when they’re broke, for fear of encouragin’ ’em in -pernicious habits, an’ they was a pretty dry lot. They was a-watchin’ -the game close, an’ stood around tol’able close, but o’ course not -crowdin’ the players. Ike stood a little behind Barlow, lookin’ over his -left shoulder, but o’ course sayin’ nothin’. We didn’t s’pose he could -see what cards was held, no more than the rest of us, for all three men -was playin’ close to their chests, as was natural. It seems, though, -that Ike has eyes consid’able better’n the average hawk, an’ he was -keepin’ tabs on the game right smart. - -“It come Jim Harris’s deal, an’ I noticed the stranger give a sort of a -little start as he watched the cards droppin’. Then he looked at his -hand an’ I see his face change just the least little. He seemed to -hesitate a little an’ then he reached into his pocket an’ pulled out his -gun, an’ laid it on the table alongside of his cards. ‘It’s kind of -uncomfortable settin’ on the end of it,’ he says with a little grin, -which we all understood well enough. Pete Barlow did, anyhow, for he -dropped his cards on the table almost before he had lifted them, and -flashed out his own gun. ‘That’s so. ’Tis uncomfortable,’ he says, as he -lays it on the table. Jim Harris, he warn’t far behind, an’ when he lays -out his weapon he says, ‘I might as well be in the fashion.’ - -“Just naturally we all understood what all that meant, but we warn’t any -of us expectin’ what followed. It were fairly amazin’. Ike reached over -in front o’ Pete Barlow an’ grabbed his pistol, sayin’ as he did so, -‘You look after your playin’, Pete. If there’s goin’ to be any shootin’ -done, I’ll shoot for you.’ - -“Now I reckon there couldn’t be no worse break made than that, an’ I -looked to see Pete break out in a blaze o’ wrath, but I was clean -flabbergasted when he looked up pleasant an’ smiled an’ said: ‘All -right, Ike.’ I was clean flabbergasted an’ I never understood the thing -at all till Ike explained it to me afterward. - -“‘You see Harris had boxed the cards,’ he says, ‘an’ the stranger seen -it. That’s why he pulled his gun. I seen that Pete had three tens an’ a -pair o’ aces, an’ I guessed the rest. Now, it was a clean plumb miracle, -but I happened to have a ten o’ clubs in my pocket o’ the same pattern -o’ cards. It was one of a pack that dropped in the water an’ I’d put it -in my pocket. I didn’t know why at the time, but now I can see it was -the will o’ heaven. I reached over an’ took the gun just for an excuse -to drop the card in Pete’s lap. He seen it an’ tumbled.’ - -“Well, that’s all there was to it. The stranger, he wouldn’t play the -hand, o’ course, but Harris havin’ four sevens, laid for Pete, who just -naturally stood pat an’ flashed four tens an’ an ace at the show down. -That let Harris out, an’ Pete swatted the stranger till he had to borrow -twenty to leave town with. An’ the credit of Arkansas City was saved.” - - - - -XIV - -IT WAS A GREAT DEAL - - -“One o’ the commonest failin’s o’ poor fallen humanity is a lack o’ -self-control,” said old man Greenhut, as he turned back from the door of -his tavern, out of which he had just thrown an unfortunate stranger, and -walked around to his place behind the bar rubbing and slapping his hands -together, as if to brush off some imaginary taint that might be supposed -to have attached to the stranger’s clothes. - -The stranger, who didn’t seem to be in good health, and was far from -being well dressed, had shuffled in a few moments before and walked up -to the stove with a deprecatory air, saying nothing to anybody and -warming himself in an apologetic fashion as if he realized that he had -no right to the heat and good cheer that radiated from the red-hot -sides of that comfortable piece of furniture. Nobody said anything to -him, and he coughed once or twice, timidly, before he ventured to walk -over to the bar and accost the old man. “Squire,” he said, “I am -half-sick, an’ I need a glass o’ liquor powerful bad, but I hain’t got -any money. Kin you trust me for a drink? I’ll pay ye for it, honest. I -hain’t never beat a man out of a cent in my life, an’ I’ll pay, sure. I -wouldn’t ask ye for it, on’y I’m reely sick.” - -The old man looked at him steadily while he was talking, but he answered -never a word. Slowly he reached under the bar and the stranger’s face -brightened up. He thought the old man was reaching for a bottle. After -hesitating a little the old man came out from behind the bar. Seizing -the unresisting stranger by the collar he rushed him violently to the -door, and half-threw and half-kicked him out. Then breaking the silence -for the first time since the stranger’s entrance, he delivered himself -of the reflections recorded above as he walked slowly back to his place. -He stood there for some minutes, evidently thinking of what he had -said, and then, business being slack for the moment, he relighted his -cigar and came out again to his favourite seat by the window. - -“Self-control,” he said, presently, “is God’s best gift to man. The -fellow that kin always control himself under all circumstances is the -one that’s goin’ to win the pot. Now take that ar shiftless bum that -just come in here an’ asked me to supply his necessities at my expense. -If he’d ’a’ had any self-control he never would have allowed hisself to -be mastered by an accursed longin’ for liquor without the price of it, -an’ if I hadn’t ’a’ had my self-control right along with me, like as not -I’d ’a’ let him have it. I’ve knowed men to do just such fool things. -An’ thar he’d ’a’ been saddled with a debt that he wouldn’t never ’a’ -paid, an’ I’d ’a’ been just that much out. - -“I’ve often thought that the Lord must ’a’ meant the game o’ poker as a -instrument o’ savin’ grace in the way o’ cultivatin’ those virtues -’thout which a man hain’t fit to live, nor yet capable o’ gettin’ on in -the world. Now poker’ll teach a man self-control better’n almost -anything else I know. You never seen a poker player what knowed the -first principles o’ the game, givin’ way to no weaknesses. - -“‘Minds me of a game I see played once on the old _River Belle_, comin’ -down the river just after the spring floods o’ ’76. There wa’n’t no such -games then as there used to be before the war, or even for a few years -after. I don’t know what the reason is, but poker don’t ’pear to be -respected, now, like it used to be. ’Pears like the risin’ generation -hain’t none o’ the moral stamina that folks had when I was younger. Call -poker immoral, I’ve heard tell, just as if ’twasn’t the greatest -educator an’ highest moral training known to civilization. - -“There was a good bit o’ money up in that game, for there was four o’ -the nerviest men I ever knowed in it, an’ every one of ’em was out for -blood. Two of ’em, Jim Waters an’ Abe Simpson, was St. Louis sports that -always travelled together. Jim Blivins was another. He come from -Memphis, but he’d kind o’ run hisself out o’ town an’ mostly travelled -the river. ’Twarn’t that he was crooked, partic’lar. He played as fair -as most of ’em did, an’ used to say that he never stacked the cards -’thouten he had reason to think that somebody else in the game was up to -the same sort o’ deviltry. But the truth was he played too strong a game -for the Memphis crowd, an’ it got so that nobody that knowed him would -play with him, so just naturally he had to seek for new pastures an’ -strange lambs. The fourth man was a feller I never seed afore, though I -come to know him well enough afterward. ’Twas George Dunning, a chap f’m -somewheres up in Iowa that had took to the river for business an’ -somehow had struck up a friendship with Blivins. They was playin’ -partners at the time, though I didn’t know it, an’ just naturally they -wasn’t a-shoutin’ it out from the housetops, the same bein’ the upper -deck in case of steamboats. Incidentally there was another feller in the -game. He was a cattle-dealer from Texas, Dunnigan by name, that had -just been up north sellin’ a slew o’ cattle, an’ was goin’ home with a -wad that wouldn’t fit comfortable in his inside pocket. - -“The other four was just naturally intendin’ to get hold o’ that wad, -but there was some difference of opinion amongst ’em about it. Waters -an’ Simpson was reckonin’ on takin’ it back to St. Louis with ’em, an’ -Blivins an’ Dunning was thinkin’ o’ gettin’ off at Memphis an’ dividin’ -up there. What Dunnigan was figurin’ on I don’t know, but I reckon he -expected to draw compound interest on his money durin’ the time he was -on the boat. - -“By the time we got below Cairo the game was goin’ on under a full head -o’ steam. The professionals was all well fixed for money an’ there -wasn’t no small stakes played for. Nothin’ was said about a limit, -neither, nor there warn’t no table stakes rules. It was just a case o’ -bettin’ anything you damn please, an’ either layin’ down or makin’ a -bigger bluff every time the other feller peeped. - -“White chips was a dollar, reds was five, an’ blues was fifty, makin’ a -tol’able stiff game even with chips, but they was a good many -hundred-dollar bills lyin’ on the table ’fore they’d been playin’ long, -an’ there was a feelin’ among them that was lookin’ on that bigger money -than that was liable to be flashed ’most any time. - -“It was reely surprisin’, seein’ that the game was that sort, an’ the -men playin’ was so much in earnest, that there was nothin’ decisive-like -in the fust day’s play. You’d ha’ thought that somebody’d gone broke -within a few hours, anyhow, but whether ’twas that they wasn’t in no -hurry, seein’ they had several days ahead of ’em, or whether ’twas that -they was too much for one another, I don’t know. Anyhow, they was -a-playin’ from about four o’clock in the evenin’ till after midnight, -an’ nobody was more’n five or six hundred dollars out that fust day. - -“You see they all played cautious. I’ve often noticed that when men are -playin’ in a real important game, with plenty o’ time to play in, -they’ll play a much more cautious game than they will if there’s only a -few dollars, or a few hundred in sight. Anyhow, I didn’t see no bet o’ -more than five hundred pushed up while I was lookin’ on, an’ that was -most o’ the time, an’ I didn’t see that called nor raised on’y once. -Blivins put up five hundred once on three queens, an’ Dunnigan, who had -drawed one card, raised him five hundred, so Blivins just naturally laid -down, seein’ ’twas a jack-pot an’ Dunnigan hadn’t opened when he had a -chance, but had raised once before the draw, showin’ he had hopes of a -flush or a straight. - -“Well, as I said, they played till about twelve o’clock an’ nobody was -hurt much. Then Dunnigan said he guessed he’d turn in, an’ nobody made -any objections, only they all seemed to understand they was to go on -with the game the next day. - -“I must say that there Dunnigan was a foxy player. He laid down his -cards a good many times that second day when an ordinary man would have -played ’em, provin’ conclusive that he knowed the game. You see he was -reely better off in the game than he would have been if the other -fellers hadn’t been watchin’ one another the way they was. Ef either two -of the four had drawed out o’ the game I don’t reckon he’d ha’ lasted -more’n perhaps an hour or so, though as I said, he understood the game -well enough, but just naturally he wasn’t on to the reely subtle -refinements o’ scientific manipulation, an’ any one o’ them four could -ha’ stacked cards on him without him knowin’ it. But the p’int was that -Waters an’ Simpson was watchin’ Blivins an’ Dunning with more anxiety -than a hen gives to a brood o’ ducklin’s, and Blivins an’ Dunning was -returnin’ the compliment most amazin’ earnest like. Nary a one of ’em -dasted to deal crooked, an’ as for tryin’ to ring in marked cards, any -such trick as that would ha’ just been suicide. - -“After some hours’ play the second day, though, all hands seemed to get -impatient. ’Twa’n’t that they played any less cautious, but they seemed -to be gettin’ on to one another’s play better an’ better all the time -an’ feelin’ as though they was justified in playin’ to the strength o’ -their hands more’n they had. I noticed they begun callin’ one another -once in awhile, an’ a call had been ruther a scarce thing before that. -Dunnigan was caught bluffin’ most outrageous once, on a busted flush, -but nobody even smiled. Blivins had called him on two pairs, an’ he -raked in a pot of near a thousand dollars just as if nothin’ had -happened. - -“All of a sudden came a most astonishin’ deal. I reckon it was honest -enough, for, as I said, they was a-watchin’ one another like cats, an’ -slick as they all was, there warn’t one of ’em but knowed the others -would catch him if he tried to deal crooked. So just naturally we had to -assume it was honest, anyway, although Dunning dealt the cards, an’ he -was one o’ the best manipulators I ever see. - -“What made it surprisin’ was that the cards had been a-runnin’ most -almighty slow up to that time, as they will sometimes for a long spell. -There had been a few good hands, o’ course, but there hadn’t been a -real struggle worth talkin’ about in all those hours o’ play. This -time, though, there was struggle enough to satisfy the most sanguinary. - -“Dunning dealt, as I said, an’ Waters had the age. He got four hearts -with the ace and king at the head. Blivins was next player an’ he caught -three queens. Dunnigan was next an’ he found kings and eights in his -hand. Simpson was next an’ he got four spades--little ones. An’ Dunning -dealt himself four ten-spots, pat. - -“That of itself was a tol’able noteworthy deal, but the draw was still -more astonishin’. They’d all come in as a matter o’ course, an Waters -had just naturally raised it a blue chip. That give Dunning a chance, -an’ he raised it a hundred dollars. I asked him a long time afterward -how ’twas he didn’t raise the first round, an’ he said he couldn’t -exactly say, on’y he had a sort o’ hunch that Waters would raise, as he -did, an’ so give him all the better show. Everybody stood this raise -also, and then they called for cards. - -“Waters got his fifth heart. Blivins caught the fourth queen. Dunnigan -made a king full, an’ Simpson got nothin’. Dunning, o’ course, drew a -dummy to his four tens. - -“If ever there was a kettle o’ fish that was. Blivins bet five hundred -on the go off, an’ Dunnigan raised him five hundred as a simple act o’ -Christian duty, havin’ a king full against one two-card and three -one-card draws, Simpson threw down his cards, havin’ no chance to do -anything else. Dunning just naturally put up a thousand dollars more, -an’ Waters was between the devil an’ the deep blue sea. - -“Just naturally he says to himself that Blivins an’ Dunning was -a-playin’ whipsaw an’ cal’latin’ to scare him out right away. Dunnigan -was the man he was after, same as the others was, an’ he reckoned he -could beat Dunnigan, but he didn’t see how he was goin’ to stand up -against the other two. Talk about your self-control. There was a man -that felt certain in his own mind that he had the winnin’ hand when he -reely had the poorest one in the game. He was low man for fair, but you -couldn’t ha’ made him think so just then. An’ ’twas sharper than a -serpent’s tooth to see the other two fellers gettin’ away with -Dunnigan’s money, as he could see they was likely to do. - -“What did he do? Why, he throwed down his cards o’ course, like a good -player as he was. He knowed that, although the chances was that he had -the best hand, he was goin’ to have to play that hand so high that the -three chances against him made it poor play to back it. An’ mind you, -’twarn’t honest play he was lookin’ for, but a whipsaw game by two men -with plenty of money an’ more nerve. - -“Blivins couldn’t do no less than raise it another thousand, an’ it was -up to Dunnigan to make the play of his life. He thought he was makin’ it -when he saw both raises an’ went two thousand better. I don’t know but -what I might ha’ done the same thing, but I’ve played poker now longer’n -I had then, an’ I’ve seen four of a kind out a good many times. ’Pears -to me like I’d ha’ sensed somethin’ o’ the sort when I see two good -players bettin’ like them two did, an’ one of ’em drawin’ two cards an’ -the other only one. - -“Anyhow, he raised, as I said, an’ then o’ course he was their cold -meat. All they had to do was to wait on one another, so Dunning he -raised an’ Blivins chipped along. Dunnigan naturally thought he had one -of ’em beat, an’ he raised again, hoping to scare the other one out. He -made his raise five thousand this time, as was entirely proper, seein’ -he’d made up his mind to bet, but he was considerable surprised when -Dunning fingered his roll an’ called for a show on two thousand, which -was all he had left, an’ then Blivins makes good an’ goes him five -thousand more. - -“That was a little more than poor fallen human nature could stand. Just -naturally he was certain that Blivins was bluffing, an’ havin’ more -money in his pocket than was reely good for him, he makes another bluff -hisself, havin’, as I say, parted entirely with his self-control. - -“Blivins was well fixed, too, though, an’ he comes back at him again, so -Dunnigan see it was plump foolishness to raise any more, an’ he called. -I’ve heerd people criticize his play, sayin’ that he’d either oughter -laid down or raised again, but I’m free to say that I don’t agree with -’em. A king full was good enough to call on, but nothin’ short of a -straight flush was good enough to raise on against Blivins’s play, -according to my notions. - -“I’ve heerd people say, too, that they didn’t believe Dunning dealt them -cards honest, but I seen the expression on his face when Blivins showed -down four queens against his four tens an’ raked the pot. If he warn’t -genuinely surprised I never see any one that was. - -“That broke up the game, for the cattle-dealer didn’t want to go plumb -broke an’ he dropped out, so there wern’t no use in prolongin’ the -struggle. But if ever a man had cause to be thankful for his -self-control, Jim Waters had when he laid down his ace flush.” - - - - -XV - -HE SAT IN WITH A V - - -“I hear a lot o’ talk,” said old man Greenhut, as he wiped up the bar -and set his bottles and glasses in order, “about modern progress an’ the -elevatin’ influences of eddication, an’ sich, but I’ll be everlastingly -hornswaggled if it don’t appear to me that young folks nowadays is sure -a degenerate lot. I don’t mean boys, for there can’t nobody tell what a -boy’s goin’ to turn out to be. I’ve seen reg’lar milksops that went to -Sunday school an’ wore neckties, or, mebbe, played with their sisters up -to the time they was seventeen or eighteen, turn all of a suddin like, -an’ develop into rip-roaring good citizens that could take their own -part in anything that came along from a poker party to a political -meetin’, an’ was a right down credit to the community. An’ similar I’ve -seen right lively youngsters o’ fifteen an’ sixteen, that was full o’ -ginger and gave every promise o’ bein’ husky citizens, take to foppish -ways by the time they was twenty, an’ go around smokin’ cigarettes. No, -there ain’t no tellin’ about boys. - -“What I mean,” continued the old man, as he came around to his favourite -seat by the window, “is the no-’count ways that the younger men of -to-day seem to be fallin’ into. Why, talkin’ about cigarettes, there’s -grown men smokes ’em now, just as shameless as if they was smokin’ -honest tobacco in a pipe. An’ I don’t mean dagos and creoles an’ sich, -but full-grown men. An’ what with temp’rance societies, an’ the women -tryin’ to vote an’ gettin’ the men to uphold ’em in it, the country -seems to be a-goin’ hell to breakfast cross lots an’ sideways. - -“You don’t see none o’ the old style o’ men scarcely. Forty year ago men -was different. They wasn’t afraid to drink four fingers to once o’ good -liquor, an’ a word meant a blow an’ a blow meant a shot. Consequences -was men was careful what they said, an’ was a heap sight more polite. -An’ they played a man’s game o’ poker in them days. Nowadays they tell -me the women is playin’ it, an’ it’s got to be a reg’lar parlour -amusement. - -“Sam Nichols was in here only the other night an’ somebody ast him to -take a hand in a little game that was goin’ on in the back room, an’ he -laughed an’ says: ‘No, I ain’t a-playin’ poker anywheres now ’ceptin’ at -home. My wife, she’s learned the game an’ some o’ the neighbours comes -in with their wives, an’ we plays ten-cent limit. You have all the fun -o’ poker an’ it don’t cost nothin’ to speak of.’ An’ Sam, he used to be -one o’ the stiffest players in Arkansas City. - -“Just naturally, I was disgusted for fair. ‘Yes, Sam,’ I says, ‘you can -have all the fun o’ poker if you leave out all there is in the game that -makes it worth playin’. Certainly you can. An’ you could have all the -fun of eatin’, too, if you was to take all your teeth out an’ gum it on -a piece o’ sponge. But you wouldn’t get no nourishment out of it, I -reckon. An’ similar, I’d like to know what sort o’ nutriment for a grown -man there is in a ten-cent limit game. You sure make me sick.’” - -The old man smoked in silence for a few minutes after he had got all -this out and then began to chuckle. “It wasn’t no ten-cent limit game -they was playin’ in here the night Park Halloway made his big haul,” he -said, still chuckling. “That was a grown man’s game. The boys had been a -little short o’ money for three or four weeks, an’ had got to playin’ a -table stakes game among themselves. You see there hadn’t been no -strangers in town since Three-finger Pete an’ his pal come in an’ done -up the crowd with some marked cards they’d had sent here ahead of ’em. - -“That was the slickest trick that was ever played on this community. -Didn’t you never hear of it? Why that was told all up an’ down the river -for years an’ years. It ’peared that Three-fingered Pete was special -sore on Arkansas City for doin’ him up bad the first time he come here, -an’ he swore he’d get even. So he waits a long time an’ he gets in with -a feller that dealt in cards wholesale. That feller was afterward shot, -but we never caught Pete. - -“Well, Pete managed to get a line on everybody in Arkansas City that -bought an’ sold cards. There was only three stores where they kept ’em, -an’ this feller that I’m tellin’ about sold to all three. Well, Pete, he -fixed up a set o’ marks entirely original an’ clever enough to fool the -devil himself, an’ for three whole years he marked every pack that came -to Arkansas City, so’s to be sure that no other kind o’ cards would be -in use in the town when he come. He was a good stayer, Pete was, an’ he -played a long game on this. - -“After he was plumb certain that there wasn’t no old stock left over in -town, he drifted in one day, an’ his pal followed next day. They was too -slick to come together, or to let on that they knowed each other. Well, -just naturally, when every pack o’ cards in town was marked, an’ only -two men knowed it, and both o’ them had been practisin’ on readin’ them -marks till they knowed the backs as well as they did the fronts, them -two men took away all the available cash capital there was in Arkansas -City. It was a rich haul, an’ everybody ’lowed that Pete was entitled to -great credit for the way he worked it, though just naturally we was all -pretty sore when we found it out, which we didn’t till Pete an’ the -other feller had got away to Mexico. - -“Well, as I was sayin’, the boys was a-gettin’ on the best way they -could after that cyclone, an’ playin’ mumbletypeg amongst themselves -with their odd change till some more strangers would come along an’ give -’em a chance to git their money back. An’ it had been goin’ on that way -for some weeks when it come that night I was tellin’ of, that Park -Halloway made his big play. - -“It was a dispensation o’ Providence, sure enough, that sent three -cotton factors up f’m New Orleans just at that time. They was comin’ up -to dicker with some o’ the planters for the next crop, there havin’ been -some difficulty in the market that had got a lot o’ planters -dissatisfied, and these new factors had all sorts o’ money with ’em. -They was stoppin’ over in Arkansas City to make some inquiries, an’ just -naturally they set into a little game while they was a-waitin’ for the -next boat. - -“Jim Farley an’ Dick Hackett had been playin’ with ’em for about a hour -when Halloway come in, an’ naturally they had accumulated some wealth, -so that the game was pretty healthy. It was table stakes, but there -wasn’t one o’ the five that didn’t have over a hundred in front of him, -so when Halloway come in an’ ast if he c’d have a hand we was some -surprised. He’d been as near broke as anybody in town since Pete’s raid, -an’ it didn’t seem likely that he had money enough to set in with. - -“So when he ast to set in, Hackett looked up a little doubtful an’ says, -‘Why, cert’nly, Park, but we’re playin’ table stakes,’ an’ he looked -around at the money then in sight as much as to say, ‘That sort o’ lets -you out, don’t it?’ - -“But Halloway, he grinned an’ says, ‘That’s the on’y game where I could -get a show for my money, I reckon,’ an’ he sets down an’ flashes a -five-dollar bill as sassy as you please. ‘I’ll make it as quick play as -I can,’ he says, still grinnin’, an’ they all laughed an’ pushed him -over five white chips. - -“Well, it was his age an’ he antes a white chip as the others had been -doin’ an’ let his cards lay face down till they’d all come in. Then, -still without lookin’ at his cards, he made his ante good an’ shoved up -the other three. One o’ the factors sat next an’ he saw. Then Hackett -raised it five on the side, Halloway havin’, o’ course, a show for his -money. The other two factors, Davis and Allen their names was, they was -lookin’ for trouble, so they come in, an’ Farley, settin’ next, h’isted -it ten dollars. - -“Course, Halloway hadn’t nothin’ to say, an’ Smith, the first factor, he -laid down. So did Hackett an’ Davis, but Allen come back with ten more, -an’ Farley called it. Then Davis showed an ace high straight an’ Farley -a small flush. Halloway waited till they was through, an’ then he -turned his cards over. They was a ten full on sixes. - -“That sort o’ gave him a footin’ in the game, for he had, o’ course, -thirty dollars instead o’ five, an’ while Hackett was ten dollars out, -Farley had won thirty dollars. The strangers was flush, anyhow, an’ they -wasn’t a mite disturbed. - -“It was Halloway’s deal next, an’ when it come his turn to see the ante -he threw his cards away without lookin’ at ’em. ‘I’ll bet the next -hand,’ he says, ‘same as I did the last, an’ I’d ruther not do it on my -own deal.’ So they played that hand without him, an’ Hackett won it, -with about forty dollars in the pot. - -“Sure enough, in the next deal, Halloway shoved his thirty dollars in -the pot without looking at his hand. Just naturally nobody thought he’d -win again, so they bet as if he wasn’t in the game. Smith an’ Farley -laid down, but Hackett an’ Davis raised back an’ forth till Hackett -called for a show for his money. Allen stood one raise, but laid down on -the second. - -“Then came another surprise. Davis had three queens, Hackett had three -kings, an’ Halloway had three aces. He won ninety dollars on that deal, -an’ Hackett won something like a hundred an’ fifty. - -“When the cards was dealt next time there was a jack-pot, for they was -a-playin’ with a buck an’ Hackett had it. They made it a five-dollar -jack, an’ Davis an’ Allen an’ Farley passed. That brung it up to -Halloway an’ he opened it for twenty-five dollars. Smith an’ Hackett -come in, Davis raised it fifty, Allen an’ Farley come in, an’ Halloway -shoved up all he had which was forty dollars more. An’ once more they -all come in. I don’t remember that I ever see anything just like it -afore, but each man of the six drawed one card an’ not one of ’em -bettered his hand. Davis was raisin’ on a four straight flush, king -high, an’, of course, wanted to play it as hard as he could, but the -others was drawin’ to four straights an’ four flushes exceptin’ -Halloway, an’ he had aces up. - -“Then he was in the game with all four feet, for he’d won more’n seven -hundred dollars off’n his V-spot in three deals. We was all struck, but -Park on’y grinned an’ says, quiet like, ‘’Pears as though I’d struck my -gait, don’t it?’ which it sure did. - -That warn’t the end of it, though, for on the next deal, Allen having -the age, an’ Farley comin’ in, Halloway simply made good with his little -two dollars, waitin’, as it appeared, for somebody else to raise. It was -good play, too, for when it come Smith’s turn he raised it ten dollars. -The others all come in, an’ Halloway raised it twenty-five. This kind o’ -staggered ’em, an’ Hackett an’ Farley, knowin’ Halloway as well as they -did, laid down, but the strangers all thought he was bluffin’ on the -stren’th of his run o’ luck, an’ all three of ’em made good. Allen drew -three cards to a pair of aces. Halloway drew one, holdin’ a kicker to -three sevens, Smith drew two to three jacks, an’ Davis, who was dealing, -drew one to a four flush. - -Allen got his third ace. Halloway got his fourth seven. Smith didn’t -better, an’ Davis filled his flush, so if ever the Lord was good to a -man, He cert’nly was good to Halloway. It was his first bet, Farley -havin’ passed out, an’ he put up fifty dollars. Smith came in, figgerin’ -that some one else’d raise, which Davis did for fifty dollars more. -Allen studied on his three aces for awhile an’ then come in. I don’t -know what sort of poker he thought he was playin’, but I reckon he -thought Halloway an’ Davis was both bluffin’. Just naturally Halloway -come back with a hundred more, an’ Smith an’ Allen laid down, Davis -callin’. That made seven hundred and ten dollars in the pot, of which -four hundred and seventy-three dollars went to his profit an’ loss -account, makin’ his winnin’s up to this time one thousand one hundred -and eighty-eight dollars, which was doin’ well for a five-dollar bill in -four pots. - -By this time the others was all proper astonished, an’ Davis showed a -little temper. He’d been hit pretty hard three times an’ was aggravated, -but Halloway never said nothin’. On’y just set there an’ grinned, an’ -once more the lightnin’ struck in the same place. It was a short game -an’ a tol’able warm one. - -The next deal was Davis’s, an’ as Halloway had the first say he come in -without lookin’ at his cards. The next two men come in, an’ Davis raised -it fifty. That showed, o’ course, that he was lookin’ for fight, for -there wa’n’t but seven dollars in the pot up to then, an’ nobody had -showed any stren’th. Allen an’ Farley looked over their cards pretty -careful, an’ findin’ no encouragement they dropped. - -Then Halloway picked up his cards an’ skint ’em down slow. The luck was -still with him, for he had four treys. He was a cool player, though, an’ -pretended to be studyin’ the cards, while he was really studyin’ how to -play Davis good and hard again. He knowed it was no good to think about -the others, for they wouldn’t be likely to stand Davis’s raise, let -alone his, if he should raise back. So he thought awhile an’ then raised -it a hundred. - -That made Davis madder’n ever. ‘You can’t bluff me that way,’ he says, -very nasty, an’ as the other two laid down, he come back with two -hundred more. Then, o’ course, Halloway had him. He looked more serious -than ever for awhile, and finally he says, ‘Well, I reckon I’ll draw one -card,’ shovin’ up his two hundred as he spoke. - -He let the card lay as it was dealt to him, an’ Davis, havin’ a pat -flush, o’ course, drew none. Halloway looked at him for a minute, as if -tryin’ to study out whether he was bluffin’ or not, an’ finally says: -‘Well, I’ll bet you five hundred, anyway.’ - -‘An’ I’ll raise you a thousand,’ said Davis, with some sort o’ French -swearin’ that I reckon he must ha’ brought f’m New Orleans, f’r I never -heerd anything like it around here. - -Halloway grinned again, an’ he says: ‘I’m sorry I can’t see your -thousand, but I’ll call for a show for what I have, an’ I reckon my -cards is good.’ An’ he showed down his four treys. - -Well, that broke up the game. Davis was too mad to play any more, an’ -his pals see that it was foolish for them to stack up against any such -luck as Halloway was settin’ in. But it was a monstrous good game while -it lasted. I never seen five dollars grow to two thousand three hundred -and eighty-six quite so quick, afore nor since.” - - - - -XVI - -HIS QUEER SYSTEM - - -“‘Tain’t a matter of record,” said old man Greenhut, with a reminiscent -look in his eye, “that any stranger has ever come to Arkansas City with -any notion o’ doin’ up the town what got away with the proposition an’ -any consid’able remnant o’ the wad he had with him when he arrove. The -citizens o’ this town is mostly capable men, what is well qualified to -drink red liquor straight an’ set into ’most any sort of a game without -drawin’ weepons, ’less there’s some provocations, an’ when it comes to -draw-poker it’s universally acknowledged up an’ down the river that -there ain’t no superior game played anywhere. The galoot that comes here -with a notion in his nut o’ makin’ a everlastin’ fortune out o’ such -hands as a merciful Providence may allow him to hold in two or three -nights’ play is gen’ly considered to be runnin’ in great luck if he gets -out o’ town without havin’ a subscription took up for his benefit about -the time the next boat ties up. - -There has been a good many times, true enough, when things looked -doubtful. Players has come that had new wrinkles in the way o’ holdin’ -out, or stackin’ the cards, or some new system o’ play that puzzled the -boys for awhile. An’ there’s been some come that sure knowed the game -an’ played it almighty skilful. But none of ’em, as I said, ever reely -got away with the proposition. - -There was one feller, though, that showed up here about six years ago, -that come monstrous near breakin’ the record. That is to say, if he’d -have understood the first principles o’ poker he’d ha’ busted the town -wide open, an’ the mortifyin’ thing about it was ’twas poker he was -playin’. That is, ’twas called poker, an’ he sure did win, but the way -he played it was one o’ the seven wonders o’ the world. We talked about -it quite some, after he left, an’ the unanimous verdict was that if he -ha’ knowed what he was doin’ an’ how to do it, he’d ha’ just -everlastin’ly skint the entire crowd out o’ what money there was, -instead o’ comin’ out consid’able ahead, an’ him not knowin’ just how he -done it or what he’d done. It sure were bewilderin’, an’ well cal’lated -to make a man lose his faith in Providence, ’thout he was one that stuck -to his religion spite of anything. - -The puzzlin’ thing about it were that the feller seemed to be playin’ -poker all the time, an’ the rest o’ the party was playin’ it for all -they knew, but he were either playin’ on a system that was entirely -unbeknownst to everybody in this part o’ the world, or else he were that -outrageous ignorant o’ first principles as would disgrace a half-grown -boy. An’ yet he won! Some of ’em was inclined to think at first that it -were a new system, an’ there was a good deal o’ speculation on how it -would work, played constant, but nobody had the nerve to try it, seein’ -it were plumb contrary to all science as poker is understood, an’ they -couldn’t get up that child-like confidence in heaven’s mercy that would -lead ’em to look for over-whelmin’ luck in the matter o’ cards at the -critical moments o’ the game. - -The way of it was this. He just landed from the boat one day an’ walked -up the levee a bit, lookin’ round, an’ sayin’ nothin’ to nobody. There -didn’t seem to be no reason for anybody to pay attention to him, an’ -consequent nobody did, for he wa’n’t a man that looked like a sport, nor -yet a business man. Just ’peared to have got out f’m somewheres an’ -didn’t know his way back. After he looked round a spell, he sort o’ -drifted in to the hotel an’ wrote his name, absent-minded like, on the -register, an’ said ‘Yes’ when the proprietor ast him if he wanted a -room. Then he just sat round for a day or two, sayin’ nothin’ to nobody -all the time. Didn’t appear to have ambition enough to eat his meals, -for he’d wait till everybody else was most through ’fore he’d go into -the dinin’-room. An’ even when he took a drink, which wa’n’t often, he -did it all alone without seemin’ to take no interest in it. - -“‘Long about the third day he began takin’ short walks, an’ bimeby he -got as far as to come in here an’ look ’round. Seein’ the bar, he called -for some red liquor an’ drank it, an’ then seein’ a chair he sot down. -There hadn’t been much doin’ for a week or two, an’ I says to Jake -Winterbottom that it mought be a good idea to start a game o’ poker. -‘This here stranger,’ I says, ‘don’t look as if he knowed one card from -another, but ’tain’t likely he’s quite as simple as he looks, an’ -mebbe,’ I says, ‘you might get him into the game. Don’t make it too -stiff right away,’ I says, ’an’ who knows but you might get a small -stake out of him? ’Tain’t very promisin’,’ I says, ‘but some men is like -crooked cattle. There’s more meat on ’em than they looks.’ - -Well, Jake, he didn’t think there was nothin’ doin’. He looked the -stranger over an’ sort o’ turned up his nose, but things was quiet, an’ -finally he says: ‘I don’t reckon he’s got fifty dollars in the world, -an’ if we win that we’ll only have to chip in an’ send him away. There -ain’t the makings of a citizen into him, no way I can figure it, an’ we -don’t want him settin’ around for ever. But we might take a shy at it, -just to pass the time.’ - -“So him an’ Sam Blaisdell an’ George Bascom kind o’ got together an’ -played a few hands, thinkin’ the stranger might show some interest an’ -propose to join the game, but he never stirred. Just sot still an’ -chawed his tobacco, like he didn’t give a cuss for nothin’. So finally -Bascom he spoke up an’ says: ‘This is pretty slow playin’ three-handed. -We’d oughter have somebody else in the game,’ an’ they waited a minute -to see if that would catch him, but he never even looked round. So -Winterbottom says: ‘Wouldn’t you like to play?’ an’ the stranger he -says: ‘Yes,’ just the same absent-minded-like way he’d spoke to the -hotel proprietor, an’ he went over an’ sot in. I sold him ten dollars’ -o’ chips, an’ they dealt him cards. It were a table stakes game, an’ -each man had put up ten. - -“The stranger, he talked like a Yankee an’ looked like a Frenchman, but -his name on the hotel register was Dennis McCarthy, an’ for all the -interest he showed in the cards after he got ’em he might have been a -Chinee. He just put up when it come his turn, an’ drawed cards every -time, but he never made a bet till his ten was all gone, an’ then he -bought ten more as calm an’ collected as a knot-hole in a board fence. - -“Well, we played along, if you can call it playing poker, just like that -until his third ten-spot was gone, an’ he bought ten more worth o’ -chips. Then he caught a hand that seemed to interest him some, for he -studied it a long time after Bascom had bet ten on his cards before he -said anything. Then he said, ‘I call,’ an’ shoved a ten-dollar bill into -the pot. They showed down an’ the stranger had a pair o’ queens. Bascom, -he had three sevens, so he raked the pot, o’ course, for Winterbottom -an’ Blaisdell had passed out. - -“Well, that there McCarthy, if his name was McCarthy, just sat there and -called every bet that was made after that for three-quarters of an hour. -I never see such a thing before nor since. ’Peared like he’d on’y just -found out that he could call, an’ he’d been playin’ along afore that on -the idee that all the other feller had to do to win the pot was to make -a bet, an’ as if he’d got in his head that callin’ was all he was ’lowed -to do under the rules. Whatever his fool notion was, I don’t p’tend to -say, but that’s just what he did. Just called every time it come to him. - -“Just naturally that looked easy, an’ I will say for the boys that they -didn’t try to play it low down on him for a good while. All they did was -to wait for a pretty strong hand an’ then bet it for what it was worth -an’ wait for a call. As there was three o’ them to one o’ him, they -naturally outheld him as a rule, but somehow or other he managed to -scoop a pot just about often enough to keep him even. He’d bought -twenty-five dollars after he lost his first fifty, so there was over a -hundred on the table. The boys wasn’t pushin’ him very hard, so they -only bet fives an’ tens, an’ once in awhile he’d show down the best hand -an’ scoop a pot. An’ bimeby we was all surprised to see he was gettin’ -ahead. Still, ’twa’n’t no game to speak about. They’d all got the idee’t -he hadn’t got much of a wad, an’ they was playin’ more for the fun o’ -the thing than to do him up. - -“Pretty soon Blaisdell he caught a four-flush in a jack-pot an’ the -stranger he opened it. Blaisdell stayed an’ the others dropped out. They -each drawed one card an’ the stranger he bet ten. Blaisdell looked at -his draw an’ found he’d filled a ace flush, so he raised it for his -pile, which was thirty dollars, an’ the stranger called. He showed down -a full house an’ Blaisdell had to go diggin’. - -“Next hand Bascom opened the jack on a pat straight, an’ the stranger he -come in an’ drawed one card. The others stayed out an’ Bascom bet his -pile, which was twenty odd, an’ the stranger he called an’ showed down a -flush, so Bascom was obliged to dig. - -“Then ’twas Winterbottom’s turn, as it happened, an’ he opened it on -threes. They was playin’ a jack again on account o’ the hands showed, -an’ I’m blamed if the same thing didn’t happen. The stranger he come in -an’ drawed two cards. Winterbottom bet his pile, havin’ three queens. -The other two dropped out an’ the stranger he called an’ showed three -kings. - -“It looked like a most amazin’ run o’ luck, but the stranger never -turned a hair. He did call for the drinks all round, as a sort o’ -reco’nition, but he sot as calm as ever, waitin’ for his cards, an’ -lookin’ as if he didn’t know what to do with ’em when they come. The -others had bought fifty apiece when they come back, so there was money -enough on the table to make it worth while, an’ the play got stronger. -First, Winterbottom he bet twenty on two pairs an’ the stranger called -on one pair. Then Bascom he bet ten on a pair o’ queens an’ the stranger -called on ace high. Then Blaisdell bet twenty-five on three jacks, -Bascom saw it on aces up, Winterbottom stayed out, havin’ nothin’, an’ -the stranger called on a nine-high straight. No matter what he held he -wouldn’t raise. - -“Blaisdell kind o’ got huffy this time, an’ seein’ the stranger was -still pretty well to the good, he began cussin’ a little an’ proposed -to take off the limit. The others said they was willin’, an’ they ast -McCarthy if he was, an’ he said ‘Yes.’ Blamed if it didn’t ’pear like -‘yes’ was ’most the only word he knowed in the language. - -“Well, the bets was heavier after that, an’ the stranger lost what he -had in front of him in the next three pots, callin’ on the most -ridiculousest hands you ever see, but he stayed right along in for the -next deal, so they knowed he must have more money in his clothes. It -were his first say, Bascom havin’ the age, an’ he dug out two silver -dollars an’ come in, the ante bein’ a dollar. The others stayed, an’ -McCarthy drawed three cards. When it come to the bettin’, he bet a -dollar, an’ Winterbottom put up fifty, havin’ filled a flush. Blaisdell -dropped out an’ Bascom raised it fifty. McCarthy never said a word, but -he pulled out his wallet an’ fished up a hundred-dollar bill. -Winterbottom raised it fifty an’ Bascom raised it fifty more, an’ the -stranger laid down another hundred. - -“It looked like his finish there, for sure, for o’ course nobody thought -he had much of a hand, an’ the boys thought all they had to do was to -keep raisin’. They knowed he’d keep callin’, for he hadn’t done nothin’ -else for nigh an hour, an’ all they had to do was to keep up the -crisscross an’ whipsaw him out of his pile. ’Twa’n’t certain whether -Bascom or Winterbottom would win, but one of ’em was sure to, an’ the -money would stay right here. - -“Well, they kep’ it up for five minutes, I reckon, till Bascom come to -the end of his wad. He on’y had six or seven hundred in his clothes an’ -Winterbottom wasn’t much stronger. It didn’t look worth while for Bascom -to send for more money, for the stranger’s pocketbook was empty an’ he’d -fished out his last hundred from one of his pockets, so Bascom just made -good when Winterbottom raised, an’ the stranger got his chance to call, -nobody supposin’ that he had more’n perhaps three of a kind, an’ likely -not that, he havin’ called on every hand he held whether ’twas good for -anything or not. - -“It were a fatal mistake, an’ Bascom seen it as soon as he’d done it, -for the stranger dug again an’ flashed up a thousand-dollar bill. ’Stead -o’ raisin’ Winterbottom, as any other player on earth would ha’ done, he -just done his fool act over again an’ called. Then he showed down four -deuces an’ scooped in the pot as cool as if ’twas eight dollars instead -of a little over two thousand. - -“Bascom sort o’ gasped, for he seen what a mistake he’d made, but -Winterbottom, he realized that somethin’ had to be did quick, an’ he -reached out with one hand for the money. ‘You never got them deuces -honest,’ he says, pullin’ his gun, o’ course, as he spoke. He knowed it -meant fight, but he wasn’t lookin’ no more than any of us for the kind -of a fight that came. - -“McCarthy, he was quicker than chain-lightnin’, an’ reachin’ over with -one hand he grabbed Winterbottom’s gun while he put the money in his -pocket with the other. Then, with a queer sort o’ a twist, he wrenched -the gun out o’ Winterbottom’s hand and threw it plumb through the - -[Illustration: “‘WITH ONE HAND HE GRABBED WINTERBOTTOM’S GUN WHILE HE -PUT THE MONEY IN HIS POCKET WITH THE OTHER.’”] - -window. We was all standin’ ready to see that Winterbottom had fair -play, not considerin’ it etiquette to interfere unless he should get the -worst of it, but, Lord bless you, he hadn’t no show at all. The stranger -he just rose out of his chair an’ give a leap like a buckin’ bronco -clean over the table. He come down with both heels on Winterbottom’s -chest, an’ Winterbottom was out of it. Blaisdell an’ Bascom both drawed -on the instant, but ’twa’n’t no use. That stranger was all over the room -at once, swattin’ Bascom behind the ear with his fist an’ kickin’ -Blaisdell under the chin at the same time. I didn’t think it was worth -while to take a hand myself, seein’ how things was goin’, an’ bein’ some -in years, so I stepped behind the bar an’ waited. - -“Well, them three men tried for a minit or so to get up, but they -couldn’t. McCarthy was on top o’ the whole of ’em as fast as they moved, -an’ he had ’em all whipped in less time than it takes to tell it. I -heerd afterward that he’d lived in Paris some, an’ had learned some -outrageous foreign way o’ boxin’ with his feet that no Christian c’d -ever stand up against. They all give in after a little, an’ I didn’t -blame ’em, havin’ seen for myself what the stranger c’d do. - -“Well, that was the end of it. The stranger he walked out after the -scrimmage was over, lookin’ as cool as ever. He looked back when he got -to the door an’ says, ‘Good night. See you again.’ But we never did. He -left town the next mornin’ on an early boat. I’ve often thought, though, -that it were a merciful dispensation that he didn’t know enough poker to -raise instead o’ callin’.” - - - - -XVII - -AN EXTRA ACE - - -“Speakin’ by an’ large,” said old man Greenhut, as he bit off the end of -a fresh cigar and settled himself in his favourite seat at the window, -“there ain’t no question but what the game o’ draw-poker is about as -nigh perfect as anything that was ever devised by the mind o’ man, an’ -developed by the constant study o’ countless generations. They say there -ain’t no record o’ poker bein’ played in former ages, an’ that faro was -played hundreds of thousands of years ago, when a feller named Faro was -King of Egypt, but it stands to reason there ain’t no truth in that. -Like enough faro is a old game. I ain’t a-sayin’ nothin’ against faro. -It suits them that likes it, but it’s gamblin’, an’ naturally it belongs -to the heathen that started it. - -“But poker’s teetotally different. No such system as that of draw-poker -ever growed up in a night like Jonah’s gourd, nor it wa’n’t put together -by no single set o’ fellers. Stands to reason it’s the crownin’ -development of all the civilization the world ever seen. An’ it don’t -seem likely, now that the straight an’ the straight flush has been -discovered, an’ universally recognized, that there’s ever goin’ to be no -changes into the game. It’s perfect as it is, an’ there ain’t no chanst -o’ makin’ it any more perfect. - -“An’ yet there is times when even the best players is obliged to rely on -outside influences to help ’em out o’ some great emergency o’ the game. -That ain’t no fault o’ the game, for as I said, the game is all right, -but it goes to show that a man as relies on on’y one thing is goin’ to -get left when he stacks up against some feller that relies on the same -thing an’ has something else up his sleeve besides. An’ that there -somethin’ else is got to be more’n a knowledge o’ cards. - -“O’ course if a man reely understands the game as he’d oughter, an’ can -handle the cards so’s to give himself what he needs in the draw when it -comes to a desprit struggle between him an’ the other feller, an’ can -read the backs o’ the cards well enough to have a good general idee o’ -what the other feller is holdin’, why he can worry along under ordinary -circumstances so’s he can hold his own most o’ the time, an’ make enough -over from time to time to pay his livin’ expenses. But that’s all a part -o’ draw-poker, same as it’s a part o’ the game not to be found out when -you’re obliged to change the natural order o’ the cards. There is folks -that has prejudices against them things, an’ if a man is clumsy enough -to get found out, why, o’ course he’s goin’ to get hisself in more or -less trouble, but I maintain so long as they’re done slick enough to not -be seen, they are as legitimate as anything else in draw-poker. That’s -the way Arkansas City has come to have the reputation it has. There’s -some o’ the slickest players on the river right there in that town, an’ -nobody has ever caught ’em usin’ marked cards, or holdin’ out, or -dealin’ out o’ the middle or off’n the bottom of the deck. - -“But what I mean about outside influences is entirely different. There -comes a time, sometimes, when a man is obliged to think quick an’ act -quick in order to keep some unscrupulous stranger from sweepin’ away all -his hard-earned winnin’s in one fell pot. At such times even a thorough -knowledge o’ poker ain’t a goin’ to save a man thouten he’s quick enough -to think an’ has sand enough to act on the instant. - -“There was an instance o’ that in Arkansas City the time when Hank -Fairfax an’ his side-partner, Billy Overton, come up here from Vicksburg -to do up the town, an’ come so near doin’ it. It were a great night, an’ -on’y for Sam Pearsall’s presence o’ mind an’ prompt action I reckon we’d -ha’ lost prestige right then an’ there. - -“There couldn’t no one find fault with Hank an’ his partner, for they -come in like men an’ said, open an’ above board, just what they’d come -for. Hank put it kind o’ brutal, but he was fair an’ square about it. He -said: ‘We Vicksburg sports is plumb tired hearin’ about Arkansas City -poker, an’ Billy an’ I has come to give you jays a few lessons on how -the game reely ought to be played. If any of you has the sand to play up -against the real thing, now’s your time, but this ain’t no crossroads -proposition. We are out for the stuff an’ we propose to carry it back -with us.’ - -“Well, you know there ain’t nobody from nowhere that can let out a yawp -like that in Arkansas City without bein’ took up sudden. ’Twa’n’t eight -minutes by the clock after he’d peeped, afore him an’ Billy an’ Sam -Pearsall an’ Jake Winterbottom an’ Joe Bassett was sittin’ ’round the -table countin’ out their chips. They each put up a thousand an’ made it -a table stakes game. ‘We didn’t come here to play old maid,’ said Billy, -when somebody asked what the game should be. ‘Let’s have somethin’ worth -playin’ for,’ he says, an’ they was all agreed. - -“Well, just naturally they all played right up under their collar -buttons at first, bein’ anxious to get on to one another’s play. There -hadn’t none of our boys even played with Fairfax, but they all knowed -him by reputation as one o’ the slickest players in Mississippi, an’ -they wa’n’t takin’ no chances on his deal. Overton we didn’t none of us -know much about, ’ceptin’ he had the name o’ bein’ a cool hand in a -quarrel and a bad man in a fight. We knowed he played poker, course, -just as everybody does, but we hadn’t heard o’ his bein’ counted no -crack player, such as Hank would be sure to have with him, an’ we was a -little slow, too, about sizin’ him up, not knowin’ what his particular -graft might be. - -“Bein’ for them reasons a trifle more cautious than usual, the boys, as -I said, was slow about startin’ in, an’ any way the cards ran small for -awhile, but all of a sudden there was somethin’ doin’ on Winterbottom’s -deal. It was a jack-pot with thirty dollars in it, an’ Hank havin’ first -say, opened it for thirty. Pearsall, he came next an’ he come in. -Bassett was the next player an’ he raised it thirty. Overton made it -thirty more and Winterbottom h’isted it fifty. Fairfax raised it a -hundred an’ Pearsall says: ‘I didn’t want to raise it the first time -round for fear o’ scarin’ some of ye out, but as long as I’ve got you -all hooked,’ he says, ‘it’ll cost ye two hundred more to draw cards.’ - -“Just naturally I was lookin’ for some of ’em to drop out after that -kind o’ play, but every one of ’em stayed. There wa’n’t no more raisin’ -done. I reckon they all thought four hundred an’ forty dollars apiece -was enough to put up before the draw, which sure it was in a game o’ -that size. - -“When it come to the draw there was another surprise. Every man at the -table stood pat. Well, just naturally it were pretty thin ice to dance -on, an’ nobody seemed to know for a minute or two just how to bet, -havin’ nothin’ to guide him but his own hand and the fact that there was -four pat hands out against it. - -“Fairfax, o’ course, knowed just what to do. He put up a white chip. -There was no doubt about his havin’ a chance to play later, an’ he were -easy. Pearsall studied a bit, but finally he decided to wait, too, -havin’ declared hisself before the draw, so he chipped along. Bassett -wasn’t raisin’, neither, for he knowed Pearsall’s play pretty well, an’ -havin’ only a small flush he didn’t feel strong, so he chipped along. - -“That brought it up to Overton again, an’ he, thinkin’, I reckon, that -it was up to him to help Fairfax along whether his own hand was good or -not, put up a hundred dollars. It were a queer bet, but I sized it up -for the beginnin’ of a seesaw in case Fairfax should want one. That -might not ha’ been what was in his mind, but I reckon ’twa’n’t far out -o’ the way. - -“Winterbottom seen the raise. He were lookin’ for more developments, an’ -he wa’n’t ready to play his hand very strong till he found out what was -doin’. It were extra cautious play all round, with the advantage lyin’ -between Fairfax an’ Pearsall, but mostly on Pearsall’s side. - -“Fairfax put up two hundred an’ I seen he were ready for a seesaw. I -don’t know what might ha’ happened if there’d been more money on the -table, but Pearsall saw his opportunity an’ grabbed it. He counted his -chips an’ findin’ six hundred in front of him, threw it all in the pot. - -“Bassett throwed down his flush like a man, an’ Overton called for a -show for his pile, which wa’n’t quite big enough for a call. That put it -up to Winterbottom, an’ he skinned his hand over again, thinkin’ mighty -hard. He had a full hand an’ money enough to raise. An’ more than that, -he’d dealt the cards hisself, so he wa’n’t worried none on that account, -but finally he just made good. He said to me afterward, ‘I would ha’ -raised,’ he says, ‘but I reckoned Fairfax was goin’ to raise again, an’ -the others was all in, so I gave him the chance.’ - -“But Fairfax was as rattled as the rest of ’em was, an’ he only called. -Then it come out that there was two flushes an’ two fulls in the game, -not reckonin’ the flush that Bassett had throwed down. Winterbottom’s -flush beat Overton’s, bein’ ace high, an’ Pearsall’s ace full o’ course -beat Fairfax’s jack full. - -“It were a body blow for fair. Fairfax an’ Overton seen they’d -overplayed their hands, an’ they was sore enough to make a beef about -it, on’y they knowed it were too late. There wa’n’t nothin’ to say, -’thouten they’d kicked on Jake’s dealin’, an’ they couldn’t do that -after they’d played the hand an’ lost. The on’y thing they c’d do was to -quit or put up again. They wa’n’t quittin’, so they put up another -thousand apiece an’ played along. Bassett had chips left an’ Pearsall -was on velvet. - -“There wa’n’t no heavy play again right away, but luck run to the -Vicksburg fellers for awhile, so’s’t they picked up a few hundred in the -next half-hour, mostly on pots they raked in without a call. Our boys -was playin’ as careful as they was an’ was layin’ for a chanst at ’em. - -“Bimeby then comes a hand where Fairfax an’ Bassett did some crisscross -business. Bassett had been playin’ close f’m the first, an’ he had -pretty near all o’ his original wad left, spite o’ what he’d lost on -that flush, so when he caught three deuces on Pearsall’s deal an’ it -were a jack-pot that had been pretty well fattened, he just opened it -for fifty without much fear o’ the consequences. All the others laid -down except Fairfax, an’ he come in on a pair of aces. He took three -cards, but Bassett only drawed one. ’Twa’n’t extry good play, for his -threes wa’n’t big enough to play ’em very strong ’thouten he was goin’ -to bluff, an’ he might better ha’ drawed two cards, relyin’ on Fairfax -thinkin’ his threes was bigger’n they was, but luck was with him in the -draw ’n’ he catched the other deuce. - -“Just naturally he felt good, an’ thinkin’ mebbe Fairfax might ha’ -bettered an’ might raise, he throwed in a chip. - -“Fairfax fumbled his cards a minute afore he picked ’em up. I don’t know -whether he were a-studyin’ or whether it were a accident, but everybody -noticed it, an’ it were lucky they did, as things turned out. But when -he did pick up his hands he smiled a bit an’ throwed two fifty in the -pot. - -“That were just what Bassett were looking for, an’ he shoved all his -chips to the centre o’ the table without countin’ ’em. O’ course Fairfax -couldn’t raise no more; but he counted up, an’ findin’ it took six -hundred to call, he called. - -“Bassett showed down his four deuces an’ says: ‘I reckon that’s good,’ -an’ he reached for the pot, but Fairfax says, ‘Hold on. That’s a pretty -good hand, but aces’ll beat it if you have enough of ’em,’ and he showed -down four aces. - -“Right there was when Sam Pearsall showed his resources. O’ course, so -fur as poker goes, that is, so fur as the reglar game goes, Fairfax won -the pot all right, but, as I was sayin’, there is things outside o’ the -reglar game that a man can rely on in a emergency if he’s quick to think -an’ quick to act, an’ Sam were always as quick as a cat. - -“I don’t know how it happened that Sam had a ace o’ diamonds hid away -somewheres, but they’d changed the deck several times, an’ I reckon he -must ha’ thought it might come in handy to figger on, or somethin’ o’ -that sort. Anyway, he had it, an’ it were the same pattern back as the -deck they was playin’ with. So he speaks up quick. ‘Hold on you,’ he -says. ‘There’s somethin’ wrong here. I discarded the ace o’ diamonds,’ -he says, an’ reachin’ over quick, he turns the discard pile face up, an’ -spreadin’ out the cards, sure enough there were the ace. - -“O’ course that queered Fairfax’s hand right away. They counted the -cards, an’ sure enough there were fifty-three cards in the deck. Just -naturally Fairfax an’ Overton smelled a mice, an’ they called on me to -bring back the cards I’d gathered up every time they’d called for a new -deck, an’ I did it. - -“They picked out the deck o’ the same pattern they was usin’ an’ counted -that, an’ just naturally they found fifty-one cards in it, but no ace o’ -diamonds. It was clear enough where the card had come from, but the -question was how it come where it was, an’ there was no way o’ tellin’ -whether the missin’ card was the one that Fairfax held in his hand, or -whether it was the one that Pearsall had showed in the discard pile. - -“There wa’n’t much said. Everybody remembered how Fairfax had fumbled -his cards, but nobody cared to say nothin’ about it, for there wa’n’t -no use o’ havin’ to fight with a man like Fairfax when Overton was -along, specially as the pot had to be divided anyhow. It were a foul -deck beyond a question, and there wa’n’t no dispute when Bassett took -back his chips. - -“Fairfax were mad clear through, though. He didn’t say much, but he got -up an’ reckoned he didn’t care to play no more in a game where four aces -wa’n’t good. It wa’n’t really what one would have expected from a dead -game sport such as he had the name o’ bein’, but we had the satisfaction -o’ seein’ him an’ Overton go back to Vicksburg without makin’ their -bluff good, even if they didn’t leave their money behind ’em. - -“Which goes to show, as I said, that there is times when a man has to -rely on outside influences even in playin’ poker.” - - - - -XVIII - -PLAYED BY THE BOOK - - -“There’s a powerful lot o’ people in this here world,” said old man -Greenhut, as he rinsed out a couple of whiskey-glasses and set them -away, “that seems to think they is app’inted by a all-wise Providence to -set other folks right. It don’t seem to make no difference what’s done, -or who does it, or how it’s done, they’re always ready to chip a lot of -advice into the pot, an’ tell ’em how they’d oughter done it different. - -“Mostly such folks is born fools an’ don’t know no more about things in -general than a hound pup in the wilderness knows about the plan o’ -salvation, but you couldn’t make one o’ ’em realize what a fool he is if -you was to cut his head open an’ try to squirt sense into it. What’s -this the Good Book says? It’s somethin’ about if you pound a fool up in -a mortar and shoot him out with the bombshells, yet will not his folly -depart from him. - -“There hain’t nothin’, as I said, but what critters like them will try -to put right accordin’ to their own notions, an’ the result, so far as -I’ve ever seed it, is tol’able certain to be a mixup of the worst sort. -An’ when they gets into a game o’ poker there’s more bad blood stirred -up in a hour than good, steady play for six months’d be likely to bring -up. Sometimes it’s on’y nasty words, an’ sometimes it’s a gun-play. But -when such a critter gets hold o’ one o’ these here poker manuals such as -I seed the other day that’s just been published in the East, an’ -undertakes to make a civilized community swaller his raw notions just -because some feller that never played poker on the Mississippi has had -’em printed in a book, he can just about cover the underside o’ the sky -with cobwebs o’ perplexity spun out o’ the brains o’ good men that gets -bewildered listenin’ to ’em. - -“The way I come to see this here book I’m tellin’ about was through a -little game that the boys got up last week to oblige a travellin’ -Easterner that stopped over for a few days to look at some plantations -up the river a bit, that was offered to a British syndicate at a figger -that wouldn’t ha’ paid more’n 100 per cent. profit to the owners if the -deal had went through. They said this here Wanderin’ Willie boy was some -sort of a big-bug in business matters when he was to home, an’ he was -travellin’ in cogs, whatever them is. Anyway, he didn’t want nobody to -know who he was, an’ he was called Mr. Hapgood when he was travellin’, -an’ the keeper that had him in charge treated him as if he was made o’ -glass. Hapgood called him his valet, an’ ordered him round like he was a -hired man, an’ the keeper never made no fuss at all about it. - -“Hapgood was pokin’ round town ask-in’ all sorts o’ questions of -everybody, an’ some o’ the boys referred him to me for general -information, so he come in that evenin’ an’ chinned with me for half an -hour. He bought liquor for the house two or three times, an’ somehow or -another there was quite a crowd in here after the first round. I seen -there was some o’ the crack players in the place, an’ it kind o’ -reminded me o’ the popularity o’ the game here, so when Hapgood ast me, -as he did, what the leadin’ industries o’ Arkansas City was, I mentioned -draw-poker among ’em. He kind o’ laughed as if I’d said somethin’ funny, -an’ said he hadn’t been in the habit o’ thinkin’ of it as a industry, -but he’d given considerable study to the game an’ had come to the -conclusion that it was just about the real thing. I ast him if he played -it much an’ he said no, not exactly, but him an’ four or five o’ his -friends had got hold o’ this here manual, as he called it, an’ had -practised quite a lot, so’s’t he considered himself a first-class -player. - -“Well, just naturally I gave him to understand that we had some players -in town that we thought was able to hold up their end against any -ordinary player, an’ that they would consider it a privilege to make up -a game most any time if they could get a first-class player to give them -points. They was always anxious to learn, I said, an’ if he would like -to get the benefit of a little practice, I thought they would arrange it -so’s’t he could have the opportunity. - -“You’d ha’ thought he was a bullfrog jumpin’ for a piece o’ red flannel -if you’d ha’ seen how quick he took it up. He was more than ready, an’ -the boys seein’ how eager he was kind o’ hung back to be coaxed, but old -Jake Winterbottom, he pleaded with ’em till he got Jim Blaisdell an’ Sam -Pearsall an’ Joe Bassett to set in with him an’ make a five-handed game. - -“They set down at the table as they was in the habit of doin’, just -takin’ any old place that happened, an’ Hapgood he says, kind o’ -surprised, ‘We’ll have to cut for choice o’ seats, won’t we?’ - -“The boys was more surprised than he was, and Winterbottom, he says, ‘I -don’t see no objection to that, but if anybody has any choice o’ seats -he can have it as fur as I’m concerned. I don’t see no use o’ cuttin’.’ - -“‘Well,’ says Hapgood, ‘the rules says we must cut for choice. You’re -goin’ to play accordin’ to the rules, ain’t you? As I understand it, -poker ought to be played strict under the rules.’ - -“‘You’re dead right on that, stranger,’ says Joe Bassett, givin’ -Winterbottom a kick in the shins under the table. ‘You can bet this game -is goin’ to be played accordin’ to rules if I’m in it. An’ it won’t be -healthy for the man that breaks the rules.’ - -“So they cuts for choice o’ seats, and Pearsall cut low. That give him -the choice o’ seats, and he said he’d set where he was. Winterbottom was -next lowest man an’ he said he’d set where he was, too. He was suited -well enough. But Hapgood, he spoke up again an’ he says that won’t do. -The second lowest man must set next on the left o’ the low man, an’ the -third lowest next on his left, an’ so on. - -“Winterbottom started in to cuss a little, not because he cared a cuss, -but just because he was surprised, but he got another kick in the shins, -an’ takin’ a sudden tumble to hisself, he jumped up an’ took his proper -seat. When they’d all got seated again Joe Bassett ast in a general -sort o’ way what good all that did, an’ Hapgood says, ‘Why, that’s one -o’ the laws in the International Code. You have to do it before you play -or else the game wouldn’t be regular.’ - -“‘That’s right,’ says Joe Bassett. ‘We must play by the rules, but, -stranger, we ain’t exactly posted on this here International Code. We -play the old Mississippi River rules, the Mississippi River bein’ the -place where the game was born an’ growed up. If there’s a International -Code we’d like to know about it, an’ if you’ll tell us all about it as -we play, we’d think it monstrous kind o’ you.’ - -“Well, Hapgood says he’ll do it with pleasure, ’n’ he spoke to his -keeper an’ tells him to go over to the hotel an’ get the manual out of -his portmanteau. ‘The code is in that,’ he says. So the keeper he -starts, an’ the boys cut for deal accordin’ to custom, an’ Jake gets it. -He shuffles an’ offers the deck to Pearsall, who sits on his right, to -cut, but Hapgood speaks up an’ says that ain’t right. ‘The ante man is -the man that cuts the cards,’ he says. ‘I don’t know as it makes any -great difference,’ he says, ‘who cuts ’em, but that’s what the book -says.’ - -“Winterbottom, he’s gettin’ a little bit old, an’ he’s kind o’ sot in -his ways, an’ I c’d see that he was gettin’ sort o’ rattled, but before -he c’d say anything, Bassett, he spoke up again. ‘It don’t really make -no difference, I reckon,’ he says, ‘but if the book says that the ante -man must cut, why, he’s goin’ to cut. On’y you see, stranger, we hain’t -familiar with that book an’ we been in the habit o’ lettin’ the feller -on the dealer’s right cut the cards. It’s on’y our ignorance, you know. -We’re willin’ to learn better.’ An’ he, bein’ the age himself, reaches -over and cuts the cards. - -“Jake, he kind o’ shakes his head a little, but he don’t say nothin’ an’ -he starts to deal, but Hapgood he speaks up again. ‘Before we start,’ he -says, ‘we must have it understood whether we are going to play any of -the variations in the game. We play straights, don’t we, and straight -flushes?’ - -“‘Oh, yes,’ says Bassett. - -“‘And straights beat three of a kind, don’t they?’ - -“‘Well, yes,’ says Bassett, ‘they commonly do, when you get ’em.’ - -“‘And blazers, do we play them, and jumpers? And do we play with a -joker?’ - -“Bassett was puzzled for a moment, an’ before he could get started -Winterbottom busted loose. ‘No!’ he hollered, just like he were mad. -‘No, we don’t play with a joker, nor big an’ little casino, nor right -and left bower, nor his nobs, nor his heels. We play draw-poker. An’ we -don’t play blazers nor jumpers, because we don’t know what they are and -we don’t care a darn. We wouldn’t play them if we did know.’ - -“‘Well, well,’ says Hapgood, ‘that’s all right. I only asked because -they’re in the book, and we have to know, you know, before we play, you -know.’ - -“‘Well, we know,’ growled Jake and he started to deal again. While he -was dealing Bassett put up his ante an’ Hapgood, who set next, he says, -‘I straddle,’ an’ throws in two chips. That makes it four to play, an’ -Blaisdell he throws down his cards. Pearsall comes in an’ so does -Winterbottom. Bassett makes good an’ Hapgood raises it eight. They was -playin’ table stakes. - -“Pearsall, havin’ next say, he says, ‘I raise you eight,’ an’ shoves up -his chips. - -“‘Oh!’ says Hapgood, speakin’ up quick. ‘Then you don’t play the -doublin’ game?’ - -“‘What in thunder is the doublin’ game?’ says Pearsall. - -“‘Why you can’t raise less than double what the last bet was,’ says -Hapgood. - -“‘Is that in the book?’ asked Bassett, sudden like. - -“‘Yes,’ says Hapgood. - -“‘Then we play it,’ says Bassett very determined. - -“‘Well,’ says Pearsall, ‘I raise you sixteen chips.’ - -“Winterbottom he studies for a minute an’ he says, ‘I’ll come in,’ but -he says it kind o’ slow. - -“It were Bassett’s turn next, an’ he says, ‘I raise it thirty-two -chips.’ - -“Things was gettin’ interestin’ about then. It were quick poker even -for Arkansas City, an’ I looked to see some layin’ down, but they all -had pretty good cards as it happened an’ they all made good. In the draw -Bassett took one card, Hapgood took two, Pearsall stood pat, an’ -Winterbottom took two. - -“Then they all waited for a minute or so, an’ finally Winterbottom says -to Hapgood, ‘It’s your bet.’ - -“‘Oh, no,’ says Hapgood, ‘it isn’t my bet, I straddled.’ - -“‘Well, what in blue blazes has that got to do with it?’ says Pearsall. - -“‘Why, if I straddled I get the age,’ says Hapgood, an’ the boys was -struck dumb for a minute or so. - -“Finally, Bassett he caught his breath, an’ he says, ‘Is that in the -book?’ - -“‘Why, certainly,’ says Hapgood, an’ just then his keeper come in with -the book in his hand. It was a monstrous pretty little red book, too, -with a fancy cover an’ gilt edges on the leaves. - -“Well, Bassett he were gettin’ sort o’ weak by this time, but he managed -to say, ‘I ain’t doubtin’ your word, stranger, but this here is kind o’ -strong liquor for us. We ain’t used to it. Don’t you think you’re -mistaken? Do you think that any man that knowed enough about poker to -write a book about it would put that in?’ - -“‘Well, it’s right here,’ says Hapgood, opening the book. ‘It’s law 44 -in the International Code. You’ll see it on page 100. It says: “The -straddle transfers the age from the ante man to the straddler,”’ and he -read it and showed it. - -“The boys looked at one another for a little, as if nobody could say -anything, an’ I reckon they couldn’t right away, but finally Bassett he -spoke up, an’ he says: ‘We’ve started to play this here game accordin’ -to the rules, an’ I reckon we’d better see it through for one deal, -anyhow. Pearsall, it’s your bet.’ - -“Pearsall he looked kind o’ faint, but he throwed in a chip, an’ -Winterbottom seed it, an’ Bassett he come in, an’ Hapgood he raised it -ten. Then the boys seen their duty, an’ they done it for fair. The chips -was a dollar, an’ Pearsall he raised it twenty, an’ Winterbottom he -raised it forty, an’ Bassett he raised it eighty, makin’ about half a -million dollars on the table. Hapgood he throwed down his cards, an’ -Pearsall an’ Winterbottom did likewise, so nobody found out what anybody -had. - -“The next deal was about the same story, on’y they all come in, an’ -after they’d coaxed Hapgood along till he’d put up a fair-sized stake, -they doubled upon him four times instead of three, an’ he throwed down -again. - -“That brought it up to Hapgood’s deal, an’ I reckon he must ha’ been a -little rattled, seein’ how he wa’n’t likely to get much of a show, for -instead o’ dealin’ cards to all five players he on’y dealt out four -hands. O’ course, they all seen what he was doin’, but they kind o’ -watched him to see if it wa’n’t some new sort of a trick out o’ that -book o’ his’n, an’ when he finished nobody moved to pick up his cards. -An’ still Hapgood didn’t seem to notice nothin’ out o’ the way, so -Bassett spoke up very mild an’ subdued like, ‘Ain’t that a misdeal, -stranger? You haven’t dealt Winterbottom any cards. He’s in the game, -ain’t he?’ - -“Then Hapgood seen what he’d done an’ picked up the deck again. ‘Oh, -no,’ he says, ‘it ain’t a misdeal. I’ll give him a hand,’ and he dealt -him one card off the top of the deck, another off the bottom, the next -off the top, the next off the bottom, and the next and last off the top. - -“Then Winterbottom turned to me an’ says: ‘Greenhut, I wish you’d bring -me a drink o’ red liquor. I think I’m going to faint.’ I brought it to -him quick, for he did look pale, an’ he ain’t as young as he was. After -he’d swallowed it he says to Hapgood: ‘What in blue blazes is that sort -o’ monkey business you was just puttin’ up? Is there anything in that -extraordinary thing you call a book that says for you to do a thing like -that?’ - -“‘Why, certainly,’ says Hapgood. ‘You’ll find it in law 34 of the -International Code, on page 98. “If too few hands have been dealt or a -player has been omitted, the dealer shall supply the omission by dealing -the necessary number of cards alternately from the top and bottom of -the pack.” There it is. You can read it for yourself.’ - -“And he handed the book to Jake. Jake took it and looked at it curiously -while the rest of us looked over his shoulders. The rule was there and -so were the other things he told us about. And the book was published by -some firm in London and another firm in New York. It looked like a sure -enough book. It even had the author’s name printed as Templar. I was -almost stunned. I couldn’t think of anything to say. Neither could the -rest of the boys for a few minutes, but finally Jake handed the book -back to Hapgood an’ he says, mighty serious like, ‘I don’t find no fault -with you, stranger. You mean well, an’ I don’t reckon you’re the man -that wrote this book, but I want to give you a little good advice. If -you’re thinkin’ o’ playin’ poker much while you’re in the country, an’ -think o’ takin’ that book along with you, the best thing you can do is -to take out an all-fired big policy o’ life insurance. Your heirs, if -you have any, is liable to get rich monstrous sudden that way. As for -me, I think I’ll cash in. I’m open to play draw-poker at any time, but -this here game is too rich for my blood.’ - -“An’ that broke up the game. I don’t know whether they really do play -any such poker as that book tells about in the East, but ’tain’t never -likely to be played in this country. It does beat all how some folks can -get things printed, but I remember hearing it said once that it stood to -reason that nobody would ever write a book on how to play poker if he -knowed, ’cause if he knowed he’d play enough not to need to write for a -livin’.” - - - - -XIX - -ONLY ONE SURE WAY TO WIN - - -“‘Pears to me,” said old man Greenhut, as he leaned his elbows on the -bar and pulled viciously at a very black cigar to keep it alight, “like -there was a monstrous lot o’ foolishness talked about the game o’ -draw-poker. Fellers’ll tell you with tears in their mouth about gettin’ -beat at the game an’ about the hard mess of luck they have an’ how some -other player’ll always hold over ’em or pull out against their pat -flushes an’ wipe up the floor with ’em when they’d oughter have the pot -cinched according to all laws. Oh, there ain’t no end to hard luck -stories. They’re thicker than cold molasses, but there hain’t no sense -into ’em. O’ course, a man may get hit hard now an’ again when he ain’t -lookin’ for it--he may get kicked by a mule sometimes when he thinks -he’s out o’ the mule’s reach; but a man that gets kicked all the time is -either a jackass or else he don’t know mules. - -“So with poker. No man that knows poker is goin’ to get beat at it all -the time, an’ the man that does get beat nine times out o’ ten beats -hisself. ’Tain’t the other fellers’ play half as much as it is takin’ -fool chances that makes men walk home ’stead o’ takin’ the cars. There’s -a heap o’ talk about one man playin’ better poker than another man, but -my experience tells me that the principal trouble is not that one man -plays better than another, but that one man don’t play so well as -another. An’ it stands to reason that when a man don’t play as well as -the other feller he’s goin’ to beat hisself. - -“There was Jake Winterbottom,” continued the old man, as he straightened -himself up and walked around to his favourite seat by the window. -Winterbottom wasn’t in the room at the time, or probably Greenhut would -not have mentioned him by name. - -“There was Jake Winterbottom. Jake is a powerful good player now, an’ I -reckon he can hold his end up in the most select circles. He’s played -steady with the best talent of Arkansas City for a good many years, an’ -any man that can do that don’t have to have no trepidation about settin’ -in with the best of ’em. - -“But I remember the time when Jake was about the easiest proposition -there was to be found all up an’ down the river. ’Peared like there -wa’n’t no possible way o’ losin’ money at the game that he hadn’t -studied out an’ practised till he had ’em all down pat. He c’d lay down -three of a kind against aces up with the same monotonous regularity that -he’d bet a straight against a full. An’ he didn’t have no sense about -the draw. He’d pull for a flush every time he got four of a suit, an’ -sometimes when he had only three, no matter what the odds was in the -bettin’. An’ when he did happen to have the winnin’ hand, if he bet it -at all, which he wouldn’t half the time, he never got nothin’ to speak -of out of it. - -“I used to reason with him. There wa’n’t no reason as I know on why I -should, for he wa’n’t nothin’ to me, more’n a fair, average customer, -but somehow or other I allus cottoned to Jake f’m the time he struck the -town till he’d come to be recognized as one o’ the leadin’ citizens. -’Peared like he made a impression on me f’m the first. Anyway, I felt -kind o’ sorry to see him everlastin’ly buckin’ up ag’in a game that was -too much for him, an’ I told him so, many’s the time. - -“‘Jake,’ I used to say to him, ‘you hain’t no business playin’ with the -Arkansas City crowd. They’ll do you, sure.’ But he’d always say: -‘Greenhut, I’m learnin’, an’ learnin’ is allus expensive. One o’ these -days I’ll do ’em.’ So I let him alone. - -“‘Peared like he learned all of a sudden. He’d been pikin’ along, -playin’ a fiddlin’ game whenever he got a chance to stick his nose in, -but givin’ no evidence o’ talent till this one night, when there was two -strangers come in to do the talent. Jake was here an’ he had about seven -dollars in his clothes when they made up a table stake game an’ each man -put up fifty dollars. There was six playin’, too, so there was three -hundred dollars on the table when they started. Jake, he looked on for -awhile an’ never peeped. Didn’t think he’d be let in an’ consequent said -nothin’ till three of the home talent dropped out, busted. That left Sam -Pearsall playin’ agin the two strangers, an’ he were nervous. He wa’n’t -much more’n holdin’ his own, an’ he looked round to see if there wasn’t -somebody to set in. Joe Bassett an’ Jim Blaisdell was willin’ enough, -but they had no money left, an’ Jake seein’ how things stood, he spoke -up kind o’ timid like, an’ he says: ‘I don’t reckon I’d last more’n a -few minutes, but I’ll take a hand if you’ll let me play for what I’ve -got.’ - -“Sam spoke up quick an’ says, ‘I hain’t no objections,’ an’ the two -strangers says, kind o’ careless, ‘Oh, that’s all right,’ so down he -sets. But they was disgusted enough when they seen what his pile was. He -dug up seven dollars an’ two bits, an’ bought his chips an’ took a hand. - -“It were a dollar jack an’ one o’ the strangers opened it for four -dollars, an’ Jake he throwed down. The stranger he win it, an’ the next -deal it were Jake’s ante. He put up two bits, call four, an’ the others -all come in an’ he wouldn’t make good. That left him just six dollars, -but it were his deal. - -“When I seen that deal I kind o’ says to myself that mebbe I’d sorter -mistook Winterbottom, an’ mebbe he’d been practisin’ some. It were -Pearsall’s ante, an’ he made it a dollar to play. The first stranger, he -were a little cross-eyed man, he come in, an’ the other feller raised it -two dollars. Jake he made good, takin’ three dollars, an’ Sam he raised -it five. Then the cross-eyed man made it five more to play, an’ the -other one stayed, an’ Jake called for a sight for his pile. - -“Sam took two cards an’ the cross-eyed man took one. The next man took -two, an’ Jake took two. Well, they all filled. Sam made a full, the -cross-eyed man filled a flush, though it wa’n’t the straight flush he -were after; the next man made a seven full, Sam’s bein’ nines, an’ Jake -caught a fourth deuce. - -“O’ course, all the bettin’ was amongst the other three, Jake on’y -havin’ a show for the twenty-four dollars his six called for, but Sam -raked in considerable over a hundred on the show-down. - -“The next pot were a jack on the fours, an’ Sam made it five dollars to -play. Neither one o’ the strangers opened, so it were up to Jake, an’ he -busted it for nineteen dollars, bein’ his pile. Sam stayed out an’ the -cross-eyed man came in, but he failed to fill, an’ Jake was on velvet -with forty-eight dollars in front of him, havin’ opened on two jacks. - -“There was nothin’ doin’ on the next deal, so that made it a dollar -jack, an’ Jake’s first say. He opened it again for the size o’ the pot -an’ got h’isted twice, so it cost him twenty more to play. When it come -to the draw, he said he reckoned he’d split his openers, an’ he laid -aside a queen, holdin’ up four spades. - -“Well, that made a rippin’ good pot, for he filled his flush an’ bet all -he had before he looked at his draw. Just naturally, Pearsall an’ the -cross-eyed man both saw the bet, Sam havin’ three aces an’ the other -man three kings. - -“By this time they was all gettin’ pretty sore to think they’d let Jake -in with his seven dollars, but it were too late to kick, an’ when it -come his deal again, as it were, the next hand, I says to myself that -I’d just about make up my mind accordin’ to what he did with the cards. -If he was to lose, I’d consider it a streak o’ luck that he’d been -havin’, but if he was to deal ’em as well as he had afore, I’d conclude -that he was a-learnin’ the game. - -“Well, after that deal was over, I never had no more doubts about -Winterbottom. O’ course, havin’ as much money as he had to play with, -’twa’n’t necessary nor proper to look after Sam’s interest in the pot, -so he didn’t deal Sam nothin’, but he gave the cross-eyed man three aces -an’ the other feller a pat straight, takin’ care to have a seven spot -handy when it would just fit into his sevens up on the draw. An’ the -bettin’ just come so’s’t he had a chance to give the second raise an’ -he scooped about a hundred an’ forty dollars on that pot. - -“That left him winnin’ tol’able near all there was on the table, but the -two strangers they both dug, an’ Sam stayed along with about thirty -dollars that he had left, an’ the game went on. - -“But, Lord bless ye, them fellers didn’t have no show. They couldn’t -win, no matter what they did, an’ the game broke up in about twenty -minutes, with Pearsall forty dollars ahead, an’ Jake winnin’ all the -other money in sight. - -“I ast him about it next day an’ he told me that he’d been a-studyin’ -the game all the time since he’d first begun to play, an’ the way he -sized it up it were no use for a man to bet on any cards unless he had a -pretty good notion what was out against him. ‘Some fellers seems to know -it by instinct,’ he says, ‘an’ some has luck, but I never had no luck to -speak of, an’ when I come to tryin’ to judge of another man’s cards by -instinct, I didn’t never seem to strike it right, so I made up my mind -that the on’y thing for me to do was to study the cards an’ get so’s’t -I c’d tell ’em by the feelin’. It takes a heap o’ work learnin’, but I -worked, an’ if I do say it, Greenhut, I don’t reckon there’s any man on -the river that can come nearer’n I can to tellin’ what cards is out, -specially when I’ve dealt ’em.’ - -“Well, just naturally, a man with such talents as that ain’t a-goin’ to -have his light hid under no bushel basket not for very long. The boys -reco’nized his talents as quick as I did, an’ there ain’t no man in -Arkansas City as is more respected an’ more thought of than Jake is. The -best of it is that he’s square an’ don’t never play it low down on the -home talent. But when it comes to a difficult proposition, such as -sometimes has to be tackled when there’s a couple o’ clever strangers in -town, I never feel safe without thinkin’ Jake Winterbottom is in the -game. An’ if he is, why, the strangers don’t never get away with no -alarmin’ amount of Arkansas City money.” - - - - -XX - -KENNEY’S ROYAL FLUSH - - -“It’s a most surprisin’ thing,” said old man Greenhut as he set the -bottles away behind the bar, “that folks don’t seem to ’preciate the -importance o’ bein’ persistent. Now, that there Si Walker, ’t just come -in here an’ took a drink an’ went out ’thout sayin’ a word to no one, is -a bright an’ shinin’ example o’ never doin’ nothin’ worth while, ’cause -he don’t never stick to it. Gits discouraged like an’ sets down an’ -thinks about it, when if he’d on’y spit on his hands an’ take a fresh -grip he mought come out a four-time winner. Why, I tell you that man -might ’a’ been a justice o’ the peace an’ married the Widow Baker with -four hundred acres o’ good farm land, no end o’ stock an’ utensils, an’ -money in the bank, on’y fer that fatal habit o’ his o’ not stickin’ to -it. Just give up, he did, ’cause he got beat out in two ’lections an’ -wouldn’t run fer office no more, an’ when the widow said no three or -four times, he ’lowed she didn’t want him an’ got out o’ the game, when -the blame fool’d oughter knowed that all she wanted was a man with -gumption enough to keep on courtin’.” - -The old man turned his back for a moment, while he slyly poured a little -water into a whiskey bottle in which the liquor was running low, and -then placing it with the other bottles he came out to his favourite seat -by the window and sat smoking for some minutes. - -“Beats all,” he said, after awhile, “how folks lets go like that. Don’t -seem to have no sense o’ religion. The Good Book says, ‘Go to the ant,’ -you sluggers. Consider her ways and be wise. Now, there ain’t no p’ints -about a ant that’s worth considerin’, ’cept their almighty -stick-to-it-iveness. Stands to reason, it means fer us to keep peggin’ -away till we git there. ’F Si Walker’d on’y pegged like the ants does, -he mought ’a’ been rich an’ respected. - -“There was Pete Kenney that dropped off’n a boat here some thirty year -ago an’ just stayed. There didn’t seem to be no reason why he should ’a’ -come here in the first place, or why he should ’a’ stayed after he -arrove, but he did. Some said he must ’a’ dropped on to the boat by -accident somewheres up the river, an’ the captain put him off at the -first landin’, him not havin’ the regulation fare in his jeans. However -’twas, he come, an’ he remained. More’n that, he’s well fixed now an’ -pays taxes. - -“There warn’t no reason fer it, fer as anybody could see, ’ceptin’ -Pete’s all-fired persistency. He was a bright enough sort o’ man an’ -might ’a’ settled down in business fer himself, fer he got a job as -bartender down to the hotel an’ made money. They do say as how a steady, -industrious bartender in a hotel where there’s a good run o’ business -an’ a boss that drinks some himself, can have a saloon of his own in a -few years, an’ I reckon it’s pretty near true. I kept bar in a hotel -myself when I was young. - -“That wa’n’t Pete’s lay, though. Pete used to say that there was one -way of establishin’ yourself in life that laid over any other, an’ that -was to hold a royal flush in a good stiff game o’ draw-poker. Then, he -says, it’s on’y a question o’ how much the others has got to inspire -their confidence, an’ how much they has to bet with that fixes the -amount to be gathered in, so’s’t a man can retire an’ be respectable fer -the rest of his natural life. - -“Some on us reasoned with Pete at times about this. We told him that -royal flushes was sca’ce game, an’ that four of a kind was good enough -fer a careful player to get rich on, but Pete ’lowed that a royal flush -was the on’y thing a man could be dead sure of. Seems he’d had four -queens beat when he was young, an’ he’d l’arned consid’able caution from -th’ experience. - -“‘As to a royal flush bein’ sca’ce,’ Pete says, ‘it stands to reason -that a man’s goin’ to get it sometime, if he plays long enough. Stick to -it,’ he says, ‘an’ sooner or later yer goin’ to git a royal flush. The -on’y thing needed is to stick to it.’ - -“Consequences was that Pete, havin’ found his theory of business -success, devoted himself to the workin’ on it out, with a persistency -that would ’a’ growed wool on a nigger’s heel ’f he’d devoted hisself to -that particular form of effort. Why, Pete’d give his nights an’ days to -poker. He never allowed business to interfere with a game, long’s he’d -money to play with. - -“Just naturally his theory of the game interfered with his general -success. Mostly it does interfere, I’ve noticed, when a man gets -theories in his head an’ plays the game different f’m the ordinary run -o’ people. These here sharps that figgers out some particular thing in -the game as bein’ a dead certainty, always loses money on it, for you -can say what you like about the great American game, but it certainly -does beat anything else for the preponderance of uncertainty that has to -be calculated on, whenever you have a dead sure thing in your mind--all -excepting a royal flush, as Pete used to say with ondeniable wisdom. - -“Pete’s mind bein’ fixed, so to speak, on that royal flush, you can see -for yourself that it warped his judgment on the question o’ drawin’ -cards. Many a time I’ve seen him split a pair of aces, an’ draw three -cards to a ace an’ queen, or ace an’ ten o’ the same suit. Once I even -seen him split two pairs, aces an’ queens, an’ draw two cards to the -ace, queen an’ jack o’ diamonds, an’ Joe Hooker says he seen the blamed -ijjit split three kings to draw to three hearts just because they was -court cards o’ the same suit. An’ the first card he picked up in the -draw was the fourth king. Shows how a man’ll overlook the blessin’s o’ -Providence right in his fist, reachin’ out after things he hain’t no -reason to hope for in the natural course of events. Stands to reason a -man’ll lose money defyin’ fate with such monkey-shines as them. - -“‘Twasn’t no use to argue with Pete, though. He were as obstinate as a -mule an’ stuck to his notion o’ gettin’ a royal flush like a sick nigger -sticks to the Methodist Church. You couldn’t persuade him. One day I -says to him, ‘Look a’ here, Pete, a royal flush is most onquestionably a -good piece o’ property, but what show hev you got o’ gettin’ one. You -put me out o’ patience. Look at the pots you might ’a’ scooped with two -pairs an’ three of a kind if you’d only drawed like a Christian,’ says -I, ‘instead o’ puttin’ your trust in strange gods, an’ sacrificin’ your -good chips an’ the principles o’ the game in a strange an’ foolish -endeavour. It’s flyin’ in the face o’ Providence,’ I says to him, ‘an’ -you’ll go down to your grave unhonoured, unwept, an’ unhung if you -persist in it. More’n that,’ I says, ‘you’ll be dead broke all the days -o’ your life.’ - -“But you couldn’t convince him. ‘There’s four royal flushes in the deck, -ain’t there?’ says he, ‘an’ them five cards is just as likely to come as -any other five, ain’t they? An’ if there’s anything certain in this here -world o’ trouble an’ oncertainty, ’tis that a man’ll get ’em sometime, -if he keeps on tryin’. An’ say! When I do get ’em if the Lord spares me -till that happy day, I won’t do anything but swat the gang.’ - -“‘The Lord can spare you easy enough,’ says I, disgusted, ‘an’ so can -the community if you go on tryin’ to break up our national institutions -by propagatin’ sich revolutionary idees. It’s worse’n anarchy,’ I says. -‘It’s ridiculous.’ - -“But there wa’n’t no movin’ of him, an’ we just had to leave him to the -error of his ways, an’ what we thought was the inevitable vengeance of -heaven. An’ the boys calculated that bein’ as how he was a -self-app’inted vessel o’ wrath, an’ bound to be skinned in the game as -long as he continnered to play it, it was a sort o’ missionary work to -assist in the skinnin’. Most of ’em devoted themselves to the missionary -work, too, with such holy zeal that Pete was broke most of the time. - -“He was good grit, though. Nobody never heard him complain, for he -seemed to be sustained by a calm confidence in that royal flush, an’ -every time he went broke he’d go back to work as chipper as a catfish -an’ stick to it till he had a stake to sit into the game with. - -“That was another thing I used to talk to him about, while I was trying -to show him the error of his ways. ‘Supposin’ you do get a royal flush -sometime,’ I says, ‘how can you expect to get a legitimate profit out of -it, if you go broke all the time trying to get it? You won’t have no -money to bet with,’ I says. - -“But all he ever said to that was, ‘Oh! the Lord will provide. You don’t -suppose things is goin’ to be so ordered, do ye, that heaven’s richest -blessin’ would come to a man, an’ him not have the means to back it up?’ -Which was next door to blasphemy as I told him frequent, but he on’y -smiled. An’ when the time come, as it did finally, when his faith was -justified, an’ he reaped the reward o’ persistency, it were developed -that he had good reason to smile, for he had provided for that there -contingency with a wisdom compared to which the guile o’ the sarpent was -as the babblings o’ babes an’ sucklin’s. Oh! Pete was a polished article -even if we did size him up for a deluded fanatic all them years. - -“It went on for a matter o’ fifteen year or more, an’ Pete’s royal flush -come to be a standin’ joke in town. Fellers would laugh about it every -time he set into a game, an’ it were esteemed a great piece o’ wit for -some feller to say, ‘I’ll bet a thousand to one in town lots that Pete -won’t get a royal flush to-night.’ ’Course, nobody ever took it up, but -everybody’d laugh, an’ Pete would laugh with ’em, for he was -good-natured, an’ he’d say, ‘I’ll get it sometime, boys, if I don’t -to-night.’ - -“An’ he did. If ever a man won success by long-continued, persistent -strugglin’ for it, Pete Kenney did, an’ things fell out about as he’d -always said they would. It were a pretty good game from the first, for -there was a couple o’ crossroads gamblers who’d come to town lookin’ for -blood, an’ it happened that there was two planters just back from New -Orleans with their crop money in their pockets, an’ they was lookin’ for -excitement. One of ’em knowed Pete an’ liked him an’ ast him to join in -the game that was started just about the time they got off at Arkansas -City here, an’ Pete havin’ a hundred in his clothes, just naturally did. - -“He played lucky from the start. It happened, fortunately, that he -didn’t get a chance to make one of his fool draws more’n once in half -an hour or so, an’ as his play outside o’ that was fairly good he -managed to scoop in some rattlin’ good pots on flushes an’ fulls, -besides two or three that he took in on deuces and nerve, or some sich -hand. - -“Anyhow, he had near a thousand in front of him when there come a big -jack-pot with fifty in it before it was opened. Pete sat next to the -dealer an’ he passed, havin’ on’y a king, jack, an’ ten o’ clubs, an’, -o’ course, not bein’ permitted to open under the rules. The next man -opened it for fifty, the next three come in, an’ Pete raised it a -hundred. That was his fool play. Whenever he’d see a show for a royal -flush he used to play as if he had it, for fear he wouldn’t get the good -of it when it did come. - -“Well, it worked pretty well. One of the crossroads professionals -dropped out, but the other one had a seven full, pat, an’ after the two -planters had come in, he raised Pete another hundred. Pete came back at -him with another and one of the planters dropped. The other had a four -flush and he stayed. The gambler, for some reason, didn’t raise again, -but simply saw the raise, and there was thirteen hundred dollars in the -pot. - -“In the draw Pete got the ace an’ queen o’ clubs. I suppose if I’d a -caught them cards under the circumstances, I’d a dropped dead, but Pete -never turned a hair. There was al’ays a kind of a drop to the left side -of his face an’ it looked a little droopier than usual, for a minute, -but he gave no other sign, and the others thought he had three of a kind -at the most. The planter filled his flush, an’ so Pete had two good -hands to play against, which was as much as anybody could expect. He had -about six hundred on the table to bet with, besides, and more’n that, he -had resources that nobody at the table knew about. - -“The planter sat next to the opener, who dropped out, and as it was his -first bet and he had a flush, he pushed up a hundred, not carin’ to go -too heavy against the gambler who had stood pat and who had stood the -third raise before the draw. The gambler raised, of course, pushin’ up -three-fifty. - -“Things was a-goin’ Pete’s way, but he never grinned. What he had to do -was to make the others think he was bluffing, so he studies his cards -careful for awhile an’ then says, sort o’ desperate-like an’ sudden, -‘I’ll see that, an’ I’ll go you two-fifty better,’ an’ he pushes his -pile to the middle of the table, barrin’ fifteen or twenty dollars he -had in loose change. - -“The planter’s flush was king high, so he saw it, but didn’t raise, an’ -the gambler raised it five hundred, thinking that Pete would drop out. -‘That’s more than your threes are worth, I reckon,’ he said, with a -sneer, but Pete never answered him. He studied his cards awhile longer -and then said, pretty slow, ‘I haven’t got the cash to see you, but I’ve -got the deeds to some property here that’s pretty valuable, an’ if -you’ll take that for security, I’ll raise you a thousand.’ - -“He pulled some law papers out of his pocket as he spoke and laid them -on the table, but the gambler spoke up, very nasty, an’ says: ‘I ain’t -buyin’ no property without looking at it, an’ money is the on’y thing -that talks in this game.’ - -“Pete looked at the planter, but he shook his head. ‘I wouldn’t mind as -far as I am concerned,’ he said, ‘but there is an objection made. I -don’t see how I can help you.’ - -“‘Very well,’ says Pete, pretending to look troubled, ‘then I’ll have to -ask for a few minutes’ time till I can get some money to play with. -Sam,’ he says to the nigger that was bringing them drinks, ‘take these -papers over to Mr. Stevens an’ ask him if he will loan me ten thousand -dollars on them.’ - -“Then there was a little wrangle. The other gambler who had dropped out -objected to the delay, but the two planters spoke up for Pete and the -gambler who held the full house said he was willin’ to wait while the -gentleman got some more money, as he was goin’ to win it anyhow, so Sam -went over to Mr. Stevens’s house. Stevens bein’ the president of our -bank an’ a gentleman with proper sporting habits. - -“Some of us that was lookin’ on was guessin’ for fair. We never knowed -o’ Pete havin’ no property, an’ we thought he was bluffin’, but we -couldn’t see just how he reckoned he could work it, or what he expected -to do. I says to myself, ‘I reckon he’s caught that royal flush, but -what this move means is more’n I know.’ Anyhow, there warn’t nothin’ to -do but wait, an’ I waited as all the others did, for it looked as if -there’d be some fun. - -“Pretty soon Mr. Stevens came back with the nigger, an’ says, ‘What’s -this mean, Pete? The nigger says you want to borrow ten thousand -dollars.’ - -“‘Yes, I do,’ says Pete. - -“‘Well,’ says Stevens, ‘you can have the money on these deeds, of -course, if you’ll come to the bank to-morrow, but you--’ - -“‘I want it now,’ says Pete, interruptin’, an’ as he spoke he picked up -his cards from the table where they had been lying, an’ holdin’ ’em kind -o’ careless, just so that Stevens could see ’em, but pretendin’ not to -notice that they could be seen. - -“‘Oh!’ says Stevens, ‘you want the money to play with, do you? But -certainly you ain’t goin’ to bet on that hand?’ - -“‘You’ll oblige me,’ says Pete, pretendin’ to get in a terrible rage, -‘by sayin’ nothin’ about my hand. It may not be the strongest hand in -the deck, but it’s the best one out. Besides, it’s my own business what -I do with the money. The question is whether you’ll let me have it.’ - -“Oh, yes,’ says Stevens, ‘I’ll let you have it, all right. That is, I’ll -give you my personal check.’ - -“I reckon that’s good,’ says Pete, an’ so it was, for everybody on the -river knowed Stevens. - -“It was the neatest play I ever expect to see, for them papers wasn’t -worth the ink that was on ’em. It seems that Stevens had come to know -about Pete always playin’ for a royal flush, an’ had joked him about it, -knowin’ Pete pretty well an’ likin’ him as a man gets to like a -bartender that treats him right, an’ Pete had got him to promise to lend -him all the money he needed to play with, whenever he should get the -royal flush. - -[Illustration: “‘BUT CERTAINLY YOU AIN’T GOIN’ TO BET ON THAT HAND?’”] - -Then when Stevens came over to lend him the money if he really had the -cards, him knowin’ that the deeds was a bluff, he was sport enough and -liked Pete well enough to help him along with his little remark about -not betting on that hand. - -“Of course, when they heard that, the other players thought sure he was -bluffing, an’ Pete coaxed ’em along till he cleaned up $18,000. Then he -invested the money, an’, as I said, become a respectable taxpayer. It -all shows what a man can do by stickin’ to what he has to do in this -world.” - -THE END. - - * * * * * - -L. C. Page and Company’s Announcement List of New Fiction - - -Carolina Lee - - By LILIAN BELL, author of “Hope Loring,” “Abroad with the Jimmies,” - etc. - - With a frontispiece in colour from an oil painting by Dora Wheeler - Keith - -$1.50 - -A typical “Lilian Bell” book, bright, breezy, amusing, philosophic, full -of fun and bits of quotable humour. - -Carolina is a fascinating American girl, born and educated in Paris, and -at the beginning of the story riding on the top wave of success in New -York society. A financial catastrophe leaves her stranded without money, -and her only material asset an old, run-down plantation in South -Carolina. In the face of strong opposition she goes South to restore the -old homestead and rebuild her fortunes. Complications speedily follow, -but, with indomitable faith and courage, Carolina perseveres until her -efforts are rewarded by success and happiness. - - -The Cruise of the Conqueror - - BEING THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE MOTOR PIRATE. By G. SIDNEY - PATERNOSTER, author of “The Motor Pirate,” etc. - -With a frontispiece by Frank T. Merrill $1.50 - -One of the most fascinating games to childhood is the old-fashioned -“hide-and-seek,” with its scurrying for covert, its breathless suspense -to both hider and seeker, and its wild dash for goal when the seeker is -successful. Readers of “The Motor Pirate” will remember the exciting -game played by the motor pirate and his pursuers, and will be glad to -have the sport taken up again in the new volume. - -In “The Cruise of the Conqueror,” a motor-boat enables the motor pirate -to pursue his victims in even a bolder and more startling way, such, for -example, as the hold-up of an ocean steamer and the seizure for ransom -of the Prince of Monte Carlo. - - -The Passenger from Calais - - A DETECTIVE STORY. By ARTHUR GRIFFITHS. - -Cover design by Eleanor Hobson $1.25 - -A bright, quickly moving detective story telling of the adventures which -befell a mysterious lady flying from Calais through France into Italy, -closely pursued by detectives. Her own quick wits, aided by those of a -gallant fellow passenger, give the two officers an unlooked-for and -exciting “run for their money.” One hardly realizes till now the -dramatic possibilities of a railway train, and what an opportunity for -excitement may be afforded by a joint railway station for two or more -roads. - -It is a well-planned, logical detective story of the better sort, free -from cheap sensationalism and improbability, developing surely and -steadily by means of exciting situations to an unforeseen and -satisfactory ending. - - -The Golden Arrow - - By T. JENKINS HAINS, author of “The Black Barque,” “The - Windjammers,” etc. - -With six illustrations by H. C. Edwards $1.50 - -Another of Captain Hains’s inimitable sea stories, in which piracy, -storm, and shipwreck are cleverly intermingled with love and romance, -and vivid and picturesque descriptions of life at sea. Mr. Hains’s new -story describes the capture on the high seas of an American vessel by a -gang of convicts, who have seized and burned the English ship on which -they were being transported, and their final recapture by a British -man-of-war. - - -The Treasure Trail - - By FRANK L. POLLOCK. - -Library 12mo, cloth decorative $1.25 - -This is a splendid story of adventure, full of good incidents that are -exceptionally exciting. The story deals with the search for gold -bullion, originally stolen from the Boer government in Pretoria, and -stored in a steamer sunk somewhere in the Mozambique Channel. Two -different search parties are endeavouring to secure the treasure, and -the story deals with their adventures and its final recovery by one -party only a few hours before the arrival of the second. - -The book reads like an extract from life, and the whole story is vivid -and realistic with descriptions of the life of a party of gentlemen -adventurers who are willing to run great odds for great gains. - -There is also “a woman in the case,” Margaret Laurie, who proves a -delightful, reliant, and audacious heroine. - - -Miss Frances Baird, Detective - - By REGINALD WRIGHT KAUFFMAN, author of “Jarvis of Harvard,” etc. - -Library 12mo, cloth decorative $1.25 - -A double robbery and a murder have given Mr. Kauffman the material for -his clever detective story. Miss Baird tells how she finally solved the -mystery, and how she outwitted the other detective at work on the case, -by her woman’s intuition and sympathy, when her reputation for keenness -and efficiency was hanging in the balance. - - -The Idlers - - By MORLEY ROBERTS, author of “Rachel Marr,” “Lady Penelope,” etc. - -With frontispiece in colour by John C. Frohn $1.50 - -The _London Literary World_ says: “In ‘The Idlers’ Mr. Morley Roberts -does for the smart set of London what Mrs. Wharton has done in ‘The -House of Mirth’ for the American social class of the same name. His -primary object seems to be realism, the portrayal of life as it is -without exaggeration, and we were impressed by the reserve displayed by -the novelist. It is a powerful novel, a merciless dissection of modern -society similar to that which a skilful surgeon would make of a -pathological case.” - -The _New York Sun_ says: “_It is as absorbing as the devil._ Mr. Roberts -gives us the antithesis of ‘Rachel Marr’ in an equally masterful and -convincing work.” - -_Professor Charles G. D. Roberts_ says: “It is a work of great ethical -force.” - - -Stand Pat - - OR, POKER STORIES FROM BROWNSVILLE. By DAVID A. CURTIS, author of - “Queer Luck,” etc. - -With six drawings by Henry Roth $1.50 - -Mr. Curtis is the poker expert of the _New York Sun_, and many of the -stories in “Stand Pat” originally appeared in the _Sun_. Although in a -sense short stories, they have a thread of continuity, in that the -principal characters appear throughout. Every poker player will enjoy -Mr. Curtis’s clever recital of the strange luck to which Dame Fortune -sometimes treats her devotees in the uncertain game of draw poker, and -will appreciate the startling coups by which she is occasionally -outwitted. - - -The Count at Harvard - - BEING AN ACCOUNT OF THE ADVENTURES OF A YOUNG GENTLEMAN OF FASHION - AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY. By RUPERT SARGENT HOLLAND. - -With a characteristic cover design $1.50 - -With the possible exception of Mr. Flandrau’s work, the “Count at -Harvard” is the most natural and the most truthful exposition of average -student life yet written, and is thoroughly instinct with the real -college atmosphere. “The Count” is not a foreigner, but is the nickname -of one of the principal characters in the book. - -The story is clean, bright, clever, and intensely amusing. Typical -Harvard institutions, such as the Hasty Pudding Club, _The Crimson_, the -Crew, etc., are painted with deft touches, which will fill the soul of -every graduate with joy, and be equally as fascinating to all college -students. - - * * * * * - -Selections from L. C. Page and Company’s List of Fiction - - -WORKS OF - -ROBERT NEILSON STEPHENS - -_Each one vol., library 12mo, cloth decorative_ _$1.50_ - - -The Flight of Georgiana - - A ROMANCE OF THE DAYS OF THE YOUNG PRETENDER. Illustrated by H. C. - Edwards. - -“A love-story in the highest degree, a dashing story, and a remarkably -well finished piece of work.”--_Chicago Record-Herald._ - - -The Bright Face of Danger - - Being an account of some adventures of Henri de Launay, son of the - Sieur de la Tournoire. Illustrated by H. C. Edwards. - -“Mr. Stephens has fairly outdone himself. We thank him heartily. The -story is nothing if not spirited and entertaining, rational and -convincing.”--_Boston Transcript._ - - -The Mystery of Murray Davenport - - (40th thousand.) - -“This is easily the best thing that Mr. Stephens has yet done. Those -familiar with his other novels can best judge the measure of this -praise, which is generous.”--_Buffalo News._ - - -Captain Ravenshaw - - OR, THE MAID OF CHEAPSIDE. (52d thousand.) A romance of Elizabethan - London. Illustrations by Howard Pyle and other artists. - -Not since the absorbing adventures of D’Artagnan have we had anything so -good in the blended vein of romance and comedy. - - -The Continental Dragoon - - A ROMANCE OF PHILIPSE MANOR HOUSE IN 1778. (53d thousand.) - Illustrated by H. C. Edwards. - -A stirring romance of the Revolution, with its scene laid on neutral -territory. - - -Philip Winwood - - (70th thousand.) A Sketch of the Domestic History of an American - Captain in the War of Independence, embracing events that occurred - between and during the years 1763 and 1785 in New York and London. - Illustrated by E. W. D. Hamilton. - - -An Enemy to the King - - (70th thousand.) From the “Recently Discovered Memoirs of the Sieur - de la Tournoire.” Illustrated by H. De M. Young. - -An historical romance of the sixteenth century, describing the -adventures of a young French nobleman at the court of Henry III., and on -the field with Henry IV. - - -The Road to Paris - - A STORY OF ADVENTURE. (35th thousand.) Illustrated by H. C. - Edwards. - -An historical romance of the eighteenth century, being an account of the -life of an American gentleman adventurer of Jacobite ancestry. - - -A Gentleman Player - - HIS ADVENTURES ON A SECRET MISSION FOR QUEEN ELIZABETH. (48th - thousand.) Illustrated by Frank T. Merrill. - -The story of a young gentleman who joins Shakespeare’s company of -players, and becomes a friend and protégé of the great poet. - - * * * * * - -WORKS OF - -CHARLES G. D. ROBERTS - - -Red Fox - - THE STORY OF HIS ADVENTUROUS CAREER IN THE RINGWAAK WILDS, AND OF - HIS FINAL TRIUMPH OVER THE ENEMIES OF HIS KIND. With fifty - illustrations, including frontispiece in color and cover design by - Charles Livingston Bull. - -Square quarto, cloth decorative $2.00 - -“Infinitely more wholesome reading than the average tale of sport, since -it gives a glimpse of the hunt from the point of view of the -hunted.”--_Boston Transcript._ - -“True in substance but fascinating as fiction. It will interest old and -young, city-bound and free-footed, those who know animals and those who -do not.”--_Chicago Record-Herald._ - -“A brilliant chapter in natural history.”--_Philadelphia North -American._ - - -The Kindred of the Wild - - A BOOK OF ANIMAL LIFE. With fifty-one full-page plates and many - decorations from drawings by Charles Livingston Bull. - -Square quarto, decorative cover $2.00 - -“Is in many ways the most brilliant collection of animal stories that -has appeared; well named and well done.”--_John Burroughs._ - - -The Watchers of the Trails - - A companion volume to “The Kindred of the Wild.” With forty-eight - full-page plates and many decorations from drawings by Charles - Livingston Bull. - -Square quarto, decorative cover $2.00 - -“Mr. Roberts has written a most interesting series of tales free from -the vices of the stories regarding animals of many other writers, -accurate in their facts and admirably and dramatically told.”--_Chicago -News._ - -“These stories are exquisite in their refinement, and yet robust in -their appreciation of some of the rougher phases of woodcraft. Among the -many writers about animals, Mr. Roberts occupies an enviable -place.”--_The Outlook._ - -“This is a book full of delight. An additional charm lies in Mr. Bull’s -faithful and graphic illustrations, which in fashion all their own tell -the story of the wild life, illuminating and supplementing the pen -pictures of the author.”--_Literary Digest._ - - -Earth’s Enigmas - - A new edition of Mr. Roberts’s first volume of fiction, published - in 1892, and out of print for several years, with the addition of - three new stories, and ten illustrations by Charles Livingston - Bull. - -Library 12mo, cloth, decorative cover $1.50 - -“It will rank high among collections of short stories. In ‘Earth’s -Enigmas’ is a wider range of subject than in the ‘Kindred of the -Wild.’”--_Review from advance sheets of the illustrated edition by -Tiffany Blake in the Chicago Evening Post._ - - -Barbara Ladd - - With four illustrations by Frank Verbeck. - -Library 12mo, gilt top $1.50 - -“From the opening chapter to the final page Mr. Roberts lures us on by -his rapt devotion to the changing aspects of Nature and by his keen and -sympathetic analysis of human character.”--_Boston Transcript._ - - -Cameron of Lochiel - - Translated from the French of Philippe Aubert de Gaspé, with - frontispiece in color by H. C. Edwards. - -Library 12mo, cloth decorative $1.50 - -“Professor Roberts deserves the thanks of his reader for giving a wider -audience an opportunity to enjoy this striking bit of French Canadian -literature.”--_Brooklyn Eagle._ - -“It is not often in these days of sensational and philosophical novels -that one picks up a book that so touches the heart.”--_Boston -Transcript._ - - -The Prisoner of Mademoiselle - - With frontispiece by Frank T. Merrill. - -Library 12mo, cloth decorative, gilt top $1.50 - -A tale of Acadia,--a land which is the author’s heart’s delight,--of a -valiant young lieutenant and a winsome maiden, who first captures and -then captivates. - -“This is the kind of a story that makes one grow younger, more innocent, -more light-hearted. Its literary quality is impeccable. It is not every -day that such a heroine blossoms into even temporary existence, and the -very name of the story bears a breath of charm.”--_Chicago -Record-Herald._ - - -The Heart of the Ancient Wood - - With six illustrations by James L. Weston. - -Library 12mo, decorative cover $1.50 - -“One of the most fascinating novels of recent days.”--_Boston Journal._ - -“A classic twentieth-century romance.”--_New York Commercial -Advertiser._ - - -The Forge in the Forest - - Being the Narrative of the Acadian Ranger, Jean de Mer, Seigneur de - Briart, and how he crossed the Black Abbé, and of his adventures in - a strange fellowship. Illustrated by Henry Sandham, R. C. A. - -Library 12mo, cloth, gilt top $1.50 - -A story of pure love and heroic adventure. - - -By the Marshes of Minas - -Library 12mo, cloth, gilt top, illustrated $1.50 - -Most of these romances are in the author’s lighter and more playful -vein; each is a unit of absorbing interest and exquisite workmanship. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Stand Pat, by David A. Curtis - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAND PAT *** - -***** This file should be named 51760-0.txt or 51760-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/7/6/51760/ - -Produced by deaurider, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at -http://gutenberg.org/license). - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at -809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email -business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact -information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official -page at http://pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit http://pglaf.org - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/old/51760-0.zip b/old/51760-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 0c8366f..0000000 --- a/old/51760-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h.zip b/old/51760-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index eba1519..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h/51760-h.htm b/old/51760-h/51760-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 390bc48..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/51760-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,6169 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" -"http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> - -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en" xml:lang="en"> - <head> <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> -<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=utf-8" /> -<title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Stand Pat, by David A. Curtis. -</title> -<style type="text/css"> - p {margin-top:.2em;text-align:justify;margin-bottom:.2em;text-indent:4%;} - -.c {text-align:center;text-indent:0%;} - -.cb {text-align:center;text-indent:0%;font-weight:bold;} - -.cnomar {text-align:center;text-indent:0%;font-weight:bold; -margin:0% 0% 0% 0%;} - -.eng {font-family: "Old English Text MT",fantasy,sans-serif;} - -.nind {text-indent:0%;font-weight:bold;font-size:105%;} -.nindd {text-indent:0%;} - -.r {text-align:right;margin-right: 5%;} - -.rt {text-align:right;} - -small {font-size: 70%;} - -big {font-size: 130%;} - - h1 {margin-top:0%;margin-bottom:0%;text-align:center;clear:both; -font-size:200%;} - - h2 {margin-top:4%;margin-bottom:2%;text-align:center;clear:both; - font-size:120%;} - - hr {width:90%;margin:2em auto 2em auto;clear:both;color:black;} - - hr.full {width: 50%;margin:5% auto 5% auto;border:4px double gray;} - - table {margin-top:2%;margin-bottom:2%;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;border:none;} - - body{margin-left:4%;margin-right:6%;background:#ffffff;color:black;font-family:"Times New Roman", serif;font-size:medium;} - -a:link {background-color:#ffffff;color:blue;text-decoration:none;} - - link {background-color:#ffffff;color:blue;text-decoration:none;} - -a:visited {background-color:#ffffff;color:purple;text-decoration:none;} - -a:hover {background-color:#ffffff;color:#FF0000;text-decoration:underline;} - -.smcap {font-variant:small-caps;font-size:100%;} - - img {border:none;} - -.blockquot {margin-top:2%;margin-bottom:2%;} - -.bboxx {border-top:solid 3px black;margin:0% auto auto auto; -border-left:solid 3px black;border-bottom:solid 3px black; -border-right:solid 3px black;padding:.25em; -max-width:20em;} - -.boxx {border-top:solid 3px black;padding:.25em; -border-left:solid 3px black;margin-left:auto;margin:0% auto auto auto; -max-width:20em; -border-right:solid 3px black;} - -.caption {font-weight:bold;font-size:75%;} - -.figcenter {margin-top:3%;margin-bottom:3%;clear:both; -margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;text-align:center;text-indent:0%;} - @media print, handheld - {.figcenter - {page-break-before: avoid;} - } - -.pagenum {font-style:normal;position:absolute; -left:95%;font-size:55%;text-align:right;color:gray; -background-color:#ffffff;font-variant:normal;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:none;text-indent:0em;} -@media print, handheld -{.pagenum - {display: none;} - } - -</style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Stand Pat, by David A. Curtis - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Stand Pat - Poker Stories from the Mississippi - -Author: David A. Curtis - -Illustrator: Henry Roth - -Release Date: April 14, 2016 [EBook #51760] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAND PAT *** - - - - -Produced by deaurider, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<hr class="full" /> - -<p class="cb">S T A N D P A T</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="325" height="500" alt="" /> -</div> - -<p><a name="front" id="front"></a></p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a href="images/i_f04_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_f04_sml.jpg" width="301" height="450" alt=""THERE WAS NO NEED, HOWEVER, OF ANOTHER SHOT.” - -(See page 36.) -" title="" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">"THERE WAS NO NEED, HOWEVER, OF ANOTHER SHOT.” -<br /> -(<a href="#page_036">See page 36.</a>) -</span> -</div> - -<div class="boxx"> - -<h1> -<big>S t a n d P a t</big><br /> - -<small><small>Or</small></small><br /> - -<small><small>Poker Stories from the Mississippi</small></small> -</h1> -</div> - -<div class="boxx"> -<p class="cnomar">By -<br /> -D a v i d A. C u r t i s</p> -</div> - -<div class="boxx"> - -<p class="cnomar"> -Illustrated by<br /> -H e n r y R o t h<br /> -<br /> -<img src="images/ill_colophon.png" -width="75" -height="74" -alt="" -/><br /> <br /></p> -</div> - -<div class="bboxx"> -<p class="cnomar"> -B o s t o n -<img src="images/ill_leaf.png" -width="15" -height="11" -alt="" -/> - L. C. P A G E &<br /> -C O M P A N Y -<img src="images/ill_leaf.png" -width="15" -height="11" -alt="" -/> -Mdccccvi<br /> -</p> -</div> - -<p> </p> - -<p class="c"><small> -<i>Copyright, 1900, 1901, 1902</i><br /> -<br /> -<span class="smcap">By the Sun Printing and Publishing Association</span><br /> -———<br /> -<i>Copyright, 1906</i><br /> -<br /> -<span class="smcap">By L. C. Page & Company</span><br /> -<br /> -(INCORPORATED)<br /> -———<br /> -<i>All rights reserved</i><br /> -<br /> -First Impression, May, 1906<br /> -<br /> -<span class="eng">Colonial Press</span><br /> -<br /> -Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co.<br /> -Boston, U. S. A.</small></p> - -<h2><a name="PREFACE" id="PREFACE"></a>PREFACE</h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> things that I saw, that seemed worthy of note, I have set down -without prejudice to the little town of Brownsville, which has grown -since I was there. Let no citizen of the place pursue me vindictively -because I found him less interesting than Stumpy. And let no one’s civic -pride suffer because I noted in the town only what seemed to me -picturesque. I have no quarrel with Brownsville. I got away from there. -What I saw while there seems worth the telling. Much of it I have told -in the <i>Sunday Sun</i>. That, and more will be found in this book.</p> - -<p class="r"> -<span class="smcap">David A. Curtis.</span></p> - -<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS</h2> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" summary=""> - -<tr><td><small>CHAPTER</small></td><td> </td> -<td class="rt"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#I">I.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">A New Poker Deck</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_001">1</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#II">II.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">Three Kings</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_011">11</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#III">III.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">Finish of the One-eyed Man</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_023">23</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#IV">IV.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">Looking for Gallagher</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_037">37</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#V">V.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">Stumpy’s Dilemma</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_053">53</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#VI">VI.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">Gallagher’s Return</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_067">67</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#VII">VII.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">Gallagher Stripped</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_080">80</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#VIII">VIII.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">A Trial of Skill</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_093">93</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#IX">IX.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">A Social Call</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_103">103</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#X">X.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">Stumpy Violates Etiquette</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_115">115</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#XI">XI.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">The New Poker Rule Made in Arkansas</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_128">128</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#XII">XII.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">A Stranger and Fond of Poker</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_143">143</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#XIII">XIII.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">On Hand Just Once</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_155">155</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#XIV">XIV.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">It Was a Great Deal</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_168">168</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#XV">XV.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">He Sat in with a V</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_183">183</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#XVI">XVI.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">His Queer System</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_198">198</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#XVII">XVII.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">An Extra Ace</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_213">213</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#XVIII">XVIII.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">Played by the Book</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_227">227</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#XIX">XIX.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">Only One Sure Way to Win</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_243">243</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td class="rt" valign="top"><a href="#XX">XX.</a></td><td> <span class="smcap">Kenney’s Royal Flush</span></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_253">253</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<h2><a name="LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS" id="LIST_OF_ILLUSTRATIONS"></a>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" summary=""> - -<tr valign="top"><td> </td><td><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td><a href="#front">“<span class="smcap">There was no need, however, of another shot</span>”</a> (<i><a href="#page_036">See page 36</a></i>)</td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#front"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td><a href="#REPORT">“<span class="smcap">Just then the report of a pistol-shot rang out</span>”</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_056">56</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td><a href="#SPALPEEN">“ ‘<span class="smcap">Ye have six cards in yer hand, ye spalpeen</span>’ ”</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_112">112</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td><a href="#RESPECTABLE">“<span class="smcap">In paying for the drinks Stumpy showed a roll of respectable size</span>”</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_150">150</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td><a href="#MONEY">“ ‘<span class="smcap">With one hand he grabbed Winterbottom’s gun while he put the money in his pocket -with the other</span>’ ”</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_210">210</a></td></tr> - -<tr valign="top"><td><a href="#CERTAINLY">“ ‘<span class="smcap">But certainly you ain’t goin’ to bet on that hand?</span>’ ”</a></td><td class="rt" valign="bottom"><a href="#page_268">268</a></td></tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_001" id="page_001"></a>{1}</span> </p> - -<h1>S T A N D P A T</h1> - -<h2><a name="I" id="I"></a>I<br /><br /> -<small>A NEW POKER DECK</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">It</span> was with entire unanimity, though without haste or undue excitement, -that the male population of Brownsville emerged from the various -buildings on the street when the hoarse whistle of the <i>Rosa Lee</i> was -heard at about five o’clock one afternoon in June of 1881. The feminine -portion of the community was seldom in evidence, but such glimpses as a -stranger might enjoy were to be had at the same time, for the women came -to their doors and looked out, listlessly, indeed, but with as much -interest as they ever displayed in anything short of a fight such as -occasionally disturbed the normal quietude of the place.</p> - -<p>It was noticeable that the men who came<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_002" id="page_002"></a>{2}</span> forth and who made their way -toward the landing all paused at the barroom near the wharf. There was -ample time to attend to such business as the boat might bring, for she -would not arrive for half an hour, at least, and the barroom was handily -located for a meeting-place.</p> - -<p>No great amount of money had been squandered on the decorations of this -particular temple of Bacchus, but such furniture as was deemed essential -had been provided, and the main piece of it, outside of the bar itself, -was a circular table about four feet in diameter, covered with what had -once been green baize. It had suffered long from rough usage, but was -still serviceable.</p> - -<p>Around this table, as the citizens of Brownsville straggled in, they saw -four men sitting with cards in their hands and chips in front of them. -One was Long Mike, whose nickname was no mark of disrespect, since he -was the richest and most influential man in town, but whose enormous -height and general appearance made it<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_003" id="page_003"></a>{3}</span> impossible to call him anything -else, once the nickname was uttered. Wherefore, his surname, if he had -one, had been by general consent, forgotten.</p> - -<p>Another was Gallagher, his foreman. A third was a man with one eye only, -who dealt cards with singular deftness, and was never known to do any -manual labour.</p> - -<p>And the fourth was a short, but very thick man, usually known as Stumpy, -because of his figure. His hair was of a vivid and gorgeous red colour, -and he had no quarrel on the ground of nationality with either Gallagher -or Long Mike.</p> - -<p>The game was not a big one. People seldom played for very large stakes -in Brownsville, except on occasions when strangers came to town, when -sometimes there would be real gambling, for Long Mike had sporting -proclivities, as well as means, and the one-eyed man had never been -known to decline any sort of proposition involving a game of chance.</p> - -<p>This afternoon they were playing a dime limit, but with as much spirit -as if the game<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_004" id="page_004"></a>{4}</span> was for blood, and they had just called on Sam, the -bartender, for a new deck of cards.</p> - -<p>“I’ll have time to take in about three more pots,” said Long Mike, -“afore the boat lands, so I’ll make ’em as large as I can,” and he -opened the jack-pot for the limit.</p> - -<p>“Well, ye may take three pots,” said Stumpy, who came next, “but I’m -thinkin’ ye’ll not take this wan. Av ye do, ye’ll get more than that.” -And he boosted it the limit.</p> - -<p>The one-eyed man said nothing—he never wasted words—but he put up -thirty cents.</p> - -<p>“Here’s where I get a chanst o’ pickin’ up money,” said Gallagher, who -was dealing. And he put up forty cents.</p> - -<p>“Once more,” said Long Mike. And he raised again.</p> - -<p>“As often as ye like,” said Stumpy, and his forty cents went in -promptly.</p> - -<p>The one-eyed man also raised it, and Gallagher fairly whooped with joy -at the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_005" id="page_005"></a>{5}</span> opportunity he had to make it ten more to play.</p> - -<p>“I reckon it’s no good givin’ yez b’yes good advice,” said Long Mike as -it came his turn again. “The best thing I can do for yez’ll be to take -your money. Yez may learn that way, when to lay down.” And once more he -raised it the limit.</p> - -<p>“It’s all right y’ are,” said Stumpy. “Sure it’s downright dishonest to -be lettin’ thim play furder. Let’s kape thim out.” And he raised again.</p> - -<p>But the others wouldn’t be kept out. The one-eyed man raised, and -Gallagher, getting his turn again, said:</p> - -<p>“I’ll give yez all warnin’. I’ll raise this pot ivery toime it cooms to -me. Kape on now. Ruin yersel’s av ye loike.” And his money went in with -a bang.</p> - -<p>Long Mike looked puzzled.</p> - -<p>“Sure yez ahl must have straights or flushes or such trash, an’ guns -wudn’t kape yez out. Wudn’t it be best to take off the limit? We’re -losin’ time this way and th’ boat’ll be in soon. What d’ yez say?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_006" id="page_006"></a>{6}</span>”</p> - -<p>“That’d suit me fine,” said Stumpy. “I have yez all bated a mile, an’ -the sooner I get th’ money the betther for me.”</p> - -<p>“Take it off,” said the one-eyed man, and Gallagher, who had been -growing more and more excited, declared that his pile would go on his -hand in one bet.</p> - -<p>“Well,” said Long Mike, “it’s five dollars more I’ll make it.” And he -put up the money.</p> - -<p>“I have siventeen dollars an’ fifty cents here,” said Stumpy, producing -an old wallet and counting out the bills. The odd half-dollar he fished -out of his pocket, and placing the whole amount in the middle of the -table, together with a few chips that he still had left, he said: -“That’s my pile. Av yez want to see my hand, ye’ll match thot.”</p> - -<p>The one-eyed man was as quiet as ever, but he carefully counted out the -equivalent of Stumpy’s bet, and added ten dollars to it, shoving the -entire sum into the pot.</p> - -<p>Not even at that was Gallagher daunted, but after exploring his pockets -carefully he declared he was all in with about twelve dollars.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_007" id="page_007"></a>{7}</span> He made -bigger wages than Stumpy, but spent his money more freely.</p> - -<p>Long Mike said nothing until he had carefully portioned out the pot, -putting the share in which Gallagher had an interest in one pile, and -that which Stumpy expected to win in another. Then he made good, up to -the amount of the one-eyed man’s wager, and raised him twenty dollars.</p> - -<p>That worthy appeared entirely undisturbed. All the chips on the table -were already in the pot, and he produced a small roll of bills from an -inside pocket which he proceeded to count. Finding some sixty dollars in -it, he threw it all on the table.</p> - -<p>Long Mike covered it, and raised one hundred dollars.</p> - -<p>“Well,” said the one-eyed man, “I reckon that will be about enough till -after the draw,” and he made good.</p> - -<p>“How many?” said Gallagher, as he picked up the deck.</p> - -<p>“Well, ye moight give me wan,” said Long Mike, with ostentatious -indifference.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_008" id="page_008"></a>{8}</span> And when Gallagher dealt it to him, he let it lie face -down.</p> - -<p>“These’ll do me,” said Stumpy, and it was observable that the ring of -confidence was lacking in the tone of his voice.</p> - -<p>The one-eyed man skinned his cards carefully before calling for any, and -for just one instant an expression of bewilderment might have been noted -on his face, but after a moment’s hesitation he also called for one -card.</p> - -<p>As a matter of fact he had discovered that two of his queens were clubs, -but he had quickly resolved to say nothing and trust to the chance of -the others not noticing it.</p> - -<p>“Well,” said Gallagher, “I’ll take wan messilf, just to kape yez -company,” and he dealt himself one.</p> - -<p>“It’s your bet,” he said to Long Mike, who then picked up the card he -had drawn.</p> - -<p>When he saw it his eyes seemed to bulge out suddenly, and his mouth -opened wide with astonishment.</p> - -<p>“Pfwat the divil!” he exclaimed, and then he burst out laughing so -loudly that no one paid any attention to the toot-toot-<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_009" id="page_009"></a>{9}</span>toot of the -<i>Rosa Lee’s</i> whistle, which, had they heard it, would have told them -that the boat was approaching the landing.</p> - -<p>The others looked in wonder while he laughed—all but the one-eyed man, -who seemed to have an inkling of the truth, and he grinned, though -rather sorrowfully, as if he thought of the money he had felt sure of -winning.</p> - -<p>“Well, b’yes, yez can’t bate that hand, anyhow,” said Long Mike as soon -as he could speak, and he threw down five aces.</p> - -<p>They all stared—Stumpy the hardest of all. Then he joined in the laugh.</p> - -<p>“Sure there do be aces to burn in thot pack,” he said. “I have two of -thim me own silf, wid three kings.” And he showed them down.</p> - -<p>“Sure I have you bate, anyhow,” said Gallagher, who was as surprised as -any one else, but who seemed to cherish the idea of winning something, -somehow. “I have four jacks,” and he showed them, but they were all red.</p> - -<p>“Let’s have a look at the deck,” said the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_010" id="page_010"></a>{10}</span> one-eyed man, and he spread -the cards out, face up.</p> - -<p>A most surprising number of face cards remained, despite the eleven that -had been distributed in the deal, and there was a conspicuous absence of -small cards.</p> - -<p>“Wat sort of a divil’s game is this, I don’t know?” asked Stumpy.</p> - -<p>The one-eyed man picked up the case that had held the deck, from the -corner where it had been thrown, and read the word “Pinochle” on it.</p> - -<p>“It’s a game the Dutchmen play in the East,” he said. “I’ve heard of it, -but I’ve never seen it played. But it does give a man good poker hands, -doesn’t it?”</p> - -<p>There was nothing to do but divide the pot, and by the time each man had -drawn down his money the <i>Rosa Lee</i> was screeching a continuous toot for -rousters to catch her lines, and the barroom was quickly emptied.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_011" id="page_011"></a>{11}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="II" id="II"></a>II<br /><br /> -<small>THREE KINGS</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">After</span> the river was frozen up and the boats could no longer ply the -upper Mississippi, the only approach to Brownsville from the other river -towns was by the stage-sleigh that came from La Crosse. This crossed -three times a week each way, and occasionally brought some stranger to -the town, though why a stranger should come, unless he arrived on a boat -that would presently carry him farther along on his way, was a thing -Brownsville could not readily understand.</p> - -<p>It was therefore with mild surprise that the citizens of the place saw -one Jack Britton jump out of the low box sleigh one evening in the -middle of winter. Nothing was said to him when he alighted. It was not<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_012" id="page_012"></a>{12}</span> -Brownsville’s way to greet newcomers with enthusiasm.</p> - -<p>But such of the citizens as happened to be near lined up expectantly in -front of Sam’s bar, when Mr. Britton, after stamping his feet a few -times, and thrashing his arms across his chest to get his blood in -circulation, entered the barroom and walked over to the stove to warm -his fingers.</p> - -<p>After he had stood there for a few minutes, and had, presumably, -recovered from the chill of the long ride, he stepped up to the bar and -called for some whiskey. His manner was that of a man who is immersed in -thought, and for the moment he seemed not to observe that there were -others present.</p> - -<p>Sam produced a bottle and a glass and set them on the bar, and Mr. -Britton poured out a drink for a grown man. He did not know it, or it -seemed as if he did not, but the eyes of the community were fixed upon -him.</p> - -<p>That is, eyes belonging to some eight or nine representative citizens of -Brownsville were so fixed, and for one critical moment<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_013" id="page_013"></a>{13}</span> there appeared -to be a strong probability that Mr. Britton would fail to establish -himself on any footing which would entitle him to favourable -consideration.</p> - -<p>In some mysterious way he became aware of this without anything being -said. Being, as he was, the focus of eight distinct glares of surprise, -he became aware that something was wrong, and, pausing in the very act -of lifting his glass, he looked slowly around, and then said, heartily -enough:</p> - -<p>“Excuse me, gentlemen. Won’t you join me?”</p> - -<p>They would and they did, and it remained possible for Mr. Britton to -make a good impression. The mere fact that he was unusual would not, of -itself, damn him hopelessly, but the curious behaviour of a man who -would come so near a fatal breach of etiquette in apparent -unconsciousness, was enough to raise a doubt, and while the doubt -remained Brownsville was not likely to make overtures.</p> - -<p>Jim Bixby, the stage-driver, had swallowed his liquor and gone outside -to attend<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_014" id="page_014"></a>{14}</span> to his horses, and, after an interchange of glances among -some of the others in the room, Larry Hennessy slouched out through the -door and was lost to sight.</p> - -<p>Making his way to the stable, where Bixby was rubbing his horses down, -he stood for a few moments looking on. Presently he said:</p> - -<p>“Thot mon inside, yonder. Is he a La Crosse man, I don’t know?”</p> - -<p>Bixby finished with one horse and began on the other before he answered. -Then he said:</p> - -<p>“He’s on’y been around f’r about a week. Come f’m somewheres East. Been -playin’ cards a good bit in Russell’s place. Left kind o’ sudden. Didn’t -hear much about it, but they was some kind of a mix-up in a game last -night. Didn’t have nothin’ to say comin’ over.”</p> - -<p>This marvel of succinctness being duly absorbed by Hennessy and reported -to the community in a much enlarged form, was sufficient to prepare -Brownsville for the campaign which Mr. Jack Britton entered upon -forthwith.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_015" id="page_015"></a>{15}</span></p> - -<p>Having once shaken off the preoccupied and abstracted air which he wore -when he arrived in town, he developed into a jovial, free-handed man of -convivial tendencies, though sparing in his own consumption of Sam’s -liquor, and was accepted readily enough as a nomad whose occupation was -that of a professional gambler.</p> - -<p>It might have been supposed, because of certain previous experiences, -that Brownsville would be reluctant to afford Mr. Britton an opportunity -to exercise his skill, but Brownsville, in some respects, was like the -rest of the world, and Long Mike and McCarthy were both resident in the -place.</p> - -<p>“Sure, I do be thinkin’ that McCarthy can play more poker an’ win less -money than any other mon in Iowa,” said Stumpy, when he came into the -barroom that night and found a game in progress, as he had, indeed, -shrewdly suspected would be the case.</p> - -<p>Long Mike was also in the game, but Long Mike sometimes won, having -remarkable streaks of luck, such as McCarthy never seemed to get. And -the one-eyed man was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_016" id="page_016"></a>{16}</span> playing, too, so that there was really no reason -to suppose that the stranger was the only man at the table who -understood all the tricks of the game.</p> - -<p>Hennessy had bought a stack of chips, and even Stumpy, though he was a -prudent man usually, was soon interested enough to ask for a hand. As -there was no objection, he took the sixth seat.</p> - -<p>It cost him only five dollars for a stack, and as the game was table -stakes, there was a chance for him either to go broke speedily, or to -win considerable money. At first, it seemed likely that he might do the -latter, for the very first hand he picked up had three kings.</p> - -<p>Long Mike was dealing and it was Hennessy’s age, so Stumpy had first -say, he having sat down between Hennessy and McCarthy.</p> - -<p>“I’ll play,” he said, throwing in his red chip with the two whites that -Hennessy had put up for an ante.</p> - -<p>McCarthy played also. It was to be expected that he would, for it was as -hard for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_017" id="page_017"></a>{17}</span> him to stay out as it was to win. The one-eyed man came in, -Britton raised it, and Long Mike and Hennessy laid down.</p> - -<p>“Sure I’ll raise that,” said Stumpy, making it one dollar more.</p> - -<p>McCarthy swore, but even his optimism was not enough to induce him to -see a double raise on two nines, and he threw down his cards. The -one-eyed man and Britton both made good, however, and they called for -cards.</p> - -<p>Stumpy took two, which proved to be a small pair. The one-eyed man took -one, and Britton stood pat.</p> - -<p>Stumpy threw in a white chip, being sure of a raise, but the one-eyed -man dropped. He had not bettered his two pairs. Britton raised it one -dollar, and Stumpy pushed all his chips forward. A king full seemed -worth backing, and, when Britton called, he showed them down -triumphantly.</p> - -<p>“Give me another stack,” was all that Britton said as he threw down his -cards.</p> - -<p>It may have been part of his plan to lose at first, and in any case the -loss was not heavy<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_018" id="page_018"></a>{18}</span> enough to daunt him, but he smiled as cheerfully as -if he had won.</p> - -<p>There was no play on Hennessy’s deal, and a jack-pot was made. Stumpy -dealt next and caught three kings again.</p> - -<p>No one opened until it came to him and he put up the size of the pot, -hardly expecting any stayers. Britton, however, came in, taking a chance -on a red and a black eight, and Long Mike decided to speculate on a four -flush.</p> - -<p>Neither of them bettered, and Stumpy showed his kings and took the pot.</p> - -<p>“Lucky cards,” said Britton, and no other comment was made.</p> - -<p>Again there was no play and another jack-pot was made. It was not opened -for two deals, but when the cards came to Long Mike in turn, Stumpy was -fairly amazed to find that once more he had three kings.</p> - -<p>It did not look right, and if it had been Britton’s deal he would have -hesitated about playing them, but Long Mike was above suspicion, so he -opened the pot with cheerful confidence.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_019" id="page_019"></a>{19}</span></p> - -<p>Again Britton was among those who came in, McCarthy and Long Mike both -finding enough to justify a play, but they all took three excepting -Stumpy, and he was quite easy in his mind when he bet two dollars. -Britton was the only one to call, and he said, with a laugh:</p> - -<p>“I’ve a notion to raise you, but maybe you have them three kings again.”</p> - -<p>“I have,” said Stumpy, and scooped the pot again.</p> - -<p>They all stared, but Britton was the only one to speak.</p> - -<p>“If I was you,” he said, in a nasty way, “I wouldn’t play them kings so -frequent. You might get beat on ’em next.”</p> - -<p>Now there are men to whom a remark of this sort may be made without -immediate trouble, but such men are not Irishmen of the peculiar redness -as to hair and beard that Stumpy had. He flared in an instant.</p> - -<p>“Oi’ll play thim cards whiniver Oi do be gettin’ thim to play,” he said, -with great heat. “An’ if ony gintleman i’ th’ room, f’m La Crosse or any -other place, has anything<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_020" id="page_020"></a>{20}</span> to say, Oi’d loike t’ hear what it is.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, well,” said Britton, “I said what I had to say. It don’t look well -for any man to hold three kings all the time.”</p> - -<p>“Av it’s a question o’ looks,” said Stumpy, very coolly, but with -evident wrath, “Oi don’t loike th’ looks o’ that nose you do be carryin’ -round wid youse.”</p> - -<p>Britton looked around, but seeing that no one else at the table was -likely to side with him in case of trouble, he controlled himself with -an effort.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Tain’t as good-lookin’ as I’d like to have it,” he said, with a forced -laugh, “but it’s the only one—”</p> - -<p>“An’ Oi do be thinkin’,” interrupted Stumpy, “it ud look a dom sight -betther av it was longer.”</p> - -<p>“Perhaps it would,” said Britton, still reluctant to accept the quarrel, -“but—”</p> - -<p>“But nothin’,” shouted Stumpy, reaching over and grasping the feature he -had mentioned. “Maybe pullin’ it a little moight<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_021" id="page_021"></a>{21}</span> do it good.” And he -gave it a mighty tweak.</p> - -<p>Two things only were possible after that, in Brownsville, and -unfortunately for Mr. Britton he chose the wrong one. A stand-up fight -with nature’s weapons would have established him as a person worthy of -consideration, even though he had been well licked, but he was not in -the habit of fighting in that fashion, and he reached for his gun.</p> - -<p>It was an unlucky movement. Long Mike sat next to him, and as they all -rose to their feet in the excitement, the big man seized him by the -wrist and the neck, and shaking him as a dog shakes a rat, he exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“Ye’ll pull no gun in Brownsville, ye double-jointed spalpeen, ye. An’ -ye’ll understhand that any gintlemon in this town that wants to play -kings, can play as many as he loikes, an’ as often as he loikes. An’ the -loikes o’ yez can get back to La Crosse whin ye loike.”</p> - -<p>And after he had shaken Britton sufficiently, he threw him into the -corner of the room.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_022" id="page_022"></a>{22}</span></p> - -<p>When the stage-sleigh was well out on the frozen river surface next day, -Jim Bixby turned to his passenger and said, briefly:</p> - -<p>“Them fellers in Brownsville kind o’ stands by each other most -generally.”</p> - -<p>But the passenger made no reply.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_023" id="page_023"></a>{23}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="III" id="III"></a>III<br /><br /> -<small>FINISH OF THE ONE-EYED MAN</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> one-eyed man sat playing solitaire at a table in the extreme rear of -the barroom. This particular room was not the only place in Brownsville -where liquor could be had by those bibulously inclined, for whiskey was -recognized as one of the staples. There were few of the citizens of the -place who allowed themselves to remain destitute of a domestic supply, -and there was none so inhospitable as to refuse to share what he had -with even a casual passer-by who cared to stop, but the room in which -the one-eyed man sat, on this occasion, was known as the barroom. -Brownsville was too small a place to encourage competition unduly.</p> - -<p>There was the usual crowd in the room, it being early in the evening, -and a river boat being expected soon. It was not every<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_024" id="page_024"></a>{24}</span> time a boat -arrived that anybody came ashore to stay, but sometimes it happened that -somebody would do so, and, even if it didn’t, there was usually some -freight to be landed, and while the roustabouts were bringing that off, -the boat would have to stay.</p> - -<p>On such occasions, the barroom, being handy to the landing, became not -only the social centre of Brownsville, but also the news exchange where -all the available intelligence of the happenings of the outside world -was to be obtained. It was not that Brownsville cared specially what the -outside happenings might be, or might not be, but there was more or less -excitement to be had by conversing with strangers who might stroll -ashore for even a few minutes, and Brownsville craved excitement.</p> - -<p>The usual crowd was unusually noisy this evening. Long Mike, the labour -contractor, who had organized a trust in handling of freight, and owned -eight mules, representing a goodly proportion of his accumulated -capital, had been drinking more than usual ever since the landing of the -last boat, and, after<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_025" id="page_025"></a>{25}</span> his fashion when he drank, his voice was being -overworked. Moreover, the small crowd of able-bodied men who were -enjoying his hospitality had all of them opinions of their own which -they were anxious to express, and so, though Sam, the bartender, was a -man of few words, there was no lack of conversation.</p> - -<p>The one-eyed man did not drink, and as there was an ill-defined popular -prejudice against him, partly for that reason, no one paid much -attention to him, or to his game of solitaire.</p> - -<p>Suddenly somebody called Long Mike a liar. Opinions differed when the -matter was afterward discussed, as to who the person was. Some of them -said it was Stumpy, but the only reason why they thought so, as they -were obliged to admit when the statement was questioned, was that Stumpy -was Irish and also red-headed, and a red-headed Irishman was always -liable to make a bad break. Others thought that Gallagher had spoken the -word, and this seemed more probable, for Gallagher was of a morose -temper at<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_026" id="page_026"></a>{26}</span> best, and utterly reckless when in his cups. But Gallagher -denied it, and nobody excepting the man who spoke ever knew who it was -that uttered the word. Several persons were talking at the time, but -there was no doubt that somebody exclaimed, “You’re a liar!”</p> - -<p>At the word the one-eyed man disappeared under the table at which he had -been playing. Had the door been nearer to him, or had there been a -window in the rear of the room, there is little doubt that he would have -gone outside, but the door was the only available exit, and it would -have taken two or three seconds for him to reach that. Two or three -seconds form an appreciable interval of time.</p> - -<p>The tendency of most persons to shoot too high, rather than too low, is -well known to everybody who has had experience in such matters, and the -course of action pursued by the one-eyed man in getting under the table -is the one generally approved. He never carried a gun himself, and -moreover, while he did not distinctly approve of the use<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_027" id="page_027"></a>{27}</span> of the -expression that had been applied to Long Mike, he had sufficient -sympathy with the thought expressed to restrain him from any impulse -toward resenting it on Mike’s behalf.</p> - -<p>The fusilade, though it was furious, was brief. Five revolvers were -emptied, and as three of them were seven-shooters, while the other two -had only five chambers each, it was readily reckoned up that thirty-one -shots were fired. Considering the size of the room, which was not great, -and the fact that there were fifteen or sixteen persons present, it -seemed a little remarkable that no one was hurt, but after the first -volley Sam came out from behind the bar and interfered gently, but -firmly, with Long Mike, who was trying in a fumbling sort of way to -reload his pistol.</p> - -<p>“Put that away,” said Sam, “or I’ll brain you where you stand.”</p> - -<p>Long Mike looked at him and then at the bung-starter which he held -poised ready for use, and forthwith put his pistol back in his pocket. -Being unable, in the confusion of words which followed, to determine -who<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_028" id="page_028"></a>{28}</span> it was that had insulted him, he burst out crying and invited all -hands to drink at his expense.</p> - -<p>There was a prompt response to the invitation by everybody but the -one-eyed man, who had resumed his game of solitaire, and Sam was -juggling his glasses with his usual skill when the whistle of the <i>Rosa -Lee</i> was heard from the river. Three minutes later Sam and the one-eyed -man were alone in the room.</p> - -<p>“The boys is pretty lively to-night,” said Sam, but the one-eyed man -only grunted.</p> - -<p>“I heer’d Jim Wharton was comin’ down the river this week,” said Sam, -cheerfully insistent upon conversation. “ ‘Twouldn’t be none surprisin’ -if he was on the <i>Rosa Lee</i>.”</p> - -<p>The one-eyed man grunted again, but his eye gleamed, and after a moment -he said, slowly: “Well, he’ll find me ready for him.” But he kept on -playing solitaire as if he had no active interest in anything outside of -his game.</p> - -<p>Neither did he seem to be paying attention to any outside happening, -when, after<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_029" id="page_029"></a>{29}</span> the noise of considerable confusion outdoors, the crowd -came straggling back into the barroom. It was not the same crowd, for -the <i>Rosa Lee</i> had brought a considerable load of freight, and Long -Mike, though insufficiently sober to bear himself with dignity in social -affairs, was not too drunk to attend to business, and he remained -outside attending to it. Several of his men, who had been with him in -the barroom on terms of equality, were now working for dear life while -he stood talking to them with all the emphasis of an army teamster -addressing a balky span of mules.</p> - -<p>There were several strangers in the incoming party, though, and the room -was even more crowded than before. The boat was not likely to start -again for an hour or more, and a number of passengers were stretching -their legs. Among the newcomers was a tall, swarthy fellow who swaggered -like a lumberman, but was dressed like a dandy, and who looked around as -he entered as if in search of some familiar face. With him were three -others, as well dressed as he,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_030" id="page_030"></a>{30}</span> but all of them having the indescribable -appearance and manner which marked them as “professional sports”—in -other words, gamblers—and all being of the type that was common along -the Mississippi River years ago.</p> - -<p>The one-eyed man did not look up, but he showed no mark of surprise when -the tall stranger, having first called for a bottle of wine, which he -shared with his three companions, left them standing at the bar and -strolled over toward the card-table.</p> - -<p>“Howd’ye, George,” he said, quietly enough, but with a curious -suggestion of inquiry in his tone.</p> - -<p>“Howd’ye, Jim,” was the one-eyed man’s response.</p> - -<p>He did not even look up from his game, and so far as his voice or manner -indicated, he was utterly indifferent to the fact of the other man’s -presence. He kept on laying down the cards with no show of emotion of -any kind, but a close observer might have noticed that he made two -mistakes in his play during the short while that the other stood<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_031" id="page_031"></a>{31}</span> -looking on in silence. Presumably the other was a close observer. -Gamblers mostly are.</p> - -<p>Presently the newcomer spoke again:</p> - -<p>“Bygones is bygones, ain’t they, George?” he said.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said the player, for the first time looking straight at his -questioner, and speaking very slowly. “Yes, I reckon bygones is bygones. -Anyway, my eye is gone.”</p> - -<p>“Well, it was a fair fight, George?” said the tall man.</p> - -<p>“Yes, it was a fair enough fight,” said the one-eyed man. “If it hadn’t -been. I’d ha’ looked you up an’ killed you, ’fore now.”</p> - -<p>“So I reckon,” said Wharton; “you was always quick for a fight, George, -an’ I don’t remember as I ever shirked one that was coming my way, did -I?”</p> - -<p>“No, that’s right enough,” said the one-eyed man, indifferently. Then -there was another silence and the one-eyed man resumed his game. -Presently Wharton spoke again.</p> - -<p>“Well,” he said, “I reckon there’s no grudge between us on account of -the fight.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_032" id="page_032"></a>{32}</span> You talk fair enough, an’ I hain’t nothin’ to say, but -there’s another thing that ain’t settled. What do you say to that?”</p> - -<p>“What is it?” asked the one-eyed man, shortly.</p> - -<p>“There’s a matter o’ seven hundred dollars o’ mine that you got away -with in that last game. I called your play crooked an’ I couldn’t prove -it, so I don’t hold it against you that you pulled a knife, but I want -that money. I hain’t fool enough to think you’re goin’ to hand it over, -but I’ll play you a freeze-out for one thousand dollars right now. If I -lose, I’ll take back what I said an’ couldn’t prove. If I win I’m -satisfied. But God help you if you don’t play straight an’ I do catch -you.”</p> - -<p>“That kind o’ talk is cheap,” said the one-eyed man, contemptuously. “I -don’t reckon the Almighty’s goin’ to help anybody much if he’s caught -cheatin’ along the Mississippi River, but you can say your prayers now, -Jim Wharton, if you think o’ makin’ any breaks at me, like you did once. -I’ll play you the freeze-out, an’ what’s more, I’ll win<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_033" id="page_033"></a>{33}</span> your money -unless you’ve learned to play poker since I seen you last. If it’s play, -I’ll play you, an’ if it’s fight, I’ll fight you to the finish.”</p> - -<p>Neither man had raised his voice; they were too much in earnest for -that. So no one in the room had seemed to pay attention to them. When -the one-eyed man called to Sam, however, to bring him cards and chips -for the game, a number of bystanders came up to look on, and among them -were the three men who came in with Wharton. A looker-on might have -thought that they were expecting an invitation to join the game, but -none was given, and they said nothing.</p> - -<p>The chips were counted out, the two thousand dollars placed in Sam’s -hands as payment, and the new deck of cards ripped open and shuffled, -and the two men cut for the deal, which fell to Wharton.</p> - -<p>It was a fruitless deal, for, finding nothing in his hand, he threw in a -red chip to cover the two white ones that the one-eyed man had anted, -and declared a jack-pot. The one-eyed man made good and took the cards.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_034" id="page_034"></a>{34}</span> -As he shuffled and dealt them, the other watched him keenly, but -evidently saw nothing wrong, though it was impossible not to see, from -the way his fingers moved, that he was dexterous to a degree in their -use.</p> - -<p>In four or five hands neither man held openers. Then Wharton caught -aces, opened the pot, and took it down, the one-eyed man having nothing.</p> - -<p>“Your first pot. It’s a bad sign for you, Jim,” he said, jeeringly.</p> - -<p>“All right,” said Wharton, “I’ll take all the pots that come. The first -is as good as any.”</p> - -<p>But for the next twenty minutes it almost seemed that the superstition -was to be upheld. Wharton won no more, and the one-eyed man was four -hundred dollars ahead when there came a struggle on Wharton’s deal.</p> - -<p>Catching two pairs, he made it ten dollars to play, and the one-eyed man -promptly raised it ten. Wharton made good and the one-eyed man drew two -cards.</p> - -<p>It was evident enough that he had threes,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_035" id="page_035"></a>{35}</span> having raised back before the -draw, so Wharton, instead of standing pat, as he had thought of doing, -took one. It proved to be a jack to his jacks up, and, as afterward -appeared, the one-eyed man got a pair with his three sevens.</p> - -<p>It was Wharton’s bet and he put up a hundred dollars.</p> - -<p>“As much more as you have,” said the one-eyed man, pushing his blue -chips forward.</p> - -<p>“I call you,” said Wharton, and they counted the piles. Wharton had -almost six hundred left, so the show-down put him ahead in the game.</p> - -<p>“Good dealing,” said the one-eyed man, coolly, as he picked up the deck, -but Wharton made no answer. Instead, he watched the deal more narrowly -than ever. Something he saw seemed to interest him greatly.</p> - -<p>The one-eyed man bet after the draw, but Wharton refused to see him, and -he scooped the pot. Then Wharton took the cards.</p> - -<p>Running them over rapidly, face down, he threw three cards to one side. -Then, picking<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_036" id="page_036"></a>{36}</span> up the three, he examined their backs carefully and -exclaimed with an oath: “By the marks on them I reckon they’re all -alike. Maybe they’re aces.”</p> - -<p>It was done as quickly as lightning flashes, and he threw down the three -cards, face up, before any one had fairly realized what he was doing. -They were all aces.</p> - -<p>Both men sprang to their feet on the instant, and as they rose Wharton -drew a revolver and the one-eyed man a knife.</p> - -<p>The revolver spoke as the man with the knife rushed around the table, -and, with a yell, he stumbled forward, stabbing viciously at the other -as he fell on the floor. Wharton dodged quickly, but not quickly enough -to avoid a bad cut in the arm, and shifting his pistol to his left hand, -he stood ready to shoot again.</p> - -<p>There was no need, however, of another shot.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_037" id="page_037"></a>{37}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="IV" id="IV"></a>IV<br /><br /> -<small>LOOKING FOR GALLAGHER</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">Brownsville</span> was disturbed. It can hardly be said that the industries of -the place were interrupted, for there were no industries in Brownsville -that were liable to interruption, except at such times as one of the -river steamboats was lying at the levee, either loading or unloading.</p> - -<p>Outside of Brownsville the prairie stretched indefinitely to the north, -west, and south, and there were persons who cultivated the soil with a -minimum of labour and obtained a maximum of results, and so far as -planting, harvesting, and marketing the products constituted an -industry, these persons were industrious.</p> - -<p>Inside the town, people mostly sat around. Except, as aforesaid, when -there was a boat at the levee.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_038" id="page_038"></a>{38}</span></p> - -<p>To a stranger no visible signs of disturbance would have been apparent. -Looking up and down the long street that constituted the main portion of -Brownsville, he might have noticed that there were no women to be seen, -but the feminine fraction of the population, insignificant in number, -was at no time obtrusive.</p> - -<p>Such social functions as were in vogue with the female sex consisted -mostly of long-range conversations between women who stood, each at her -own door, or leaned out, each at her own window. And the subject-matter -of these conversations would have been totally devoid of interest to the -stranger.</p> - -<p>At the moment when the action of this tale was about to begin, there was -no sound of conversation, nor appearance of a petticoat. There was, -instead, an ominous hush, though the stranger might not have recognized -the omen.</p> - -<p>It was yet early in the forenoon, and the only interruption to the -unwonted silence of the morning had come from a crash in Long<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_039" id="page_039"></a>{39}</span> Mike’s -house half-way up the street. It was such a noise as might have been -made by an angry man who should survey his breakfast-table, and, finding -nothing on it to his liking, should upset it with such violence as to -send some of the dishes against the walls of the room and others through -the front window.</p> - -<p>The strained attention of Brownsville had caught no further sound for -half an hour, and though at every other door but his and one other, men -stood as if prepared for observation or action, as the case might be, -they had heard nothing further, nor seen anything.</p> - -<p>Suddenly Long Mike’s door flew open. What force impelled it cannot be -stated positively, but Stumpy, whose house was almost opposite, saw the -recumbent figure of a man several feet back from the doorway, where it -might have fallen after an energetic kick and a sudden recoil.</p> - -<p>Slowly and with evident effort the man arose to his feet, and after some -minutes stepped uncertainly forward. Steadying<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_040" id="page_040"></a>{40}</span> himself by the lintels, -he gazed out, as if dubious of the result of further effort.</p> - -<p>Up and down the street he looked for a long time, with as much -earnestness as was compatible with a confusion of ideas that seemed to -be buzzing around his head, seeking entrance as bees might endeavour to -enter a sealed hive.</p> - -<p>Presently his eyes fell on the one doorway, not far from his own, where -no man stood. The faces he saw at the other doors were all mistily -familiar to him, but he gave no sign of recognition, and no man spoke to -him. The alert but motionless figures might have been graven images, so -far as any emotion could be detected, and they stirred him not.</p> - -<p>But the empty doorway fixed his unsteady look. His eye cleared, and with -a mighty lurch he sallied forth, saying nothing when he started but -gurgitating violently as he strove to arouse his vocal organs to action.</p> - -<p>“Mother of Moses!” muttered Stumpy, grimly observant. “He’s lookin’ for -Gallagher. Now if Gallagher was home what<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_041" id="page_041"></a>{41}</span> a broth of a shindy there’d -be! Saints be! but it’s good he’s took a sneak.”</p> - -<p>Deviously, and with many pauses and new starts, Long Mike made his way -toward Gallagher’s house. Arriving in front of it he paused, and cleared -his throat with a yell, the like of which Brownsville had never heard, -save from the exhaust-pipe of some steamboat.</p> - -<p>Following this came a monstrous cataract of vituperation, Homeric in -strength, Gargantuan in explicit epithets, shameless in profanity, and -seemingly endless in continuance, but bibulously uncertain as to its -exact purport. The general tenor of it seemed to indicate a strong -desire for a personal encounter with one Gallagher.</p> - -<p>When, after a long period of this, silence ensued, Long Mike waited for -awhile, but no answer came. The door remained closed, and no sign of -life came from within. Standing forward at length, he raised his foot, -and Gallagher’s door flew in.</p> - -<p>“Glory be!” muttered Stumpy again, “it’s little use he has for latches -and locks<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_042" id="page_042"></a>{42}</span> the mornin’. And it’s little good Gallagher’ll get of his -furniture from now.”</p> - -<p>This last statement was undeniably true, for Long Mike, finding no -living being in the house, seized a chair and painstakingly demolished -everything destructible on the premises. Then he came out, and after -whooping wildly a few times at the uttermost pitch of his powerful -voice, made his way slowly and crookedly to the barroom. And after him, -one by one, the heads of the households in Brownsville came slowly.</p> - -<p>Now Gallagher, as all Brownsville knew, was Long Mike’s foreman, and -Long Mike’s ownership of all the mules in Brownsville was hardly more -absolute than his proprietorship in all the available human labour of -the place, and, moreover, the imperious character that had enabled him -to conquer his position in the community made him its autocrat.</p> - -<p>The reflected glory of such a man, to be enjoyed by one fortunate enough -to be his foreman, would be enough for any ordinary person, but -Gallagher was not ordinary.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_043" id="page_043"></a>{43}</span> Debarred by nature from the possibility of -attaining the highest eminence, he was still covetous of distinction, -and the satisfaction he derived from the hearty hatred of the men he -tyrannized over, was poisoned by the reflection that the good-natured -giant who tyrannized over him held him in contempt.</p> - -<p>Because of these things there was frequent friction between the two. -Gallagher could extract more work from a mule or a man than any one -else, and Long Mike valued him accordingly. Nevertheless, there were -times when the foreman’s unruly tongue would so stir up the temper of -his employer as to secure his immediate discharge. Having little -confidence in anything that Long Mike said, Gallagher would proceed with -his work, serenely indifferent to his dismissal, and would collect his -wages as usual at the close of the week.</p> - -<p>It had happened, however, that ever since the night when the one-eyed -man had suddenly perished in a controversy with one Wharton, which -controversy touched on<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_044" id="page_044"></a>{44}</span> points of etiquette appertaining to the game of -draw-poker, Long Mike had been unable to steady his nerves, despite his -persistent efforts to do so by a liberal use of the one specific in -which he had faith. Being unusually irritable, therefore, he had -resented Gallagher’s latest impertinence more bitterly than usual, and, -in addition to discharging him, had attempted also to kill him.</p> - -<p>This he would undoubtedly have succeeded in doing with his bare hands, -for he had the strength of seven men, but, fortunately for the foreman, -there was considerable uncertainty in his movements, and his intended -victim had eluded him by a quick movement which was continued in a -panicky flight. The flight had taken him across the gangplank of the -<i>Pride of the River</i>, just as the deck-hands were hauling it aboard, and -he had gone down the river on the boat, a fact not yet known to his -employer.</p> - -<p>There was a Mrs. Gallagher, but she had found refuge with a sympathetic -neighbour, and took no part in the events of the day.</p> - -<p>In the barroom there was an atmosphere<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_045" id="page_045"></a>{45}</span> of doubtful expectancy. Just -what Long Mike would do when he found his rage balked in the direction -of Gallagher, no one could tell, and in truth none was anxious to see. -The consequences of any fresh accession of fury might be decidedly -unpleasant.</p> - -<p>It was therefore with considerable anxiety that the crowd listened for -Sam’s answer, Sam being the bartender, when Long Mike questioned him.</p> - -<p>“Where is that man Gallagher?” he demanded, thickly.</p> - -<p>“I’m lookin’ for him every minute,” said Sam, in a matter-of-fact way, -as he placed bottles and glasses on the bar. No order had been given, -but Long Mike’s ways were known, and a round of drinks at his expense -seemed to be an appropriate ceremony.</p> - -<p>The due performance of this engrossed the general attention for a few -minutes, and then Long Mike again demanded to know where Gallagher was.</p> - -<p>“I’m lookin’ for him every minute,” said Sam in the same tone as before. -And to the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_046" id="page_046"></a>{46}</span> same question, repeated at irregular intervals for the next -quarter of an hour, he replied in the same words.</p> - -<p>After each answer Long Mike stood, apparently satisfied, looking as -steadily as he was able to do toward the door, with the evident -expectation of seeing his foe appear, but abstaining from speech. -Slowly, however, he seemed to gather the idea that he was being trifled -with, and presently he said, with a violent hiccough:</p> - -<p>“Where is that man Gallagher?”</p> - -<p>“I’m lookin’ for him every minute,” said Sam, imperturbably.</p> - -<p>Long Mike turned and look at him with a scowl.</p> - -<p>“Ye said that before,” he exclaimed.</p> - -<p>“I was lookin’ for him before,” said Sam.</p> - -<p>This seemed to divert the big man’s mind to a new channel of thought, -and he pondered it awhile, uncertain whether to laugh or be angry.</p> - -<p>At length he leaned over the bar and shook a huge forefinger in Sam’s -face.</p> - -<p>“You’re a fool,” he said, and glared.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_047" id="page_047"></a>{47}</span></p> - -<p>Sam made no reply, but Stumpy, judging that something must be done, -interposed:</p> - -<p>“Ye’ll all have a drink with me,” he said.</p> - -<p>Ordinarily this form of speech was unchallenged by any critic in -Brownsville, and Long Mike was possibly the one citizen least likely to -offer any objection, but on this occasion he turned to the speaker, and, -shaking his forefinger at him, exclaimed again:</p> - -<p>“You’re a fool.”</p> - -<p>Stumpy stepped back a little. Long Mike faced the crowd and said with -additional emphasis:</p> - -<p>“You’re all fools.” Then he broke out with a roar of fury. “Will ye tell -me where is that man Gallagher?” but no man dared make answer.</p> - -<p>“In just about a minute, now,” said Joe Thorp in an undertone to his -nearest neighbour, “there’ll be a ten-acre fight in this here barroom if -nothin’ ain’t done to get the old man’s mind off’n Gallagher.”</p> - -<p>“I reckon you’re about right,” replied Jim Hunnewell, “but there ain’t -nobody here as cares about fightin’ ’cept him. An’ when<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_048" id="page_048"></a>{48}</span> he’s loaded, -he’d a heap rather fight than do anything else, ’thouten it’s play -poker.”</p> - -<p>“That’s the idee,” exclaimed Thorp, struck with an inspiration. Then, -raising his voice, he continued: “Who’ll play a game of poker? Speak up, -quick, you chump,” he whispered, and Hunnewell spoke.</p> - -<p>“I will,” he said, eagerly.</p> - -<p>“And I,” “And I,” “And I,” said Baxter and Wilson and Cosgrove almost as -quickly. They had caught the whispered words, and appreciated the -emergency.</p> - -<p>“Give us the chips, Sam,” called Thorp, bustling toward the card-table -in the rear of the room. “Will you take a hand, Mike?” he added, -carelessly, as the others followed him with more noise than seemed -necessary.</p> - -<p>Long Mike considered the matter for a moment, but, finding that he no -longer held public attention, he wavered and then said:</p> - -<p>“I will.”</p> - -<p>“It’s like picking his pockets,” said Cosgrove, with some compunction, -as they all<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_049" id="page_049"></a>{49}</span> took their seats. Even in Brownsville the code prohibits -playing with a man who is hopelessly drunk if he happens to be your -neighbour and friend.</p> - -<p>“Isn’t it better than to have him kill somebody before he sobers up?” -said Thorp, and the argument was sufficient for all of them.</p> - -<p>But the picking of Long Mike’s pockets did not proceed with any alarming -speed. They played the usual game, table stakes, and each man took five -dollars in chips at the start. The first pot was a jack.</p> - -<p>Cosgrove dealt. Thorp passed. Baxter passed. Wilson opened it for a -dollar and a half. Hunnewell threw down. Long Mike raised it two -dollars. Cosgrove stayed. Thorp stayed and Wilson stayed.</p> - -<p>When they came to draw cards, Thorp took one, Wilson took two, and Long -Mike was found to be fast asleep. They roused him with some difficulty, -and after scanning his cards with every appearance of dissatisfaction, -he called for four. Cosgrove took three.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_050" id="page_050"></a>{50}</span></p> - -<p>Wilson bet a white chip. Long Mike chipped. Cosgrove shoved in his pile, -having caught a third ace. The others all stayed, and Wilson showed -three tens. Thorp had a small straight, and Long Mike had a king-high -flush.</p> - -<p>It was quick action and called for another jack. As three of the -conspirators bought more chips, they consoled themselves as well as they -could with the thought that sheer luck like that seldom comes to one -player frequently in one sitting.</p> - -<p>This time Baxter opened it under the guns. Wilson passed. Hunnewell -raised it one dollar on a small straight. Long Mike stayed on a pair of -deuces. Cosgrove and Thorp laid down and Baxter saw the raise, having -kings up.</p> - -<p>In the draw Long Mike caught the three aces Cosgrove had had the deal -before. After Baxter and Hunnewell had bought again, there was -fifty-five dollars on the table, of which over thirty was in Long Mike’s -pile.</p> - -<p>In the next deal he caught nothing and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_051" id="page_051"></a>{51}</span> promptly went to sleep again. -They woke him up in time to look at his next hand, and that failed also -to interest him. In the following deal, however, he caught three sevens.</p> - -<p>It had been his ante, and the money had been put up out of his pile -without waking him, but even under existing circumstances no one cared -to go so far as to play his hand for him, the more especially as they -all had pretty good cards and saw his raise when he made it two dollars -to play.</p> - -<p>Catching the fourth seven in the draw, he made good on two raises that -had been made before it came to him, and threw in five dollars more. -Thorp and Wilson both called for their piles, one having a flush and the -other a full.</p> - -<p>Just what might have happened in a few hands more it is impossible to -say, for the whistle of the <i>Prairie Belle</i> startled the crowd as she -steamed up to the levee, and Long Mike staggered to his feet, stuffing -his winnings in his pockets as he rose. Neither<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_052" id="page_052"></a>{52}</span> whiskey nor poker was -potent to hold him when there was business to be done.</p> - -<p>As he stepped unsteadily into the open air, Sam heard him asking of the -wide, wide world, “Where is that man Gallagher?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_053" id="page_053"></a>{53}</span>”</p> - -<h2><a name="V" id="V"></a>V<br /><br /> -<small>STUMPY’S DILEMMA</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> only thing stirring on the levee at Brownsville on Sunday morning, -usually, was a small dog belonging to Stumpy. It was of record that when -Stumpy arrived at Brownsville with his dog Peter, bringing their entire -earthly possessions wrapped in a large red handkerchief, Peter came -across the gangplank first, being in hot pursuit of a rat. The rat -escaped, finding its way into a crevice near the edge of the water, and -the most of Peter’s spare time for the two years that had elapsed since -then had been spent near that crevice. No sign of the rat had ever been -discovered, but Peter’s faith was abiding.</p> - -<p>It was possibly characteristic of the breed of Peter, which was -considered in Brownsville to be some sort of terrier—and it was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_054" id="page_054"></a>{54}</span> -certainly characteristic of Peter that he did not sit down by the -crevice to watch for that rat, but ran back and forth continually, -barking, meanwhile, with cheerful disregard of the effort involved. He -did not wag his tail, being possessed of a totally insufficient amount -of tail to be wagged. “Sure his tail was never cut off,” Stumpy used to -say, “it was drove in.” But he wagged the entire hinder portion of his -body, as he ran, with an enthusiasm that frequently sent two of his legs -high in the air.</p> - -<p>While he was engaged in this fashion one otherwise peaceful Sabbath day, -his master appeared in view, and the two were soon in conversation.</p> - -<p>“Thim two spalpeens that kim off the boat last night, I’m thinkin’, is -goin’ to do up the town, I do’ know,” said Stumpy, whose habit it was to -discuss matters with Peter when he found them too difficult to -understand easily.</p> - -<p>Peter looked at him anxiously, but finding that Stumpy had paused for -reflection, he barked once, and waited.</p> - -<p>“That’s just it,” said Stumpy, eagerly.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_055" id="page_055"></a>{55}</span> “The divil’s own cousin cudn’t -tell if they was Mormon missionaries or retail grocers on a holiday -trip. If it was down the river, now, they’d be cotton factors maybe, but -whhat’d a cotton factor be doin’ in Brownsville, I do’ know. An’ the -drink! Glory be, but they’re divils for drink. An’ Long Mike on’y a week -after the last wan.”</p> - -<p>This last remark called for no explanation in Brownsville, where Long -Mike’s sprees were events in municipal history. Peter whined -lugubriously.</p> - -<p>“An’ it’s right ye are, Peter,” said Stumpy. “If he starts in again now -there’ll be an end. Didn’t he wipe out Gallagher’s place from door to -door, wid the glory o’ drink in him, two weeks ago? It’s none too -peaceful at the best, that Brownsville is, but wid him drunk it’s hell. -An’ it’s drunk he’ll be again if thim two strangers stays. An’ I do be -thinkin’, Peter, that if he’s drunk again afore the change o’ the moon, -he’ll sober up in the life everlastin’.”</p> - -<p>At this Peter howled long and loud, and Stumpy lapsed into silence.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_056" id="page_056"></a>{56}</span></p> - -<p>To them presently appeared Sam. The exigencies of business required -Sam’s presence in the barroom, as a usual thing, regardless of the day, -or time of day, he being the only dispenser of potable necessities in -Brownsville, but the stress of Saturday nights was commonly followed by -an interval of calm on Sabbath mornings, and his custom was to go abroad -for air on those occasions.</p> - -<p>Seating himself on a piece of driftwood, he chewed the end of his cigar -for a time, and then observed: “It was a large night.”</p> - -<p>“It was,” said Stumpy. “Is thim two strangers stayin’ here long, I don’t -know?” Stumpy’s brogue defied spelling.</p> - -<p>“They’ll be dead if they do,” said Sam. “I’ve saw wild men afore, but I -never seen two men try to pull up the Mississippi River by the roots.”</p> - -<p>“If it was thim ’ud die,” said Stumpy, gloomily. “An’ Hennessy. We c’d -do widout Hennessy an’ wan or more others. But I do be thinkin’ Long -Mike is off again.”</p> - -<p>“Looks like it,” said Sam.</p> - -<p>Just then the report of a pistol-shot rang</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="REPORT" id="REPORT"></a> -<a href="images/i_p056a_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p056a_sml.jpg" width="309" height="450" alt="“JUST THEN THE REPORT OF A PISTOL-SHOT RANG OUT.”" title="“JUST THEN THE REPORT OF A PISTOL-SHOT RANG OUT.”" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“JUST THEN THE REPORT OF A PISTOL-SHOT RANG OUT.”</span> -</div> - -<p class="nindd">out, and Peter leaped in the air. He was not hurt, but the bullet had -struck between his fore paws, and he was frightened.</p> - -<p>Stumpy turned like a flash. The two strangers were approaching, laughing -heartily, and one of them was about to shoot again. Stumpy was a small -man, probably a foot shorter than either of the newcomers, but his hair -was very red. He sprang to his feet.</p> - -<p>“That’s my dog,” he said, pulling off his coat, and the man who was -poising his revolver lowered it.</p> - -<p>“No offence, friend,” he said, pleasantly. “I just wanted to see the dog -dance.”</p> - -<p>“Dance, is it?” shouted Stumpy, in a fine rage. “That dog’s no circus. -If it’s dancin’ ye want, I’ll dance, but it’s on your ugly face it’ll -be, wid you on the flat o’ your back.” And he squared off in excellent -style.</p> - -<p>“There, there,” said the big man, soothingly, “I’ll not fight you, and -I’ll not bother your dog, if it’s yours. Come and have a drink.”</p> - -<p>It was not easy to placate the little Irishman,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_058" id="page_058"></a>{58}</span> but the two strangers -finally accomplished it, and the entire party went over to the barroom. -Peter, however, refused to enter the place, and showed his teeth -viciously when the sportive pistol-player, whose name was Carruthers, -offered to pat his head by way of apology.</p> - -<p>As the day wore on, the male population of Brownsville, one by one, -appeared in the barroom, and Carruthers and his mate, Hopper, played the -part of hosts with great assiduity, so that the general condition of -hilarity that had prevailed on Saturday night, but which had been -greatly modified in the early morning hours, was fully reëstablished -before nightfall.</p> - -<p>The two men told about themselves without reserve, and there seemed to -be no reason to doubt their story. They were sports, they said, frankly, -it being fully understood that the word sport was a mere euphemism for -professional gambler, and, having “made a killing” in La Crosse a few -days before, they were enjoying a trip down the river with the ultimate -purpose of getting into a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_059" id="page_059"></a>{59}</span> big game at Vicksburg or New Orleans. Things -being too slow to suit them on the boat on which they started, they had -stopped off at the first landing-place to wait for another. Being thus -in Brownsville, they proposed to enjoy themselves as heartily as -possible, so what was the matter with all hands having another drink?</p> - -<p>Whatever latent prejudice there was in the minds of Stumpy and one or -two others who recognized an element of peril in the situation, was of -little force against the popular enthusiasm the two strangers evoked by -their liberality. Being men of seemingly unlimited capacity themselves, -they soon discovered that Brownsville had also a few mighty drinkers, -and, while now and again some less gifted man dropped out of the bout -and made his uncertain way to some hiding-place, there were others on -whom even Sam’s brands of red liquors had no appreciable effect.</p> - -<p>Long Mike, indeed, seemed in his element. Glass for glass with anybody -and everybody he tossed off his tipple as if it were filtered<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_060" id="page_060"></a>{60}</span> water, -and his eye grew brighter, his hand steadier, and his tongue more nimble -with each potation, so that only those who knew the awful cumulative -effect drink had on him when his limit was actually reached, could -realize that the commercial standing of Brownsville was at stake, for -without Long Mike there was no head to the community, and no prospect of -carrying on any business of importance. Therefore Stumpy—and -others—had misgivings.</p> - -<p>Not all the boats that ply the Mississippi stop at Brownsville, and the -intervals at which some do stop are uncertain, so that Carruthers and -Hopper had no means of calculating the length of their stay. It did not -appear to trouble them much, but toward evening, no boat having -appeared, and none being expected that night, Carruthers remarked, -casually, that he could wish for a little excitement.</p> - -<p>“Your liquor is all right,” he said, “and your society here is pleasant -enough to suit anybody, but don’t you ever do anything in Brownsville?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_061" id="page_061"></a>{61}</span>”</p> - -<p>“We had a cock-fight here last month,” said Hennessy, “but there’s only -one cock in town now. That was Gallagher’s afore Gallagher lit out, but -even if he was to come home there’s no way o’ fightin’ one cock. That -is, there’s no way I know on, ’thouten you put him front of a -lookin’-glass,” he added, with a foolish laugh that no one echoed.</p> - -<p>“Don’t nobody ever play poker here?” asked Hopper.</p> - -<p>“I knowed it,” said Stumpy, under his breath, to Sam, who nodded -understandingly.</p> - -<p>People did play poker in Brownsville, quite a number of them, but they -had a wholesome respect for travelling sports, realizing that the -domestic variety of the game was by no means up to the standard -established on the boats by gentlemen who made a business of playing. -Liquor, however, played the mischief with Long Mike’s bump of caution, -and he was fond of poker anyhow.</p> - -<p>It turned out as Stumpy feared, and as<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_062" id="page_062"></a>{62}</span> Hopper expressed his disdain of -a limit game, and nobody else was strong enough to put up a hundred -dollars, Long Mike was presently engaged in playing table stakes with -the two sports, each of the three having produced that sum.</p> - -<p>“It’s not the hundred’ll break him,” said Stumpy, while Sam was getting -the chips and cards, “but he’ll buy and buy, by and by, till the divil -himself couldn’t save him.”</p> - -<p>And this was the prevailing opinion among the score or more of men who -clustered around to watch the game. No man, however, cared to raise his -voice in protest. It would hardly have been done in any case, for a -wholesome respect obtains on the Mississippi River for the right of the -individual to go to the devil in his own chosen way, but, in the case of -Long Mike, there was an additional feeling that he would make it -extremely uncomfortable for any one who might presume to remonstrate -with him for anything.</p> - -<p>The game was not, at first, a notable one. No particularly sensational -play marked the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_063" id="page_063"></a>{63}</span> loss of Long Mike’s first hundred, though it went -pretty fast, and with the second hundred he managed to secure some good -pots, so that he ran up, almost even, for a few moments. But a series of -losses reduced his pile again to less than forty dollars, when he caught -a flush against Hopper’s full house, and called on Sam for two hundred -more in chips.</p> - -<p>It was evident, then, that he had the fever, and Stumpy groaned in -spirit. There was no telling what the end would be, but he felt that it -was among the possibilities for Long Mike to ruin himself in an hour or -two, and his ruin would be disastrous to more than one in the room.</p> - -<p>Suddenly he saw something which set his brain in a whirl. If he could -have been positive and could have given proof, he would have declared -that he saw Hopper deal himself a card from the bottom of the deck. He -knew, however, what the accusation of cheating would mean, and he -hesitated. Possibly he might have been mistaken, he thought, and anyhow -it would be<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_064" id="page_064"></a>{64}</span> his word against one other’s. It was altogether uncertain -what the result would be.</p> - -<p>He watched the game, however, even more keenly than before, determined -to speak, regardless of consequences, if he should see anything he was -sure of. What he did not notice was that Carruthers had seen the gasp of -astonishment that he had himself been unconscious of, and was watching -him carefully. He stood opposite where Carruthers sat.</p> - -<p>Presently there came a jack-pot that Hopper opened for five dollars. -Carruthers passed, but did not immediately throw his cards on the table. -Long Mike raised it ten dollars, it being his deal. Hopper came back at -him with ten more, and Long Mike stayed.</p> - -<p>Hopper called for two cards, and, as he did so, Stumpy distinctly saw -Carruthers show Hopper his hand as he threw it on the table in the -discard. One of the five was an ace, and Stumpy saw it.</p> - -<p>Watching Hopper as he moved to pick up the cards dealt to him in the -draw, he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_065" id="page_065"></a>{65}</span> saw further that Hopper took one of them and one from the -discarded pile. It was deftly done, but he was certain this time.</p> - -<p>Long Mike stood pat, and when Hopper pushed his whole pile forward, Long -Mike called him for all he had in front of him, a hundred and odd -dollars. Then he showed a pat straight and Hopper showed four aces.</p> - -<p>“Hold on!” shouted Stumpy. “There’s foul play here. That—” and then he -paused.</p> - -<p>Every man in the room was looking at him, and he was the only one who -saw the muzzle of Carruther’s pistol just above the edge of the table. -It was pointed directly at him, and the barrel looked to him as large -around as a nail-keg.</p> - -<p>It was not necessary to explain to him that Carruthers had the drop on -him. Moreover, he knew that if he tried to finish his sentence he would -be shot before he got the words out. It was small wonder he paused.</p> - -<p>Nobody spoke for a moment, Stumpy for the excellent reason just stated, -and the others because of their surprise. Then Carruthers<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_066" id="page_066"></a>{66}</span> said: -“Evidently the gentleman never saw four aces held before. Is that what -you meant when you spoke of foul play?”</p> - -<p>Still all eyes were on Stumpy. No one else had seen the revolver, but he -knew that on his answer depended the question whether Carruthers should -shoot or not. Drops of sweat came out on his forehead. He drew a long -breath.</p> - -<p>Then he saw something else, and he answered Carruthers curiously.</p> - -<p>“Yes-s-s,” he said, prolonging the word into a curious hiss which he -knew that Peter understood.</p> - -<p>At the instant that Carruthers, with an evil smile, was relaxing his -aim, a small, brown dog landed on his shoulders and fastened his teeth -in his throat.</p> - -<p>No man was ever able to recall all the details of the mix-up that -followed, but after two badly damaged strangers had departed from -Brownsville on the next boat, Stumpy observed to Sam: “Sure, it would -ha’ been betther to kill thim, I don’t know.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_067" id="page_067"></a>{67}</span>”</p> - -<h2><a name="VI" id="VI"></a>VI<br /><br /> -<small>GALLAGHER’S RETURN</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">When</span> Gallagher came back to Brownsville he did not expect to be met at -the steamboat-landing by a delegation of citizens eager to welcome his -return. There was no thought in his mind of having to listen to an -address of eulogy and being obliged to reply with a few or a great many -well-chosen remarks.</p> - -<p>The idea of a brass band and a display of fireworks tooting and blazing -in his honour had never entered his head. The most he hoped for was to -be able to sneak across the gangplank unnoticed, and to make his way -under the friendly obscurity of darkness, in case it should happen to be -after nightfall, along the edge of the levee to the neighbourhood of his -own house, where he might remain in seclusion until such time as he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_068" id="page_068"></a>{68}</span> -should learn what the disposition of the community might be, and more -especially what Long Mike’s attitude toward him was.</p> - -<p>The recollection of all the circumstances attending his departure from -Brownsville was sufficiently vivid in his mind to fill him with -apprehension, and the utmost caution seemed absolutely necessary when he -determined to return. He recalled distinctly that, after he had tried -Long Mike’s temper to the point at which further endurance became -impossible, that usually good-natured person became suddenly furious -with rage, and not only discharged him from his employ—that, Gallagher -was accustomed to—but strove earnestly to preclude the possibility of -hiring him again, by the simple but effective expedient of killing him.</p> - -<p>It should be said that Long Mike seldom attempted to kill anybody. -Murder was not his habit, he being usually a tolerant person, albeit he -required a full equivalent of labour in return for the wages he paid.</p> - -<p>On such occasions, however, as he had deemed serious enough to demand -extreme<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_069" id="page_069"></a>{69}</span> action, he had never been known to fail to get his man, until -Gallagher had eluded him by a flight that took him far from Brownsville. -Some months had elapsed since then, but Gallagher had no means of -knowing whether his boss’s wrath had cooled or not.</p> - -<p>The caution he displayed in eluding observation when he went ashore from -the river boat was not, therefore, uncalled for. Knowing the ground -perfectly, even in the darkness, he picked his way carefully to the door -of his own house, but before lifting the latch he stopped and listened, -as one who was in great doubt. As he continued to listen he passed -through many phases and degrees of doubt, perplexity, and amazement.</p> - -<p>It was his own house beyond a question, but many things had happened -since his sudden departure. Long Mike was impetuous, but not devoid of -generous impulses, or of a prejudice in favour of fair play. When he -realized that he had wrought injustice to Mrs. Gallagher in the fervour -of his pursuit of her husband, he had taken effective<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_070" id="page_070"></a>{70}</span> and -characteristic measures to remedy the wrong.</p> - -<p>This was largely due to the personality of Stumpy, whose Irish blood -boiled on slight provocation, and who entertained no fear, even of his -boss, when he was moved to remonstrate against any happening which -failed to comport with his ideas of propriety. Stumpy it was who said:</p> - -<p>“Sure, it was a blackguard’s thrick to lave Misthress Gallagher widout a -bed to lie on, or a shtove or a taable to her back.”</p> - -<p>“Did Gallagher do that?” demanded Long Mike, indignantly.</p> - -<p>“He did not,” said Stumpy, “but there’s them that did.”</p> - -<p>“Who did it?” asked Long Mike.</p> - -<p>“It was yoursilf,” said Stumpy, and stood immediately on the defensive.</p> - -<p>The look of blank astonishment that Long Mike gave at the accusation was -at least presumptive proof that he did not realize his offence, and -seeing it, Stumpy’s wrath was somewhat assuaged. It did not right<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_071" id="page_071"></a>{71}</span> the -wrong, however, and Stumpy wanted that done.</p> - -<p>“It was whin ye was lukkin’ f’r Gallagher,” he explained. “Belike ye was -confused wid the rage that was in ye, an’ maybe a thrifle o’ liquor, -too, but ye found his house, an’ him not bein’ there, by the mercy o’ -God, ye smashed, and smashed, an’ there’s nothin’ left.”</p> - -<p>“Did I, now?” said Long Mike, and he chuckled, whereat Stumpy’s wrath -blazed up again.</p> - -<p>“Ye did,” he said, briefly, “an’ ’twas a blackguard act for to lave a -lone woman deshtitoot.”</p> - -<p>“Aisy now, Stumpy, aisy now,” said Long Mike, good-naturedly. “Av that -pirut, Gallagher, has left his woman deshtitoot—”</p> - -<p>“ ‘Twas you drove him away,” interrupted Stumpy.</p> - -<p>“Yis, an’ a good job. Av he cooms back, I’ll break ivery dommed bone in -his body,” exclaimed Long Mike, with sudden fury. “But I’ll have no -woman suffer in Brownsville, Stumpy. Av that dirty pirut lift her<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_072" id="page_072"></a>{72}</span> -deshtitoot, as ye say, she’ll be took care of. Mind that.”</p> - -<p>Taken care of, she had been, in Brownsville fashion. New furniture had -replaced the stuff that Long Mike destroyed, and, as the house contained -two rooms, or one more than Mrs. Gallagher required to live in, the -sporting element of Brownsville had established the custom of using her -extra space for a card-room.</p> - -<p>Whenever a game was in progress, the good lady retired to her own -apartment, but after the players had departed she always found that the -kitty, established for her benefit, remained on the table. And inasmuch -as the income she derived from this source was much larger, and no more -irregular, than that which she enjoyed from Gallagher, it had come about -that she no longer felt any very keen anxiety for his return.</p> - -<p>All this was, of course, unknown to Gallagher, as he listened, and his -surprise at the unexpected sounds he heard was natural enough.</p> - -<p>One Harrison had been in Brownsville<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_073" id="page_073"></a>{73}</span> for two or three days, in company -with his side partner, Davis, the two being on one of their occasional -business trips down the Mississippi Valley. They had been known to play -in some of the principal cities, but for the most part they preferred -the smaller places, being of the variety of sports commonly known as -crossroads gamblers, and Brownsville was one of their favourite -stopping-places.</p> - -<p>They had at first been inclined to question the use of a private house -for their purposes, but after the circumstances were explained, they had -acquiesced readily enough, and on this occasion they were sitting in.</p> - -<p>Long Mike was there. It would have taken more than one Gatling gun to -keep him out of a game when one was in progress and he was in the -neighbourhood. McCarthy had a hand also, and Billy Flynn.</p> - -<p>McCarthy was a character. He loved the game of poker with a fervour that -would have made him a large winner if he could only have learned how to -play the game. As it was, he only sat in at such times as<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_074" id="page_074"></a>{74}</span> he had -sufficient money saved up from his wages to buy a stack. And he never -sat long.</p> - -<p>Flynn was a good player, and Long Mike was better than the average, but -neither of them knew enough of the game to detect the peculiarities of -play that gave Harrison and Davis a large percentage in their favour.</p> - -<p>They had been playing for half an hour, and only the remnants of his -stack remained to McCarthy, when he caught a king full, pat, on Flynn’s -deal. It was a jack-pot, and Harrison, having first say, opened it for -the size of it, which was a dollar and a quarter. The game was a small -one.</p> - -<p>McCarthy raised it all he had, which was about seven dollars more, and -the others all laid down, including the opener, who showed jacks. -McCarthy took down his two dollars and a quarter winnings, and proceeded -to make the only additional blunder that was possible under the -circumstances. He showed his hand and exulted in his winning.</p> - -<p>It was nobody’s business to instruct him, and the others smiled grimly -as Harrison<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_075" id="page_075"></a>{75}</span> took the cards to deal. He was impatient at the smallness -and the slowness of the game and made ready for a killing.</p> - -<p>Shuffling with extra care, he dealt good hands to everybody, making sure -of the aces at the bottom of the deck that he could utilize in the draw. -It would have been pitiful, had there been anybody there to see, to note -the way in which everybody backed his cards, and the fact that -Harrison’s full of tens on aces scooped the pot.</p> - -<p>McCarthy was out of it, and Flynn and Long Mike had to buy again, but -they were brave, if foolish, and being well supplied with money, they -played on. McCarthy sat by watching. The fascination held him, even -though he could play no longer.</p> - -<p>Suddenly he saw that which made his eyelids contract and his jaw set -itself like a bulldog’s. He said nothing at the moment, but watched -carefully until it came Harrison’s turn to deal again. Then he leaned a -little forward and looked a little more intently.</p> - -<p>Again it was a jack-pot, and Long Mike<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_076" id="page_076"></a>{76}</span> opened it. Davis and Flynn -dropped, but Harrison raised it, and Long Mike stayed. When it came to -the draw he called for one card, and McCarthy spoke up.</p> - -<p>“If it’s two pairs ye’re drawin’ to, you’d better split ’em an’ draw -three cards,” he said, and Long Mike stared at him in amazement.</p> - -<p>“An’ what for should I do that, I don’t know?” he said, but Harrison -broke in with an oath and an angry:</p> - -<p>“What do you mean?”</p> - -<p>“I mean,” said McCarthy, very distinctly, “that you’ve stacked the cards -and—”</p> - -<p>Further than that he did not speak, for Harrison’s gun was out and -almost in position before McCarthy could grapple him and seize his -wrist. At the same moment Flynn grabbed the pistol itself and strove to -wrench it from his fingers.</p> - -<p>Even with two men holding him, and they were both powerful men, the -gambler struggled mightily, and for a moment seemed about to wrench -himself free. The three were all over the room.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_077" id="page_077"></a>{77}</span></p> - -<p>It was harder to keep Long Mike out of a fight than to drag him away -from a bar or poker game. Moreover, though he held McCarthy in contempt -as a gambler, he knew him for a man who spoke the truth, and leaping to -his feet he started forward.</p> - -<p>Davis, however, sprang up at the same instant, and, stretching out his -foot, he tripped the big man and threw him headlong on the floor. -Drawing a knife from his belt, he threw himself on the prostrate form -and raised his arm for a blow. In the excitement nobody noticed that the -door had been opened.</p> - -<p>“Whurroo!” said Gallagher, and threw himself into the fray.</p> - -<p>There was no time to find a weapon, and he carried none, but he was -handy with his feet, and a well-directed kick not only lamed Davis’s -elbow for a week, but knocked the knife from his hand half-way across -the room. It would have been between Long Mike’s ribs but for the kick. -Disarmed and disabled, the desperado was no match for the two men, one -of whom was grappling<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_078" id="page_078"></a>{78}</span> him from beneath while the other was continuing -to kick from above.</p> - -<p>At this moment the pistol went off and Gallagher fell to the floor. -Flynn had got possession of the weapon, but it had been discharged in -the transfer and Gallagher’s head was directly in line. Having it, -however, Flynn used it promptly and stunned Harrison with a single blow, -practically ending the shindy, for Long Mike made short work of Davis -when he realized the situation.</p> - -<p>“Is he kilt?” he inquired, anxiously, as Flynn and McCarthy bent over -Gallagher. “Sure he saved my life when this blackguard was shtickin’ me -like a pig.”</p> - -<p>“I think he is,” said McCarthy. “There’s a hole in his head the size of -a shtove door.”</p> - -<p>But the bullet had glanced, and Gallagher was only stunned. Sitting up a -moment later he said:</p> - -<p>“Will ye’s all get out o’ my house? I have confidential affairs to -discuss wid Misthress Gallagher.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_079" id="page_079"></a>{79}</span>”</p> - -<p>“We will,” said the three friends, as they departed, dragging the -gamblers with them.</p> - -<p>Then the other door opened.</p> - -<p>“Is it you, Pat?” said a female voice.</p> - -<p>“It is,” said Gallagher, “an’ I’d like my supper. But first ye’ll give -me a bit o’ a wet rag till I wipe my head.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_080" id="page_080"></a>{80}</span>”</p> - -<h2><a name="VII" id="VII"></a>VII<br /><br /> -<small>GALLAGHER STRIPPED</small></h2> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Sure</span> I do be thinkin’ it’s like playin’ lotthery,” said Stumpy, as he -sat one day in meditative mood near the steamboat-landing with Deaf Dan. -It was a hot afternoon and there had been a long, sociable silence -between them when Stumpy yawned and shot off his comparison. It was -uttered in stentorian tones, for none could converse otherwise with Deaf -Dan.</p> - -<p>“As bein’ how?” inquired Deaf Dan. “Who’s a lotthery?”</p> - -<p>“All of us,” said Stumpy. “Iv’ry marnin’ we do put in, loike the suckers -that buys thim little printed bits o’ paper wid a big number on ’em, an’ -lies. An’ thin we set around, like bumps on a log, waitin’ for to see -what the drawin’ ’ll be, the same as thim same suckers does. Mostly it’s -blanks. Sildom<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_081" id="page_081"></a>{81}</span> it is that anythin’ happens in Brownsville. But now an’ -again, some wan’ll dhraw a proize. Maybe it’s a chanst at th’ red -liquor, an’ maybe it’s a shindy, an’ sometimes it’s a game of -dhraw-poker, but annyhow it’s a proize, such as it may be.”</p> - -<p>“It’s right y’ are,” said Deaf Dan. “An’ lately it’s all blanks. Sure, -there’s nothin’ do be doin’ in th’ place since the night that Gallagher -got back.”</p> - -<p>“Sure, that was a fine foight,” said Stumpy.</p> - -<p>“They tell me that same,” responded Deaf Dan, “but Gallagher an’—Howly -mother o’ Moses, phwat’s that?”</p> - -<p>“That” appeared at first to be a procession of two, emerging with great -suddenness from the door of the barroom, but, as Deaf Dan and Stumpy -rose to get a better view of the proceedings, the two who first appeared -were followed by a straggling crowd of others, all eagerly intent on -observation, so that presently the entire male population of Brownsville -was assembled on the levee, looking with interest to see the outcome of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_082" id="page_082"></a>{82}</span> -what seemed to be a personal difficulty between two prominent citizens. -Last of all to appear was Sam, the bartender, whose appearance on his -doorstep was indisputable evidence that there was no one remaining -inside.</p> - -<p>The leading figure in the procession was Gallagher, and judging from the -earnestness with which he was moving, it was easily to be understood -that he was desirous of putting as much vacant space as possible between -himself and the second advancing figure. He might almost be said to be -flying, rather than fleeing. And every ounce of force at his command was -devoted to the effort to keep in the lead, so that, although his mouth -was open, he emitted no sound.</p> - -<p>His pursuer, on the other hand, though he was no less resolute in his -endeavour to cover the ground quickly, was devoting a part of his -strength to the loud utterance of many words. For the most part, these -words savoured of profanity, too enthusiastic to be well chosen, but -sufficiently impassioned to be exceedingly impressive. There<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_083" id="page_083"></a>{83}</span> was no -questioning the fact that Long Mike had lost his temper again, and small -doubt that he would do bodily harm to his foreman if he should succeed -in getting near enough to lay hands upon him.</p> - -<p>But Gallagher succeeded, though with great difficulty, in maintaining -his position in the van of the advance until he reached the brink of the -river. Then, instead of turning, or possibly making a stand, he -surprised the onlookers beyond measure by making a flying leap, and -disappearing in the muddy flood.</p> - -<p>Right here it may be said that no man, with the possible exception of -Gallagher or Long Mike himself, was ever able to tell just how it -happened that the long-standing difficulty between the two had blazed up -in such sudden fury. Opinions differed as to whether Gallagher’s -intemperate habits of speech had provoked the outburst or whether Long -Mike’s apprehension had been warped by his indulgence in superfluous -stimulant. All that was known was that Long Mike had aimed a sudden -blow, which the other had<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_084" id="page_084"></a>{84}</span> dodged, and that the foot-race began -forthwith.</p> - -<p>When the pursued plunged into the river, the pursuer paused on the -brink. For a moment it seemed as if he were only waiting for his victim -to appear at the surface before leaping in after him, and Stumpy and two -or three others laid detaining hands on him. Almost immediately, -however, it appeared that he was not minded to risk himself in the -water, although his wrath was by no means assuaged, for, after a few -moments, Gallagher, who could swim like a fish, reappeared some twenty -yards from shore, and, keeping himself easily afloat, turned to his foe. -Thereupon, Long Mike, making no effort to break away from the men who -held him, opened his mouth and spoke.</p> - -<p>“—— —— —— —— —— ——,” he said. -“—— —— —— ——.”</p> - -<p>“Is that so?” responded Gallagher, mockingly. He was not devoid of -courage, though neither he nor any three men up and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_085" id="page_085"></a>{85}</span> down the river -cared to face Long Mike in a rough-and-tumble fight.</p> - -<p>“It is,” said Long Mike, “an’ if ye’ll come ashore, I’ll break ivery -bone in yer body.”</p> - -<p>“Ye’ll not,” said Gallagher.</p> - -<p>“An’ why?” demanded Long Mike.</p> - -<p>“Because I’ll not come ashore.”</p> - -<p>Preposterous as this proposition was, Long Mike did not appear to -recognize the fact that the other could hardly remain in the water -indefinitely, and that all he had to do was to wait. He broke out again -in language to which no polite person would willingly listen, and -concluded by saying: “I can lick the life out o’ yez.”</p> - -<p>“Ye can,” said Gallagher, unhesitatingly. “An’ I can outdhrink yez.”</p> - -<p>“Ye can that,” said Gallagher again.</p> - -<p>“An’ I can outrun yez.”</p> - -<p>“Yis.”</p> - -<p>“An’ I can outswear yez, an’—an’—an—an’ I’m a betther man than yez in -ivery way,” sputtered Long Mike, not seeming to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_086" id="page_086"></a>{86}</span> be able to call to mind -any more specific accomplishments.</p> - -<p>“Y’ are not,” said Gallagher. “Whin it comes to dhraw-poker, I’ll play -ye fer years ag’in minutes, an’ bate ye the two-thirds of all eternity.”</p> - -<p>“Draw-poker, is it?” exclaimed Long Mike. “Av ye’ll coom in out o’ the -wet an’ play a freeze-out, I’ll win yer money an’ yer house an’ lot, an’ -the clo’es off yer back, till yer naked as a bald head, an’ worn out as -a burnt match.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll go ye,” said Gallagher, “f’r all I have, ag’in everything ye have -yoursilf.”</p> - -<p>There was a murmur of dissent and some derisive laughter from the crowd, -for Gallagher, though fairly well-to-do according to the Brownsville -standard, was the other’s employee and by no means a peer of the -principal capitalist of the town, who, in addition to his visible -resources, had money secreted in his house. But Long Mike raised his -hand.</p> - -<p>“Let be,” he said, sternly. “I have a lesson to tache this omadhaun. -Faith, he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_087" id="page_087"></a>{87}</span>’s growin’ too large to live in the same town wid the likes o’ -me.”</p> - -<p>And the unequal match was arranged. In half an hour’s time the two were -seated in Sam’s back room, with all the chips in the house divided in -two equal parts, and the game was begun with the clear understanding -that the winner of all the chips could claim from the other all that he -owned on earth down to his undershirt.</p> - -<p>As there was nothing whatever to attract the attention of anybody in -Brownsville to any other point, the room was crowded with lookers-on, -and all those who could not gain entrance stood outside and discussed -the probabilities.</p> - -<p>“If Gallagher do play close,” said Stumpy, “I’m thinkin’ he’ll win out, -for Long Mike’s the divil for bluffin’ an’ Gallagher knows it, worse -luck!” And this was the general sentiment.</p> - -<p>In the first half-hour—for the game was a long one—Long Mike’s luck -was by no means good, and though the big man made no violent plunges, -his pile of chips dwindled<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_088" id="page_088"></a>{88}</span> until Gallagher had all but a single stack -of blues. Of course, there was no arbitrary money value to a chip, but -they called them dollars for convenience, the reds being a quarter and -the whites a nickel.</p> - -<p>It was Long Mike’s deal and Gallagher anted the usual nickel, but the -dealer, finding nothing, threw in a blue and took his change from the -other, making a ten-cent jack. This was sweetened, a nickel at a time, -till there was a dollar in the pot. Then, Gallagher dealing, Long Mike -opened it for a dollar.</p> - -<p>“I’ll raise you two,” said Gallagher.</p> - -<p>“Five better,” said Long Mike, pushing in the chips.</p> - -<p>“All you’ve got,” said Gallagher.</p> - -<p>“Go you,” said Long Mike, and they both stood pat. Each had a flush, but -Long Mike’s was ace high and Gallagher’s best card was a jack.</p> - -<p>The next hand was passed and another jack-pot made. Gallagher opened it, -was raised, raised back, and was raised again till once more Long Mike’s -pile was in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_089" id="page_089"></a>{89}</span> centre and Gallagher stood to win it all. Again they -both stood pat and showed two straights, but Long Mike’s was the better. -This gave him eighty dollars to play with, but Gallagher still had -nearly three hundred, so it took another hand like the last to put the -two on anything like even ground.</p> - -<p>“If Long Mike wins again,” whispered Stumpy to his next neighbour in -great excitement, “he’s got his luck wid him, an’ it’s good-bye, -Gallagher.” His neighbour nodded, and their hopeful faces showed that -they shared fully in the general wish that Long Mike would win.</p> - -<p>It was with strained attention that the crowd watched the next deal, and -a sigh of satisfaction followed the making of another jack-pot. This was -sweetened again and again till the spectators lost patience, and Long -Mike expressed his poor opinion of the cards violently and called for a -new deck.</p> - -<p>It was brought and shuffled, and on the first deal both caught openers. -Long Mike opened and Gallagher raised, but instead of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_090" id="page_090"></a>{90}</span> raising again, -Long Mike simply made good and called for one card. Then he chipped -without looking at his draw.</p> - -<p>“Yer name is Mud this time,” said Gallagher. “I don’t want any cards an’ -I’ll raise you the size o’ the pot.”</p> - -<p>“Is that so?” asked Long Mike. “Well, maybe I’ve drawed an ace, I don’t -know. If I have. I’ll raise you my pile.” And he turned over the card he -had drawn, exposing it to view. It was an ace, and without a word he -shoved his chips all into the pot.</p> - -<p>It looked like a winning, and Gallagher studied some time before -playing. But, though it looked like a winning, it also looked like one -of Long Mike’s characteristic bluffs on finding himself confronted by a -pat hand, and finally Gallagher said: “I’ve got to call you. Mine’s a -flush.”</p> - -<p>“An’ mine’s a trey full on aces,” said Long Mike. “Faith if I’d known -you was goin’ to stand pat, I’d have taken two an’ been beat.” And a -mighty cheer went up from the crowd, for the two players were nearly -even again.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_091" id="page_091"></a>{91}</span></p> - -<p>Gallagher scowled, but said nothing and played close. Winning and losing -in turn for half an hour more, he fell slightly behind, so that he had -less, instead of more, than half the chips when he caught four fours pat -in a jack-pot that Long Mike opened. He raised, of course, and was -raised in turn, till Long Mike called, and made ready to serve the draw.</p> - -<p>“Gimme one,” said Gallagher, carelessly, and was delighted when the -other drew two. It looked like the chance of his life, and when Long -Mike bet, he raised it his pile.</p> - -<p>But Long Mike called him again and showed down four eights.</p> - -<p>“Now,” he said, “all ye have is mine, isn’t it?”</p> - -<p>“It is,” said Gallagher, pluckily enough.</p> - -<p>“Shtrip, then,” said Long Mike, sternly, and the other without a word -threw off his clothes till he had on nothing but a fine Irish blush. But -he uttered no complaint, and the crowd that had jeered him unmercifully -fell into silence and turned away its eyes as he walked toward the -door.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_092" id="page_092"></a>{92}</span></p> - -<p>Just as he reached it, however, Long Mike stopped him.</p> - -<p>“Come back an’ put on yer clothes,” he said. “They do be fittin’ yez -betther nor they would me. Yer money I’ll take, for ye’ll worrk the -harder for bein’ broke, but yer house I don’t want. Yer a man, afther -all, Gallagher, an’ I’ll hire you over again. There’s a boat whistlin’ -on the river now, an’ ye’ll hustle th’ men down the levee right -speedy.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_093" id="page_093"></a>{93}</span>”</p> - -<h2><a name="VIII" id="VIII"></a>VIII<br /><br /> -<small>A TRIAL OF SKILL</small></h2> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">There’s</span> wan thing about Brownsville,” said Stumpy, “that saves the -place from bein’ like wan o’ them asylums f’r the feeble-moinded, where -the min sews patchwork, an’ the women shmokes pipes.”</p> - -<p>“Wot’s eatin’ you?” asked Sam, the bartender.</p> - -<p>Sam had local pride which he held to be justified by his own prosperity, -and he was apt to be gruff when any one spoke disparagingly of -Brownsville. The two men had sat together on the levee, sociably silent -for half an hour, when the spirit moved Stumpy to speech.</p> - -<p>Having spoken, however, he sat as one relieved in his mind, and was in -no haste for further conversation. It was therefore<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_094" id="page_094"></a>{94}</span> some minutes before -he replied, but at length he said:</p> - -<p>“Sure, it puts me in moind o’ the great famine in Ireland me father used -to tell of. Ye’d go for a week or a day wid sorry a bit t’ ate of -annything at all, at all, an’ thin ye’d get maybe a pratie or a crusht, -that’d kape ye goin’ a bit longer.</p> - -<p>“There do be toimes in Brownsville that’d make ye think ye was dead an’ -buried. Sure, the still o’ the nights is worse nor a thundershtorm for -kapin’ a man awake, an’ the days is worse.</p> - -<p>“An’ thin, whin ye do be goin’ melancholy mad wid the monny-tony o’ -loife that isn’t livin’ at all, at all, but blue-mouldin’, somethin’ or -other’ll hit ye, loike a fri’ndly blackthorn at Donnybrook, an’ ye’ll -sit up an’ take notice. Mostly it’s Long Mike, but times it’ll be -something else.</p> - -<p>“An’ whin it do come, ye’ll think for a time that Brownsville is wan o’ -the hid cinters of all th’ excitement on the Mississippi River. Maybe -it’s a bit o’ gun-play it’ll be, wid a tin-horn gambler, loike th<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_095" id="page_095"></a>{95}</span>’ -toime th’ one-eyed man cashed in, or belike it’ll be somethin’ or other -wid Gallagher, but annyhow it shtirs things oop. This toime Oi do be -thinkin’ it’ll be Hinnissy.”</p> - -<p>“An’ why would it be Hennessy?” asked Sam.</p> - -<p>“It wouldn’t on’y f’r Gallagher,” said Stumpy, “but thim two is like a -hammer an’ a shtick o’ dynamite, or a mule’s hind leg an’ a sthraw. Av -they do be kept apart, there’s no great harrum, but av ye bring thim -together, belike there’s friction.”</p> - -<p>“They was playin’ cards sociable enough last night,” observed Sam.</p> - -<p>“That’s it,” replied Stumpy. “When thim two gets sociable, ye wants to -kape yer eye open. Whin it’s a cussin’ f’m Gallagher, him bein’ foreman, -or a kick f’m Hinnissy, that bein’ his disposition, they’re good -friends. Sure they’re both of thim Oirish. But whin they get fri’ndly, -they do be two naturalized citizens, wid Oirish blood an’ Mississippi -River manners, an’ God knows.”</p> - -<p>“Did you hear anything?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_096" id="page_096"></a>{96}</span>”</p> - -<p>“No, but I shmelt it, an’ this mornin’ the shmell is still in th’ air. -My dog Peter has the scint of it, shtrong. He kim out wid me for a walk, -an’ whin we passed Gallagher’s, he sniffed around loike he do for a rat. -An’ he turned back an’ lay down in the road near Hinnissy’s place. Sure -he knows more o’ some things nor a Christian.”</p> - -<p>“Then you think there’ll be trouble?” asked Sam, somewhat jeeringly.</p> - -<p>“Sure, Oi don’t think it,” said Stumpy, “but Oi do be tellin’ ye Oi -shmell it.”</p> - -<p>What further discussion there might have been was cut off at this point -by the appearance of two or three citizens in the distance. They were -making their way leisurely toward Sam’s place of business, and he, -foreseeing a demand for his services, went indoors.</p> - -<p>As if the appearance of the first comers on the street had been a -signal, others presently appeared, and in a few minutes Brownsville had -put on as much of an appearance of activity as was usual when there was -no boat expected.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_097" id="page_097"></a>{97}</span></p> - -<p>The first to arrive at the barroom was Long Mike himself, and he, -looking around, conveyed with his eyes, in some almost imperceptible -fashion, an invitation to Stumpy to step inside. Accordingly that -gentleman arose, though without unseemly haste, and made one of a small -group that presently lined up in front of Sam’s bar.</p> - -<p>Two of the group were Gallagher and Hennessy, and Stumpy was not the -only one who noted with rising spirits the exaggerated politeness with -which they spoke to each other. There had been nothing of importance -doing in the community since navigation had closed at the beginning of -winter, and as it was now almost warm weather again—warm enough, at all -events, to tempt the people out-of-doors—the prospect of some -excitement was exhilarating.</p> - -<p>“It’s a very good game you play at shtud-poker, Mr. Gallagher,” said -Hennessy, when the drink was swallowed and the pipes were all relighted.</p> - -<p>“You do me proud, Mr. Hinnissy,” replied Gallagher, with equal courtesy, -“an<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_098" id="page_098"></a>{98}</span>’ ye play very well yersilf, barrin’ th’ matther o’ poor luck now -an’ ag’in.”</p> - -<p>“Oi was thinkin’ that same lasht night,” said the other. “Av the cyards -hadn’t run till ye the way they did, belike ye’d not have won the money -ye did.”</p> - -<p>“Thot moight be, an’ again maybe not,” said Gallagher, still polite, but -with a tone of satisfaction in his voice that Hennessy detected.</p> - -<p>“Ye know,” he said, “they run different, different toimes.”</p> - -<p>“They do,” said Gallagher. “An’ that’s when the shkill comes in. Now yer -own game is wan that wins, av ye have the cyards, but ye lose when ye -haven’t.”</p> - -<p>“An’ don’t ye find that same to be yer own experience?” asked Hennessy.</p> - -<p>“Oi do not,” said Gallagher. “Whin Oi haven’t the cyards, Oi never bet. -It’s the wan thing ye have to l’arn about the game.”</p> - -<p>The matter of seven dollars that Hennessy had lost the night before was -still rankling, and this intimation that it was his lack of ability as a -player that caused him to lose<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_099" id="page_099"></a>{99}</span> was hard to bear. He commanded himself -with a visible effort and merely said:</p> - -<p>“Maybe ye’d loike to exercise yer shkill some more the marnin’, Oi don’ -know.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” said Gallagher, “ye may have yer revenge an yer lukkin’ for it.” -And the game was on.</p> - -<p>There was some talk as they took their seats at the table about some of -the others joining in, but Hennessy declared that he much preferred to -play with Gallagher alone, and his wish was respected. They made it a -ten-dollar freeze-out, and the others in the room gathered around to see -the play.</p> - -<p>For a considerable time it seemed as if Gallagher’s boasting had some -foundation in fact, for he played cautiously, and several times -abandoned the hand when he had one or even two good cards showing, -evidently believing that he was beaten by the other’s buried card, but -after he had got well ahead, Hennessy began to get good hands.</p> - -<p>A pair of tens, back to back, he played cunningly, letting his opponent -do the betting<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_100" id="page_100"></a>{100}</span> until the last card was dealt, when Gallagher bet a -dollar on two eights in sight. Then he raised it three dollars, and, as -this looked like a bluff, Gallagher called.</p> - -<p>A similar play when he really held a straight with the middle card -buried, against two pairs, netted him as much more, and the lucky chance -of a third ace for the last card against three queens in sight enabled -him to raise back to the extent of Gallagher’s pile after he had passed -the bet and Gallagher had shown his confidence in his queens.</p> - -<p>He had won the freeze-out and was calmly tolerant when Gallagher said, -with something of a sneer:</p> - -<p>“Yez can all see now what I said. Whin Mr. Hennessy has the cyards he -can play as well as the next.”</p> - -<p>“Oi can,” he replied, loftily. “An’ Oi can do betther nor that.”</p> - -<p>“An’ how?” demanded Gallagher.</p> - -<p>“Oi can lick the shtuffin’ out of anny man that can’t lick the shtuffin’ -out o’ me.”</p> - -<p>“An’ is it me ye mane?” asked Gallagher, almost choking.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_101" id="page_101"></a>{101}</span></p> - -<p>“It is.”</p> - -<p>“It is foight ye mane?”</p> - -<p>“It is.”</p> - -<p>“Av ye’ll shtep outside,” said Gallagher, “Oi’ll shtand ye on yer head, -an’ dhrive yer body so far down in the mud they’ll be usin’ ye for an -artooshun well.”</p> - -<p>“Ye may, thin,” said Hennessy, and two minutes later they were out on -the levee, with their coats off, locked in a grip that seemed -unbreakable.</p> - -<p>“What did Oi say till ye the marnin’,” said Stumpy, as he and Sam stood -watching the proceedings in keenest delight, together with nearly the -entire male population of Brownsville. “There do be things happens here -sometimes.”</p> - -<p>The excitement was so great, in fact, that for the moment no one noticed -a bareheaded woman that came running up the street, almost breathless, -but shouting as loudly as she could. When her voice reached the crowd, -they perceived that it was the voice of Mrs. Hennessy, and there was an -imperative<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_102" id="page_102"></a>{102}</span> tone in it that arrested even the attention of the two who -were fighting.</p> - -<p>“Mike!” she screamed, “Mike! darlint. The babby fell down in the -cistern, an’ Missus Gallagher climbed down wid a rope, an’ we pulled the -babby up, an’ she’s shtuck at the bottom. Sure ye’ll coom an’ pull her -up. Hurry, for the love o’ God.”</p> - -<p>They did hurry, all of them, and when Mrs. Gallagher was rescued, as she -speedily was, Hennessy turned to his foe:</p> - -<p>“Oi’ll not foight you this day, Gallagher, but you’ll dhrink wid me for -the babby your good woman saved. An’ so,” he added, “will the whole o’ -Brownsville this day.”</p> - -<p>But while they drank, Stumpy remarked: “Sure it’s almost a pity they -couldn’t ha’ finished the shindy. It would ha’ been worth seein’.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_103" id="page_103"></a>{103}</span>”</p> - -<h2><a name="IX" id="IX"></a>IX<br /><br /> -<small>A SOCIAL CALL</small></h2> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Hurroo</span>!” exclaimed Long Mike, and fired a shot through the ceiling.</p> - -<p>Had there been any antecedent circumstances to explain his outburst, -Brownsville would have accepted it as a characteristic and perfectly -natural act, but it chanced that nothing whatever had occurred for a -full half-hour. The usual group had been sitting around the stove in the -barroom, and the usual drone of entirely uninteresting conversation had -buzzed along. Everybody had said something, but nobody knew or cared -what anybody else had said.</p> - -<p>It was therefore a matter of some surprise that even Long Mike should -express himself with such vehemence. No one spoke for a moment or so -after the shot, but all looked interested. Presently Sam, the -bartender,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_104" id="page_104"></a>{104}</span> inquired with some anxiety if the big man felt well.</p> - -<p>“Oi do not,” replied Long Mike, as he put away his gun. “There do be -nothin’ at all, at all, that wears me out loike the dead shtillness o’ -winter weather, an’ Oi’m thinkin’ it’s toime for a thaw. Ye’ve heard th’ -oice i’ th’ river cr-rack whin it’s makin’ ready to break up. Well, Oi -feel loike cr-rackin’ thot same way. It’s toime somethin’ was did.”</p> - -<p>“An’ it’s right y’ are,” said Stumpy, “but what? Sure, ivery j’int in me -body is blue-mouldin’ wid shtiffness from the want of excitement. Oi’ve -a cr-ravin’ for tumult that’s worse nor a cr-ravin’ for dhrink. Sure, a -flood is betther nor bein’ froze up loike this.”</p> - -<p>“It’s me, too,” said Gallagher. “I have a touch o’ the same complaint, -but I don’t see nothin’ ahead till th’ ice breaks up, an’ the boats run -again.”</p> - -<p>“Oi do,” said Long Mike. “Jim Bixby was tellin’ me yesterday that some -o’ thim shports in La Crosse was goin’ dead, loike<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_105" id="page_105"></a>{105}</span> us, f’r the lack o’ -things to do, an’ Oi told him to tell thim to come over to Brownsville -the next trip o’ the stage. An’ the stage is due now. Oi do be thinkin’ -there’ll be some comin’ the day.”</p> - -<p>The event proved that the big man had not miscalculated, for even as he -spoke the jingle of sleigh-bells came up from the frozen surface of the -river, and, as they all looked out, they saw Bixby driving, not the -usual span, but a team of four horses over the thick ice, and bringing a -big stage-load of men wrapped in furs and smoking furiously to keep the -keen, cold air from their lungs.</p> - -<p>It was one of the community visits with which men broke the monotony of -the long winters in what was then called the great Northwest, and, -because of the habits of the two communities, it seemed more than likely -that there would be excitement enough before the La Crosse contingent -should be ready to return.</p> - -<p>Of the visiting delegation there were ten in all, but the most -conspicuous among them,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_106" id="page_106"></a>{106}</span> as Long Mike was the principal figure in -Brownsville, was one Tom Krags, a man of more than local fame, who had -amassed a competence on the Mississippi boats by his success at the -card-table, and had settled in La Crosse as the proprietor of what he -called the “only first-class second-rate hotel in Wisconsin.” It was a -flourishing hostelry, with a large cardroom adjoining the barroom.</p> - -<p>Krags was a quiet man, usually, with pleasant manners and a large chest -measurement. At least a foot shorter than the big man of Brownsville, he -was, in all his other dimensions, a worthy match, and one of the dreams -of delight among the river men was the thought that sometime there might -be a physical encounter between the two.</p> - -<p>No set programme having been arranged for the festivities, the first -ceremony was the usual tender of liquid hospitality. Sam became busy -without special instructions, and for a long half-hour exerted himself -manfully in response to the demands that came in rapid succession from -this one and that who felt eager to uphold his part of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_107" id="page_107"></a>{107}</span> burden of -hospitality or pay his share of the tax of reciprocity.</p> - -<p>A temporary lull in this exercise was filled with conversation, in which -the dearth of news in both communities was duly discussed, and the day -wore on toward a close with no special outbreak of excitement. It -appeared, however, that three of the guests had brought certain pet -game-cocks with them, so a series of cock-fights was arranged after a -long discussion of terms, and by nightfall the floor of the barroom was -sadly in need of a thorough cleansing. Then, after the lamps were -lighted, and a hearty supper had been discussed, a game of draw-poker -was proposed.</p> - -<p>This, it was felt, was, after all, the main event of the day. -Brownsville was not especially addicted to poker except on occasions -when outside talent appeared, but there was enough local pride to -justify a contest when a challenge was issued. And there was an -overweening confidence in Brownsville in Long Mike’s luck.</p> - -<p>The two leaders arranged the terms and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_108" id="page_108"></a>{108}</span> virtually chose the players, so -that the game was table stakes, each man to buy a hundred dollars’ worth -of chips for a starter, and six men to constitute the party. Long Mike -took Stumpy and Hennessy, and Krags named Smithers, a beetle-browed -Englishman in his party, and Jack Bains, a capable-looking lumberman -from the upper river, to represent the visiting talent. Sam set out the -chips and cards and served a preliminary drink, and the game was on.</p> - -<p>For the first half-dozen hands there was little doing. The ante was a -dime calling a quarter, no one caring to hurry the game, and all -realizing that a hundred dollars was enough to give him a considerable -run unless his luck was phenomenally bad. Presently, however, Hennessy -saw what looked like an excellent opening and he opened a jack-pot.</p> - -<p>To his intense joy he got three stayers, for he had three tens and a lot -of confidence. It was Stumpy’s deal, and he and Smithers had stayed out. -In the draw Bains took three cards, Long Mike one, Hennessy one,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_109" id="page_109"></a>{109}</span> -holding up an ace to his tens, and Krags called for two.</p> - -<p>It was hard to figure chances on a draw like that, but Hennessy reckoned -they would size him up for two pairs and he threw in ten dollars, -thinking that he would call any raise he might get. He hadn’t looked at -his draw, but did not count on having bettered.</p> - -<p>Krags saw the ten, having three sevens which he had not bettered, and a -proper respect for Long Mike’s one-card draw. Bains surrendered, and -Long Mike raised it ten, having bettered his hand with a six spot that -made a small straight.</p> - -<p>Hennessy investigated and found he had caught another ace, which was, of -course, enough to go back on; but Long Mike was not the player he was -after, so he simply saw the raise, hoping for nothing more than a call -from Krags. That gentleman, however, folded his cards. He had the name -of knowing extremely well how to lay down when he was beaten. So nobody -was badly hurt.</p> - -<p>The next chance fell to Smithers on Long<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_110" id="page_110"></a>{110}</span> Mike’s deal, there being -another jack-pot, and he opened for one dollar and a half, there being -that amount in the pot. The struggle was longer this time, for everybody -stayed and three men bettered. He threw in a white chip for a feeler, -and Hennessy raised it five dollars on three queens. Krags stayed, -having aces up, and Stumpy raised again with a flush. Bains made good, -having filled a straight, and Long Mike lay down. He had three little -ones, but a double raise scared him out.</p> - -<p>Smithers looked at his hand doubtfully. He had opened it on kings and -fours and had caught a seven in the draw, but deciding, whether it was -good poker or not, to make a bluff, he came back with twenty dollars -more. It was almost good, too, for it looked as if he had made a full -house, and Hennessy dropped his three queens without a whimper, though -he would have called if Stumpy had not raised him on the round before.</p> - -<p>Krags lay down, and Stumpy did some thinking. It took nerve to call even -with a flush, but finally he said: “Ye may have it,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_111" id="page_111"></a>{111}</span> I don’t know, but -Oi’ll see it annyhow,” and threw in his chips.</p> - -<p>“That’s good,” said Bains, and Smithers had to show his two pairs.</p> - -<p>“Tried to blow me, hey?” said Stumpy, tauntingly, as he raked in the -chips. “Ye may do that in La Crosse, but it don’t go here.” And Smithers -had nothing to say.</p> - -<p>The next two deals were uneventful, and then Krags took the deck. His -thick muscular fingers were well kept and white, after the usual rule as -touching the hands of professional gamesters, and one who looked closely -would have seen that they were singularly deft as well. As it happened -there were three men at the table who were looking closely, and when he -passed the cards over to Hennessy for the cut, that player riffled them -three times before cutting them, whereat Stumpy grinned with glee, and -Long Mike looked serene and satisfied.</p> - -<p>Krags could say nothing, for Hennessy was within his rights, but he -leaned a little over toward the left side as he dealt, leaving his -right-hand hip pocket a little easier to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_112" id="page_112"></a>{112}</span> get at. It was only a slight -indication of the possibilities, but there was not a man at the table -who failed to notice it.</p> - -<p>From that time on the tension increased. After Krags’s deal Stumpy -called for a new deck of another colour, and when that had been used -twice, Long Mike ran over it carefully, and called for still another -deck. “There’s an ace o’ hearts here,” he said, “that a man can tell -across the room.” No charge of crooked play had been made, but the -visitors saw that they were suspected, and they were well prepared for -the row that was coming.</p> - -<p>Long Mike it was that precipitated it. He was watching Krags intently, -and suddenly, as that player was discarding after serving the others -with the draw in his own deal, Long Mike reached over and seized both -his wrists with a lightning-like movement.</p> - -<p>“Ye have six cards in yer hand, ye spalpeen, an’ two in yer sleeve,” and -twisting Krags’s hands remorselessly, he proved that he was right.</p> - -<p>Instantly the room was in an uproar, and</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="SPALPEEN" id="SPALPEEN"></a> -<a href="images/i_p112a_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p112a_sml.jpg" width="291" height="450" alt="“ ‘YE HAVE SIX CARDS IN YER HAND, YE SPALPEEN.’ ”" title="“ ‘YE HAVE SIX CARDS IN YER HAND, YE SPALPEEN.’ ”" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“ ‘YE HAVE SIX CARDS IN YER HAND, YE SPALPEEN.’ ”</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_112b" id="page_112b"></a>{112b}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_113" id="page_113"></a>{113}</span></p> - -<p class="nindd">every one of the ten visitors had his gun out, excepting Krags, who was -struggling violently but ineffectually to free his hands. The -Brownsville men were as quick as the strangers, but, although three or -four shots were heard, none reached a mark. And after a little time, -Long Mike’s voice commanded attention.</p> - -<p>“Av we did the roight thing,” he shouted, “we’d chop holes in th’ oice, -an’ send yez ahl shwimmin’ down th’ river. But Oi’m thinkin’ we can have -more fun nor that. Yez’ll ahl give yer guns to Sam, an’ Oi’ll take this -omadhaun out-o’-doors an’ woipe th’ ground up wid him. An’ Bixby’ll -hitch up an’ carry what’s left back to La Crosse the noight widout -waitin’ f’r sun-up.”</p> - -<p>No one dissented, for Krags and his followers were as confident as the -Brownsville men, and moreover counted themselves lucky to get off as -they did after the exposé. And then Smithers gave a new turn to the -situation by saying, “I’ll bet even money that Krags’ll lick him.”</p> - -<p>In about three minutes all the available<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_114" id="page_114"></a>{114}</span> cash in the party was staked -on the contest and the two gladiators stripped for the fray.</p> - -<p>Then was Brownsville glorified within three minutes more, for Long Mike -stood with his hands down, waiting the other’s onslaught. It came with a -fury that would have demolished an ordinary man, but he took two blows -that seemed enough to break his bones, and then wrapped his arms around -Krags in such fashion as to hold him helpless. For a moment he stood -thus, tightening his grip slowly, and then said, coolly:</p> - -<p>“Ye’ll tell me when ye have enough.”</p> - -<p>The other made no answer, but struggled like a wildcat, while Long Mike -stood smiling and slowly tightening his awful grip. Not until the bones -began to crack did the defeated man give up, but presently he gasped -“Enough,” and fell, half-dead, to the ground as the other released his -hold.</p> - -<p>“Oi’m thinkin’, belike,” said Stumpy, as they watched the stage start -off, “thot we might have a party up here from Dubuque next week, I don’t -know. Thim social visits is foine divarsion.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_115" id="page_115"></a>{115}</span>”</p> - -<h2><a name="X" id="X"></a>X<br /><br /> -<small>STUMPY VIOLATES ETIQUETTE</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> fate of the one-eyed man had not been forgotten in Brownsville, but -the lapse of time since his taking off had been sufficient to allay the -excitement which it had occasioned.</p> - -<p>This excitement, it may be said, was not the result of any fervent -esteem which the one-eyed man might have enjoyed among his fellow -citizens if he had been a person of more congenial temperament than he -was. As a matter of fact, he had various traits of character which had -distinctly failed to commend him to the hearty liking of the community, -and while he lived there were not a few citizens who counted him among -the least desirable of their number.</p> - -<p>Brownsville, however, was not habituated<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_116" id="page_116"></a>{116}</span> to homicide. Fights there were -in Brownsville not infrequently, and a good shindy was commonly reckoned -among the pleasurable variations to the monotony that characterized life -in the little river town for something like three hundred and sixty days -in the year.</p> - -<p>Such fights, however, were usually carried to a more or less -satisfactory conclusion without loss of life, and the sudden demise of -the one-eyed man had aroused some horror, as well as a strong feeling of -antipathy for the man who shot him. This feeling was also tempered by -the lukewarmness of the sentiment of the community toward the one-eyed -man, but the prevailing opinion was that Wharton had gone a little too -far in shooting.</p> - -<p>There was no disputing the fact, however, that it was a fair fight, and -that the one-eyed man had brought it on himself, so there had been no -attempt made to put Wharton on trial for the killing. He had gone away -from Brownsville, and the general satisfaction at that had, of itself, -tempered the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_117" id="page_117"></a>{117}</span> hostility he had provoked, which hostility was indeed no -very powerful sentiment.</p> - -<p>When the <i>Creole Belle</i>, however, tied up at the Brownsville landing, -just at the edge of a summer evening, some months after the shooting, -and Mr. Wharton stepped ashore, he failed to receive any enthusiastic -welcome. Strangers who came ashore at Brownsville were not so numerous -as to allow of his escaping recognition, and most of those whom he -greeted on his way from the landing to the barroom responded with a cool -“Howdy,” but no one proffered a handshake, and none gave him spontaneous -greeting.</p> - -<p>It was not observed, however, that any of those in the barroom made any -strenuous effort to avoid his invitation to partake of such refreshment -as Sam had in readiness. It was therefore to be fairly inferred that -time had mellowed the resentment which Mr. Wharton’s violent action had -originally provoked.</p> - -<p>Perhaps no clearer statement of the actual condition of public sentiment -could be made<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_118" id="page_118"></a>{118}</span> than that which Stumpy put in words, speaking to -Gallagher, as they returned to their work on the landing after they had -followed the crowd into the barroom.</p> - -<p>“I do be thinkin’ this here Wharton ’ud be betther loiked,” he said, “av -he’d shtop some place where they knowed less about him. Av he shtays -here, belike there’ll be doin’s.”</p> - -<p>“Maybe,” said Gallagher, “but I reckon there’s them here that’ll kape -him from too much killin’, an’ the most o’ the houses is nailed down.”</p> - -<p>“Shure, it’s not the likes o’ that I’m thinkin’. ’Tain’t likely he’ll -steal the town, nor yet the river,” returned Stumpy, somewhat nettled at -the other’s indifference, “but he’s not the koind o’ man I loike to see.</p> - -<p>“Shure, he’s a gambler, an’ he’s too almighty free with his gun, I’m -thinkin’. He’ll carry away the money that belongs in the town, an’ av -there’s anny row—an’ belike there will be if Long Mike sits in wid him, -it’s not fightin’ wid fists we’ll see, but a shootin’ scrape.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_119" id="page_119"></a>{119}</span></p> - -<p>“Shure, I don’t mind a bit o’ a shindy, or a sociable game o’ -dhraw-poker, but thim kind is the wrong cattle to play wid.”</p> - -<p>“We’ll see,” said Gallagher, shortly, as he turned to his work.</p> - -<p>He was an enthusiastic gambler himself, though a most unlucky one, and -the notion of playing with a professional had no terrors for him. -Moreover, the scent of a battle, even afar, was sweeter to him than -newmown hay. Stumpy, however, though by no means averse to excitement of -any kind, was more conservative and had his forebodings.</p> - -<p>Later in the evening, after the <i>Creole Belle</i> had discharged her -freight and taken on that which was waiting for her, and had gone on -down the Mississippi, leaving Mr. Wharton still in the barroom, it -appeared altogether probable that some, at least, of these forebodings -would be justified.</p> - -<p>Sam had been kept tolerably busy in the meantime, Mr. Wharton having -realized what was expected of him as a stranger, and being evidently -disposed to fulfil his<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_120" id="page_120"></a>{120}</span> obligations. Possibly in consequence of this the -crowd around him, when Brownsville resumed its normal inactivity after -the departure of the boat, was conversationally disposed.</p> - -<p>Not less than four persons were talking at once, most of the time, and -though Mr. Wharton did comparatively little talking and did not appear -to have taken enough red liquor to affect his nerves in the least, it -was noticeable that he was doing all he could to promote the general -hilarity.</p> - -<p>There could hardly be a doubt of his object. At all events, Stumpy -entertained none, and though he did his duty conscientiously in seeing -that none of Sam’s liquor should go begging, as became one who was -conversant with Brownsville’s customs, he yet maintained a constant -watchfulness, as one who feared the worst. When, presently, he heard -Wharton propose a game of cards, he muttered:</p> - -<p>“I knew it. Now for a battle, murder an’ sudden death, I don’t know. Av -Long Mike sits in, an’ the saints above cudn<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_121" id="page_121"></a>{121}</span>’t kape him out, there’ll -be doin’s. Sure it’s me for to shtand by.”</p> - -<p>Stand by, accordingly, he did. Wharton’s proposal was seconded and -adopted with alacrity, and Long Mike and Gallagher took their seats at -the table eagerly. Hennessy also declared his willingness to buy chips, -and the fifth hand was taken by a man named Cutler, who had been in town -for some weeks, and was, therefore, known to them all excepting Wharton, -but who had failed to arouse any feeling of liking or respect among the -citizens.</p> - -<p>Just why he was there he did not explain, nor did any demand an -explanation; but it seemed so utterly unreasonable for a stranger to -remain in Brownsville indefinitely that he was already an object of -suspicion. He flashed his money with the others, however, and no one -made objection to his playing.</p> - -<p>The game was for table stakes, and, as each player bought a hundred to -start, no one else in the room felt rich enough to take a hand. They all -stood around looking on,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_122" id="page_122"></a>{122}</span> however, so Stumpy attracted no attention when -he took his stand directly behind Wharton’s chair, getting as close to -it as he conveniently could without touching it. It so happened, -moreover, that Cutler sat nearly opposite to him, being the third man to -Wharton’s left.</p> - -<p>For a considerable time the play was uneventful, and the luck appeared -to run more evenly than was to be expected. Even Gallagher did not lose -as rapidly as usual, and Long Mike’s proverbial good luck failed to -appear.</p> - -<p>In less than half an hour, however, the big hands began to come, and the -play became strenuous enough to put an end to general conversation. -Nothing was heard but the few stock phrases which ordinarily announce -the play at poker, and not only the players, but the onlookers, became -more and more excited.</p> - -<p>A full hand that Gallagher caught pat on Long Mike’s deal gave him the -opportunity to open a jack-pot under the guns, which he did for five -dollars, there being<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_123" id="page_123"></a>{123}</span> that amount in the pot. Cutler came in, and so did -Hennessy, whereupon Wharton raised it ten dollars.</p> - -<p>Long Mike skinned his cards down, and finding three sevens, concluded -they were worth playing, so he saw the raise, and Gallagher promptly -came back with ten more. Cutler hesitated a little, but saw the double -raise, and Hennessy dropped out.</p> - -<p>Wharton studied a bit, but finally made it ten more to play, and Long -Mike shoved his money forward with a dogged air, as if he knew, as he -did, that he was overplaying his hand, but was determined not to be -driven out.</p> - -<p>Gallagher still had some fifty dollars in front of him, and he pushed -that forward eagerly, whereupon Cutler dropped, and Wharton simply made -good. Then Long Mike made a few remarks.</p> - -<p>They were profane rather than pertinent, being of the nature of a -reflection on his own discretion in playing further, but his -characteristic dislike to being driven out made him put up his money, -and he asked<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_124" id="page_124"></a>{124}</span> the others what they wanted in the draw. Neither of them -took cards, so, with considerable more bad language, Long Mike took two -for himself.</p> - -<p>“I’m all in,” said Gallagher, and Wharton threw in a white chip -carelessly, with the evident thought that Long Mike had no show and -would not see any considerable bet.</p> - -<p>To his surprise and disgust, however, Long Mike not only saw his side -bet, but shoved his whole pile forward. It was clear that he had made -fours, or a full, or was bluffing outrageously, but as Wharton himself -had four fives, he felt compelled to call.</p> - -<p>Gallagher had struck his usual luck, and Long Mike had found his, for -his last card was the fourth seven. It put Gallagher out of the game, -for he had only twenty dollars more in his pocket, and they refused to -let him buy in again for so little. Wharton, however, took another -hundred, having only a few chips left.</p> - -<p>The next two deals were uneventful, but<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_125" id="page_125"></a>{125}</span> when Wharton took the cards, -there being a jack-pot on, Long Mike opened it. The other two stayed, -and again Wharton raised.</p> - -<p>No one came back at him, but they all stayed, and on the draw they took -two cards apiece. It looked like three of a kind all round.</p> - -<p>Long Mike bet a chip. Cutler and Hennessy trailed and Wharton raised. -Long Mike stayed and Cutler raised back.</p> - -<p>Hennessy, who had been playing cautiously from the beginning, threw down -his cards, and Wharton raised again. Still Long Mike stayed, and Cutler -raised once more.</p> - -<p>Once more Wharton went back at him, and though no single raise had been -more than five dollars, Long Mike seemed suddenly suspicious. He looked -from one to the other keenly, and then studied his hand carefully. -Suddenly he pushed fifty dollars forward, and it was up to Cutler.</p> - -<p>That worthy hesitated and looked at Wharton. Whether it was a look of -inquiry is doubtful, but Stumpy chose to consider<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_126" id="page_126"></a>{126}</span> it so, and he -violated all poker etiquette unhesitatingly.</p> - -<p>“Why don’t ye play yer own hand, ye omadhaun,” he demanded, fiercely, -“an’ not be lookin’ at yer pal for insthructions?”</p> - -<p>The uproar came on the instant. The players all sprang to their feet, -upsetting the table, and Wharton and Cutler both reached for their guns. -Hennessy, however, grabbed Cutler, and Stumpy seized Wharton’s wrist in -a grip of iron.</p> - -<p>“Ye’ll not shoot,” he said. “Ye’ve kilt wan man in Brownsville already, -an’ that’s enough. We foight different here. Av ye feel yerself -aggrieved, Oi’ll front ye, man to man, but there’ll be no gun in yer -hand. Sure I saw yez passin’ signals to yer pal, so I’m thinkin’ ye’ll -play no more poker here, ayther.”</p> - -<p>The hubbub was indescribable, but when it became possible to distinguish -voices it appeared that popular sentiment was on Stumpy’s side. Wharton -and Cutler refused to fight with nature’s weapons, and, since they were -not allowed possession of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_127" id="page_127"></a>{127}</span> their pistols again, they retired in as good -order as possible to the landing-place, where another boat was just -coming in.</p> - -<p>After they had gone up the river together, Stumpy said confidentially to -his dog Peter:</p> - -<p>“Sure, I saw nothin’ out o’ way, Peter, but ye’ll not mention that same. -Thim gamblers is pizen, an’ the quickest way o’ gettin’ rid o’ thim was -the best.”</p> - -<p>And Peter barked loudly and wagged the remains of his tail.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_128" id="page_128"></a>{128}</span></p> - -<h2><a name="XI" id="XI"></a>XI<br /><br /> -<small>THE NEW POKER RULE MADE IN ARKANSAS</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">It</span> seemed a pity, after peace had prevailed so long in Brownsville, to -have Long Mike and Gallagher at odds again. The big man had made no -attempt for fully a year and a half to kill his foreman, and men had -thought the feud was past, yet once again the smaller man was now -seeking safety while Long Mike raged like a lion in his quest for his -old-time foe.</p> - -<p>“Sure I do be thinkin’ we’ll niver have peace in th’ place widout a -firsht-class killin’. ’Tis th’ only thing as’ll shtill th’ atmoshphere,” -said Stumpy.</p> - -<p>It had broken out over a game of poker, but no man knew whether the -smouldering embers of hatred had blazed up at a chance word, or whether -some fresh spark had been kindled by the friction of the game.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_129" id="page_129"></a>{129}</span></p> - -<p>Jim Titherton had been greatly astonished. Titherton was a gentleman of -more or less elegant leisure, who spent much of his time travelling up -and down the Mississippi River, stopping frequently at the smaller towns -where the boats landed, but very seldom at any of the cities. Ashore he -was never known to busy himself in any recognized commercial pursuit, -but he was always ready and willing to play a game of cards with anybody -who was properly qualified to play.</p> - -<p>He had been in Brownsville for two days, and had already begun to look -for the arrival of the next boat, finding that Brownsville was not -overanxious to play cards with strangers, when somewhat to his surprise -Long Mike invited him to play.</p> - -<p>Of itself, this was a fact requiring explanation, but the further fact -that Long Mike had started in made it unnecessary to seek any -explanation for anything he might do. There was only one thing certain -about Long Mike’s actions once he started in, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_130" id="page_130"></a>{130}</span> that was that he -would do whatever would naturally be least expected.</p> - -<p>When he challenged Mr. Titherton to a game of draw-poker, however, -something like consternation was immediately manifest among the other -occupants of the barroom. One evidence of the simplicity of life in -Brownsville was that Sam had never found it necessary to adopt a name -for his saloon. It did not have to be distinguished from the other -barrooms, because there were no others.</p> - -<p>In consequence, the main part of the male population of Brownsville sat -in Sam’s place evenings, and when the leading citizen of the place, -being not too completely in command of all his faculties, proposed to -play poker with a stranger who was known to have suspicious ability as a -player, to say the least, it was realized that a common peril impended; -for Long Mike was not only the chief capitalist and the sole employer of -labour in the place, but he was also known to be entirely reckless when -he was well started, and capable of playing away his entire earthly -possessions. Mr. Titherton,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_131" id="page_131"></a>{131}</span> therefore, stood to win practically all the -money in Brownsville unless something was done promptly.</p> - -<p>It was true that Long Mike was lucky. It was one of the traditions of -Brownsville, and the story had travelled both up and down the river, -that nobody could win money from Long Mike in a square game, provided -that gentleman kept sober enough to count his chips. But Brownsville -realized that luck alone was not likely to avail much to the man who -played single-handed with Mr. Titherton.</p> - -<p>The obvious expedient, therefore, was to increase the number of players -in the game. It seemed certain that if Titherton and Long Mike played a -two-handed game, disaster would befall, but if several others should sit -in, there would at least be the chance of frustrating any schemes of -iniquitous play that might be instituted, and there would be the further -possibility of breaking the game up by force of arms in case the -disaster should become imminent.</p> - -<p>It was usually Stumpy who spoke first, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_132" id="page_132"></a>{132}</span> this occasion proved to be -no exception. Knowing the uncertain temper of his boss, he realized the -necessity for diplomacy, and therefore spoke as one who might address -the entire atmosphere:</p> - -<p>“Av it wasn’t for me bein’ th’ cr-rack player in Brownsville, maybe it’s -me ’ud be as’t for to take a hand, I don’t know. Sure, it’d be loike -takin’ a bottle o’ milk from a babby. It’d be a sin f’r me to play.”</p> - -<p>Long Mike looked at him uncertainly for a time. Then he laughed -contemptuously.</p> - -<p>“Since when did ye l’arn the game, Stumpy?” he said. “Sure, it was last -week I bluffed ye out on a pair o’ deuces.”</p> - -<p>“There’s ne’er a man this side o’ Memphis,” replied Stumpy, steadily, -“can bate me at th’ game, barrin’ it’s Gallagher, yander, an’ maybe -Ferguson, av he have the luck.”</p> - -<p>“It’s Gallagher, is it?” said Long Mike, his face darkening at the -mention of the name. “An’ Ferguson. An’ you. Sure it’s a foine pair the -three av yez is. Belike anny wan o’ yez ’d play betther blindfold. But<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_133" id="page_133"></a>{133}</span> -there, then, the more o’ yez cooms in, the more money there’ll be in th’ -game. We’ll play five-handed.”</p> - -<p>It took no diagram of the situation to explain matters to Gallagher and -Ferguson, and it is proper to say that they saw their duty and did it -like men, though it is certain that neither of them had any more relish -for the undertaking than had Stumpy. Their loyalty to Long Mike was -greatly stimulated by the realization of the peril to the common -interest involved in his playing single-handed against Mr. Titherton, -and they took their places at the card-table unhesitatingly.</p> - -<p>Moreover, they took their places beside one another, and so contrived, -without seeming to contrive, that Long Mike should sit on Titherton’s -left, leaving the latter gentleman, to say the least, with no advantage -of position. It would be his say in each round before Long Mike’s, so -that he could not model his play on the latter’s.</p> - -<p>For, it should be explained, Brownsville’s dislike to playing with -strangers came from no lack of science, or skill, or courage. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_134" id="page_134"></a>{134}</span> arose -merely from the fact that manual dexterity in the deal was the one thing -which Brownsville could not boast. In all other respects, the -Brownsville game of poker was well up to the Mississippi River standard.</p> - -<p>They made the game table stakes, and each man flashed fifty dollars for -a starter. They were used to a moderate game, but they all knew that it -was liable to grow to much greater dimensions if Long Mike should become -excited.</p> - -<p>For the first few rounds, however, there was no great excitement. The -hands ran tolerably well, two flushes and a full being shown inside of -twenty minutes, with a straight and several threes, but no strong hands -were out together, and there was no contest of any importance.</p> - -<p>Then came what looked at first like a struggle. It was Stumpy’s deal, -and Ferguson had put up the ante, fifty call a dollar.</p> - -<p>Titherton came in, and so did Long Mike. Gallagher raised it two -dollars. Stumpy and Ferguson dropped, and Titherton<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_135" id="page_135"></a>{135}</span> made it three more. -That was a sufficient indication to Long Mike, and he passed it up to -Gallagher, who promptly raised it five.</p> - -<p>Titherton threw in his five and called for two cards. Gallagher called -for one, and Titherton threw in a white chip. Gallagher looked at his -draw carefully, and pushed his entire pile into the pot.</p> - -<p>Thereupon Titherton studied for a full minute. He looked keenly at his -antagonist’s face, and then he looked at his own hand again. And lastly -he counted his chips, as if intending to call, keeping his head bent -down, but watching Gallagher meantime out of the corner of his eye. Then -suddenly he threw down his cards.</p> - -<p>Gallagher said nothing as he drew in the pot, but there was a slight -twitching at one corner of his mouth which led those who knew him best -to suspect that he had not filled his flush. As this was no longer a -matter of any importance nothing was said about it.</p> - -<p>Ferguson dealt next, and as no one caught<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_136" id="page_136"></a>{136}</span> a hand, the cards passed to -Titherton, and he dealt for a jack-pot.</p> - -<p>It had not escaped Mr. Titherton’s notice, previous to this deal, that -his manner of handling the cards had been the subject of close scrutiny, -but he had not deemed it expedient to say anything about it. Now, -however, as he began to serve the cards after the cut, he was somewhat -astonished to see three of the players lean suddenly forward, so that -their faces were within a foot of the table, and to notice that three -pairs of eyes seemed to be fixed intently on his fingers.</p> - -<p>“What the ——?” he exclaimed in surprise, and, stopping the deal, he -glared for a moment at each of the three in turn.</p> - -<p>They looked at him blandly in return, but volunteered no explanation, -and he went on dealing, red with anger, but saying nothing more.</p> - -<p>Long Mike had apparently taken no notice of all this, being occupied -with some red liquor that Sam had brought to him in response to his -rather boisterous demand, but when he had received his cards he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_137" id="page_137"></a>{137}</span> looked -at them carelessly and promptly opened the pot for the size of it.</p> - -<p>When the others had seen their cards, they all came in, up to the -dealer, and he raised it ten dollars. Long Mike hesitated, as if about -to raise it back, but evidently decided that he was not in a good place -for that play, so he merely made good.</p> - -<p>Gallagher and Stumpy both came in on the raise, but Ferguson dropped. -Long Mike then called for two cards, and as Titherton picked up the deck -to serve him the three leaned forward again and watched the dealer’s -fingers as they had done before.</p> - -<p>Again Titherton paused, as if he had in mind to resent the insult, and -again he thought better of it, and went on with the deal. Gallagher took -one card and Stumpy took two, but they did not move to pick them up, -keeping their eyes fixed on Titherton.</p> - -<p>“The dealer takes one,” said Titherton, and he dropped one card -alongside his hand, which lay in front of him.</p> - -<p>Then the three straightened up and looked at one another, as if greatly -astonished.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_138" id="page_138"></a>{138}</span></p> - -<p>“Is thot the reg’lar game?” asked Gallagher.</p> - -<p>“It is,” said Stumpy. “Thot is, it’s the new rule they’ve made in -Arkansas. Maybe it’s rig’lar on th’ river now, I don’t know. In Arkansas -the dealer has th’ privilege o’ ta-akin’ a card from the bottom or the -top, av ye don’t see ut.”</p> - -<p>“But how if you see ut?” asked Gallagher.</p> - -<p>“Thot depinds,” said Stumpy. “On th’ boats they shoot, but on shore the -dealer gen’ly goes over the levee, an’ all hangs on how he can shwim.”</p> - -<p>“I’ll bet ten dollars,” said Long Mike, throwing the money in the pot.</p> - -<p>He had been looking rather confusedly at his cards while the others -talked, not paying attention to what they said. But Titherton -interposed.</p> - -<p>“Hold on a minute,” he exclaimed, laying his hand down in front of him -and putting some chips on the five cards.</p> - -<p>He moved and spoke very deliberately.</p> - -<p>“Will you gentlemen be good enough to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_139" id="page_139"></a>{139}</span> explain what you are talking -about?” he demanded.</p> - -<p>“We will,” said Stumpy. “We was discussin’ a new rule in dhraw-poker.”</p> - -<p>“Ut were called to moind,” said Gallagher, “by a slight pecooliarity av -yer digital manœuvres.”</p> - -<p>They said that Gallagher had once been a schoolmaster.</p> - -<p>“You’re a liar,” said Titherton, that being the next regular move in the -game, and, as custom required, he pulled his gun at the same instant and -covered Gallagher.</p> - -<p>Three other revolvers appeared at the same instant, and if Long Mike had -not been a person of almost preternatural promptness, there would have -been gun-play if not bloodshed in the room. He moved like a cat, -however, and Titherton’s gun went spinning across the room before he -could pull the trigger. Long Mike had seized his wrist and shaken it, -and the bones came near snapping.</p> - -<p>“Ye’ll cease yer palaver, an’ play the hand,” said the big man, as angry -as the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_140" id="page_140"></a>{140}</span> others. “Av there’s foightin’ to do, ye’ll do it afther. An’ if -ye’re afther takin’ a card from the bottom o’ the deck, ye’ll kape it -an’ Oi’ll play ye annyhow. But that omadhaun there, he’s no liar. Oi’ll -say that for him. But he’ll settle wi’ me later for breakin’ up this -play.”</p> - -<p>But this amazing proposition met with no favour from any one. Titherton -struggled like a wild beast in his rage, but was unable to free himself, -though he began to bite at Long Mike’s fingers, and the others sprang to -their feet.</p> - -<p>“Don’t shoot,” said Stumpy, putting away his gun. “Let’s run the -spalpeen into the river.” And the other two started to help him.</p> - -<p>But Long Mike was aroused by the pain of a sharp bite, and his temper -gave way. His strength was as the strength of seven men, and he, too, -arose, knocking the table over as he lunged forward. Seizing Titherton -with both hands he lifted him high in the air and threw him violently -against the wall, whence he fell unconscious to the floor.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_141" id="page_141"></a>{141}</span></p> - -<p>Then the big man made a rush for Gallagher.</p> - -<p>“Oi’ll kill yez this time!” he exclaimed, and Gallagher knew that he -would.</p> - -<p>It was, therefore, small wonder that he dodged under Long Mike’s arm and -made a flying leap through the window, carrying sash and all with him.</p> - -<p>There was a frantic pursuit, but Gallagher had gained a few seconds of a -start and was nowhere to be found. After a good part of the night had -been spent in fruitless search, they bethought them of Titherton, and -went back to look for him, but he had recovered consciousness and had -made his escape also.</p> - -<p>“Sure it’s a pity we didn’t throw him in the river whin he were stunned, -an’ he’d niver ha’ knowed th’ difference,” said Stumpy, discontentedly.</p> - -<p>But Long Mike raged as was his fashion, and called for red liquor many -times, breathing out threats of what he would do on the morrow, till the -others saw that it was necessary<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_142" id="page_142"></a>{142}</span> to encourage him in his effort to get -a sufficiency of liquor.</p> - -<p>And when they had finally accomplished this, and had put him safely in -his own bed, Stumpy said again:</p> - -<p>“Sure there’ll be no such thing as livin’ quiet an’ peaceable in -Brownsville till we have a firsht-class killin’. But Oi do be thinkin’ -it’ll not be Gallagher. He do get away too often.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_143" id="page_143"></a>{143}</span>”</p> - -<h2><a name="XII" id="XII"></a>XII<br /><br /> -<small>A STRANGER AND FOND OF POKER</small></h2> - -<p><span class="smcap">The</span> Mississippi River packet <i>City of Natchez</i> had been tied up at the -levee in Arkansas City for possibly half an hour. The passengers who -wanted to go ashore had gone, all but one, and the roustabouts were -struggling with the freight under the inspiring influence of the mate’s -energetic comments.</p> - -<p>Possibly because of their terrified condition, resulting from the mate’s -flow of language, but more probably because of their total indifference -to consequences, they paid no attention whatever to a short, red-headed -gentleman who might perhaps have been born in Ireland, and who came -strolling from the direction of the boat’s barroom toward the single -gangplank, now in use by the freight department.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_144" id="page_144"></a>{144}</span></p> - -<p>Even as they paid no attention to him, he paid none to them, but -approached the gangplank somewhat unsteadily, with the evident intention -of going ashore. The mate’s attention for the moment was fixed on some -point at the other side of the deck, or it is a moral certainty that he -would have interposed language of sufficient strength to arrest the -belated passenger’s progress.</p> - -<p>As it happened, however, there was none to warn him of his danger, and -he stepped in debonair fashion on the sloping gangplank, serenely -unconscious of the fact that four huge darkies were coming behind him, -bearing a case of goods on their shoulders that must have weighed -something like a thousand pounds.</p> - -<p>It is an open question whether they saw that he was in their way, but it -is absolutely certain that they recognized no obligation on their part -to shout a warning. On they came, jog-trotting along till they were only -a single pace behind him, when he either tripped or slipped, and, -staggering, seemed about to fall. Had he fallen and so tripped<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_145" id="page_145"></a>{145}</span> the -rousters, the matter would have been serious indeed.</p> - -<p>Just as he lost his balance, a sinewy hand was stretched forth from -somewhere in the darkness, for it was late at night, and catching the -tottering gentleman by the lapel of his coat, gave him such a mighty and -overmastering yank that he darted forward on the double-quick for thirty -or forty feet, and fell all in a heap on the levee. As he lay there, he -was hopelessly undignified in appearance, but he was out of the path of -the roustabouts.</p> - -<p>Quite as if nothing whatever had happened, he looked up at his unknown -preserver, who could now be seen indistinctly, and said in a -conversational tone:</p> - -<p>“Sure, Oi do be think (hic) thinkin’ the citizens o’ this (hic) this -town is domned hard oop fer popu (hic) population. Does yez git ivery -(hic) iverybody ashore, loike (hic) iverybody (hic) does yez—”</p> - -<p>Here his voice trailed off to a murmur, and it seemed probable to the -tall, powerful man who stood over him that he was likely<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_146" id="page_146"></a>{146}</span> to go to sleep -where he lay if something were not done promptly. Promptness, however, -was a prominent characteristic of Mr. Joseph Bassett, the sheriff of the -county, and the stranger speedily arose, a wetter and a soberer -man—likewise an angrier.</p> - -<p>With these various considerations Joe Bassett was no whit concerned -excepting that the fact of the stranger having been aroused made his own -duty somewhat easier of performance. As the short man began sputtering -in a peculiarly red-headed fashion, Joe calmly interrupted him.</p> - -<p>“It’s ag’in the law, stranger, f’r any galoot f’m off’n a boat fer to go -an’ git hisself killed on the levee in Arkansas City by a packin’-case -or any other murderous weepin in the hands o’ roustabouts or anybody -else. ’Pears to me you must be a stranger in these parts. Ever been into -a town of any size afore?”</p> - -<p>The short man continued to sputter as if nothing had been said, so Joe -looked at him with mild curiosity for a moment, and then said:<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_147" id="page_147"></a>{147}</span></p> - -<p>“Hyer now. That’ll be about enough. I’d ought for to arrest you for -disturbin’ the peace o’ them roustabouts, but if you’ve got money enough -to settle a hotel bill, I reckon I might better take you there. Have -ye?”</p> - -<p>“Oi have,” said the little man.</p> - -<p>“What’s your name?” asked the sheriff, presuming on his official -position to disregard a point of strict etiquette in the community.</p> - -<p>“Mostly they do be callin’ me Stumpy, whin Oi’m at home in Brownsville,” -said the little man, whose wrath seemed to have cooled as the water -dripped off his face. “Av thot’s a good enough name for Brownsville, -sure it’ll do here.”</p> - -<p>“Come along then, Stumpy,” said the sheriff, good-naturedly, as he -linked his arm in the little man’s and steadied his steps toward the -hotel across the street.</p> - -<p>The landlord had no scruples against dispensing red liquor to any man -who was in the company of the sheriff, and it came about that the three -had sundry drinks which<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_148" id="page_148"></a>{148}</span> Stumpy paid for with great cheerfulness before -going to bed.</p> - -<p>Soon after he had done this, Mr. Bassett dropped in at old man -Greenhut’s saloon, and after some irrelevant remarks reported the -presence of a stranger in town.</p> - -<p>“What’s he like?” demanded Greenhut.</p> - -<p>“Well, he’s red-headed an’ I reckon he’s Irish, but ’pears like he had -some money. He didn’t flash no wad, but he ain’t no ways mean with his -loose change.”</p> - -<p>“You can’t al’ays tell,” said old man Greenhut. “The Good Book says, -‘Him that hath, keeps, an’ f’m him that hath not, the loose change -ofttimes leaks.’ Still, it’s worth lookin’ into. Some o’ you boys had -better be up to the hotel when he gets round. Maybe he might have a -likin’ f’r draw-poker.”</p> - -<p>Accordingly, it happened that when Stumpy came down to the hotel barroom -next morning in search of an appetite, he discovered a couple of -strangers there who were by no means unsociably disposed. Further, he -discovered that they were Jake<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_149" id="page_149"></a>{149}</span> Winterbottom and Sam Pearsall by name, -citizens of Arkansas City, who esteemed it a privilege to make strangers -acquainted with the resources of the place in the way of sports and -pastimes.</p> - -<p>Several of these were mentioned, but it appeared that horse-racing was -out of season, and there had been no cock-fights arranged for the day. -In fact, the only amusement available, so far as these two could say, -was a quiet game of draw which was likely to be started at any hour in -Greenhut’s back room.</p> - -<p>“Gintlemen, Oi’m wid yez,” said Stumpy. “We do be playin’ dhraw-poker in -Brownsville whiles, but it’s more f’r th’ spoort we play nor the money.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Winterbottom and Mr. Pearsall heartily agreed that the game ought -always to be played for sport rather than for money. In fact, they said, -the game was always played in Greenhut’s place for sport. Sometimes, -when the players got warmed up, the stakes grew rather large, but -usually it was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_150" id="page_150"></a>{150}</span> a small game carried on for amusement and the promotion -of Greenhut’s bar trade.</p> - -<p>“Has he a bar?” demanded Stumpy.</p> - -<p>They assured him that he had an excellent bar, and Stumpy demanded that -they should all three go forthwith to Greenhut’s. As neither of the -others had any objection, they were soon sampling Greenhut’s liquor.</p> - -<p>In paying for the drinks Stumpy showed a roll of respectable size -containing at least a few fives and tens, so no one showed any -reluctance in joining the game which Stumpy himself proposed, and five -players presently bought chips in the back room, Bassett and Plunkitt -joining the two who had invited the stranger in.</p> - -<p>“One o’ th’ most interestin’ stories in the Good Book,” remarked old man -Greenhut to the little group that remained with him in the front of the -saloon, “is that there yarn about the ravens that fetched food to Joseph -when his brethren pitched him in a pit. Nobody knowed where them ravens -come from, but they fetched Joseph so much</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="RESPECTABLE" id="RESPECTABLE"></a> -<a href="images/i_p150a_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p150a_sml.jpg" width="313" height="450" alt="“IN PAYING FOR THE DRINKS STUMPY SHOWED A ROLL OF -RESPECTABLE SIZE.”" title="" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“IN PAYING FOR THE DRINKS STUMPY SHOWED A ROLL OF -RESPECTABLE SIZE.”</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_150b" id="page_150b"></a>{150b}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_151" id="page_151"></a>{151}</span></p> - -<p class="nindd">corn inside o’ seven year’t him an’ his family fed on it f’r seven year -more.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Pears like there’s ravens comin’ f’m up the river, an’ f’m down the -river, to feed Arkansas City. This here bird is a trifle off colour for -a raven, but his wad looks good.”</p> - -<p>In the back room things were not quite satisfactory. A table stakes game -was started and each man bought five dollars’ worth of chips. The local -talent considered this small, but Stumpy said they always began the game -that way in Brownsville, and they deferred to his preference, -remembering that it was always possible to buy more chips and so -increase the size of the possible bet.</p> - -<p>Presently, however, it appeared that there were other peculiarities in -the Brownsville game, or at least in the game Stumpy played. He refused -to come in, hand after hand, with no apparent impatience at the chipping -out process, even when he was forced to buy his second five. Then, -suddenly, he came in without looking at his hand, and when<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_152" id="page_152"></a>{152}</span> he was -raised, pushed his whole pile into the pot.</p> - -<p>Winterbottom had three sevens, and he saw the bet unhesitatingly. -Pearsall had nothing, but he put in his money on the theory that his -chance was as good as any man’s who had not looked at his hand. The -sheriff, with one pair, considered it a fair gamble, and Plunkitt came -in to be sociable.</p> - -<p>On the draw Stumpy stood pat, still without looking at his cards, which -lay face down in front of him. Winterbottom drew two without bettering, -and neither of the others improved his hand.</p> - -<p>As Winterbottom had opened, he bet a blue chip on the side, which the -sheriff called, having kings, and the other two laid down. Stumpy, being -all in, was not affected by the side betting, and let his cards remain -on the table.</p> - -<p>Winterbottom, being called, showed his three sevens.</p> - -<p>“That’s good,” said the sheriff, showing his kings, and they all looked -at Stumpy.</p> - -<p>“Sure, Oi don’t know,” he said, drolly<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_153" id="page_153"></a>{153}</span>, “but Oi do be thinkin’ maybe -Oi’ll bate thim others,” and he turned his cards over one at a time.</p> - -<p>The first four were diamonds, and he looked at Winterbottom.</p> - -<p>“Have yez anny propositions?” he asked, with a grin.</p> - -<p>“I reckon not,” said Winterbottom.</p> - -<p>“Oi thought maybe ye’d be afther wantin’ to shplit th’ pot. Sure, thim -diamonds is mighty pretty.”</p> - -<p>“Go on,” said Jake, impatiently.</p> - -<p>“Oh! Very well,” said Stumpy, and he turned another diamond.</p> - -<p>It gave him nearly sixteen dollars as against the ten he had put in, and -after counting it carefully he said he guessed he’d quit.</p> - -<p>At this there was a chorus of protest. “Do you mean to say you’ve got -four North American citizens to waste half an hour for you to win six -dollars?” demanded Pearsall.</p> - -<p>“It’s what I call a dirty trick,” said Plunkitt.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_154" id="page_154"></a>{154}</span></p> - -<p>“Aisy, now, aisy,” said Stumpy. “Oi told yez Oi play this game fer -spoort, an’ Oi’ve had all the spoort Oi’m loikely to have. Thim things -don’t happen twice. Yez needn’t look dangerous. Oi’ll not foight yez, -on’y wan at a toime. Oi’m Oirish, but Oi’m not Oirish enough for that. -Yez’ll all have another dhrink with me.”</p> - -<p>And that was all the Arkansas City players accomplished with Stumpy.</p> - -<p>After he had gone on his hilarious way, old man Greenhut looked after -him indignantly, and said:</p> - -<p>“I reckon them ravens that fed Joseph must ha’ been some other breed. -They sure wa’n’t red-headed blackbirds.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_155" id="page_155"></a>{155}</span>”</p> - -<h2><a name="XIII" id="XIII"></a>XIII<br /><br /> -<small>ON HAND JUST ONCE</small></h2> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">It</span> certainly is really amazin’,” said old man Greenhut, “how folks -keeps on a-missin’ of it, all their lives, by not bein’ on the spot. ’N -I’ve noticed always that the folks that ain’t thar all the time ain’t -never thar. Once a feller gits the habit o’ bein’ thar, he’s always -thar, but once he gits out o’ the habit, or if he never gits it, he -ain’t never round when the grand opportunity comes, and just naturally -he misses it. Don’t seem to make no difference how likely a man is, or -how hard he may try to git a holt o’ the persimmons o’ luck that the -good Lord keeps a-growin’ all the time for everybody that’s got the -gumption to knock ’em off the bushes, he don’t never get none of ’em -’thout he’s thar, an’ as I said, such folks ain’t never thar.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_156" id="page_156"></a>{156}</span></p> - -<p>“Now thar’s Tenspot Ike. Thar ain’t no capabler feller ’n him in town -’n’ everybody likes him. If a man wants to stand treat, thar ain’t -nobody that’d be more likely to get ’nvited than him, an’ yet Ike, he’ll -set around here day in an’ day out, waitin’ for some good angel to step -down an’ trouble the pool o’ Siloam, the same bein’ a bottle o’ good old -rye for the purpose of illustration, an’ thar won’t be nobody. But just -as sartin as some open-hearted friend o’ humanity comes along with a -ragin’ thirst an’ the price for two, Ike ain’t around. I call it wicked -an’ bad for trade for a man to fly in the face o’ Providence like that.”</p> - -<p>The old man looked again at the battered half-dollar he had just taken -in, and bit on it to make sure it was good. Then looking once more into -his cash-drawer to make sure that he had given out the lead quarter in -change that had come back to him so often, he came out from behind the -bar and took his favourite seat by the window.</p> - -<p>“D’ye ever hear how Ike come to be called Tenspot?” he asked in a -general sort<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_157" id="page_157"></a>{157}</span> of way, after he had carefully inspected the stump of a -cigar that was between his teeth as usual, and had lighted it up again. -If anybody had ever heard the story, he forbore to speak, and the old -man kept right on talking.</p> - -<p>“There wasn’t never nothin’ the matter with Ike,” he said, “except that -pesky habit o’ his o’ bein’ always somewheres else. You could always -count on him with a copper. ’F you wanted him anywheres special, he -wasn’t there. I remember one time we’d ketched a hoss thief right here -in town, ’n’ had everythin’ ready to send him off to glory sudden like, -exceptin’ for a Testament to swear the witnesses on, an’ Ike had the -on’y copy o’ the Good Book there was in town.</p> - -<p>“Some o’ the boys was in favour o’ swingin’ him right up without -formalities, arguin’ that as long as we’d ketched him in the act, an’ -there wa’n’t no doubt o’ what he was tryin’ to do, there wa’n’t no use -o’ wastin’ time on a trial, but I says, ‘No; to do that’d degrade -Arkansas City to the level o’ barbarism,’ I says, ‘or a second-class<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_158" id="page_158"></a>{158}</span> -minin’ settlement. Sich things is all right,’ I says, ‘whar ther ain’t -no civilization, nor none o’ the refinin’ influences o’ religion, but -Arkansas City ain’t no such place. Let’s hang him decent-like an’ -’cordin’ to law,’ I says, ’s’long’s we’ve got it to do. An’ ther ain’t -no such thing as legal testimony,’ I says, ‘ ’thout it’s sworn to on the -Good Book.’</p> - -<p>“Well, the boys was reasonable, an’ some of ’em went looking for Ike, he -havin’, as I said, th’ on’y copy o’ th’ Testament ther was in town. -’Course he wasn’t round in none o’ the saloons where he usually kept -hisself, an’ while they was a-lookin’ fer him, that pesky hoss thief -managed some ways or another to git away. When we did find Ike, he was -tryin’ to teach two Chinamen, that had just come to town an’ was in a -fair way to starve to death runnin’ a laundry, how to play poker. -‘Stands to reason,’ Ike says, when I as’t him how he come to do it, -‘that them unfortunate heathen wouldn’t never make day’s wages,’ he -says, ‘runnin’ no laundry here, so I was just puttin’ ’em in a way to -make an honest livin’ by showin<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_159" id="page_159"></a>{159}</span>’ ’em the principles o’ draw-poker.’ He -give ’em a fair start, too, as it happened, for he dropped seventeen -dollars in good American money in that little missionary enterprise o’ -his’n. The boys said it was a judgment o’ heaven on him fer not bein’ -where he’d oughter ha’ been, as he usually ain’t, besides bein’ a grave -reflection on Arkansas City in lettin’ that hoss thief git off. I fined -the feller the drinks that had business to’ve shot him as he ran, fer -not havin’ his gun ready, an’ just naturally he bought ’em in my place, -so I wasn’t none the loser, but it was a great public calamity. I’d most -rather he hadn’t got away.</p> - -<p>“I ain’t a-sayin’ but what Ike’s natural talent fer bein’ somewheres -else was a benefit to him on one occasion. That was when Bill Briscom -was found in the road with the top of his head blowed off. We all knowed -that him an’ Ike had had a serious difficulty the day before, an’ there -was some talk o’ holdin’ Ike fer trial on suspicion, but Ike he heard -about it, just naturally, an’ he spoke up like a man: ‘I ain’t a-sayin’ -but<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_160" id="page_160"></a>{160}</span> that I’d oughter ha’ killed the feller,’ he says, ’fer I caught him -cheatin’ at cards, an’ I licked him good an’ proper, an’ the galoot -swore he’d shoot me on sight, but it stands to reason,’ he says, ‘that -in order to ha’ killed him, I’d ’a’ had to be there at the time. Now I -leave it to all of you to say whether I was ever whar I’d oughter be at -the time when I was needed. You all know my weakness, gentlemen,’ he -says, ’an’ I ask you to join me in drinkin’ to the memory o’ the late -departed. He warn’t no good, but as long as he’s gone we can afford to -forgive him fer all he done.’</p> - -<p>“Well, that settled that matter, though some o’ Briscom’s friends, for -he had some friends who said he wasn’t half-bad, an’ who kind o’ thought -Ike had ought for to own up that he shot him in a fair fight—them -friends was disposed to push the matter to a trial. But I says to ’em, -‘You can’t never convict him,’ I says. ‘Ike’s constitutional infirmity,’ -I says, ‘is too well known to the community. There ain’t no jury in this -country,’ I says, ‘that’d find him guilty.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_161" id="page_161"></a>{161}</span>’</p> - -<p>“But that ain’t tellin’ you how he come to be called Tenspot Ike,” said -the old man, suddenly remembering what he had started to say. “That were -a most remarkable story, an’ p’ints several morals. In the first place, -it were the on’y time in his life that Ike was ever knowed to be on hand -when he was wanted, and there’s no manner o’ doubt it were the last. -Then it were the occasion of a most miraculous delivery of the credit -an’ cash capital of Arkansas City from eternal smash by means of a -casual ten-spot of clubs that Ike, by some utterly unaccountable -dispensation of Providence, happened to have in his pocket.</p> - -<p>“The way of it was this. It was in the time o’ the spring floods, an’ -the river had been up for nigh two months, an’ Arkansas City was all -afloat up to the second story, ’xcept on the levee. There were a boat -now an’ again, of course, but they’d just tie up at the levee for a few -minutes, an’ the folks that had been thinkin’ o’ comin’ ashore would -just look around for a spell, kind o’ discouraged like, and then they’d -set down<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_162" id="page_162"></a>{162}</span> on the boat again an’ go on down the river, or up, as the case -might be, an’ you couldn’t blame ’em. The railroad was washed away for -ten miles back, an’ there wasn’t no other way to git out o’ town. Just -naturally folks took the way they was sure of, there bein’ nothin’ to -stay here for. There bein’ no strangers in town, the boys played poker -among themselves pretty constant, for there wasn’t nothin’ else to do -while the river was up, an’ after the first five weeks the entire cash -capital of the place was in the possession of two men. It was a case o’ -what the Good Book tells about when it says that him as has shall win, -and him that has nothin’ shall lose that which he seemeth to have. Jim -Harris and Pete Barlow won everything in sight, an’ there wasn’t another -man in town among the sporting set that had a dollar to his name. -’Course there was some of us taxpayers that didn’t play frequent, that -had money in the bank, but the sports was all flat broke ’xcept them -two. We was all looking for them to come together an’ for one of ’em to -eat the other up, but for some reason<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_163" id="page_163"></a>{163}</span> they didn’t, each bein’ more or -less afraid of the other as near as I c’d figger it. Pete an’ Ike was -good friends, but Jim Harris hated Ike like p’ison for reasons of his -own, an’ Ike like a good Christian was always lookin’ for a chance to -pile red-hot coals on him.</p> - -<p>“Well, just then some crossroads gambler from Mississippi come along the -river lookin’ for blood. He’d raked one or two other towns clean, an’ -just naturally arrove here with a wad bigger’n his head. He drifted -around the first day tryin’ to get acquainted, an’ some o’ the boys -spotted him, an’ lost no time in tellin’ our two capitalists about him -an’ his wad. Thar was some backin’ an’ fillin’, but the second day the -three come together right here in this room an’ after some talk got to -playin’ cards. The news got around an’ the room was tol’able nigh full -o’ the boys. All of ’em was pinin’ for the destruction o’ that stranger, -just for the sake of encouragin’ home talent, but there wasn’t many of -’em that cared whether Harris or Barlow’d git away with him, so<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_164" id="page_164"></a>{164}</span> long as -one of ’em should do the trick. Ike was here, o’ course. If he’d had -money enough to set into the game I s’pose he’d ha’ been in Little Rock, -but bein’ as there wasn’t no earthly probability o’ his bein’ wanted -here, he was just naturally here. But the dispensation o’ Providence is -very often mysterious an’ he turned out to be the chosen instrument o’ -heaven for the salvation of Arkansas City.</p> - -<p>“They played an’ played for six or seven hours, settin’ ’em up for the -house once in awhile by way of a kitty, but none of ’em gittin’ much -ahead. Just naturally the boys all stayed. I don’t never give ’em too -much credit when they’re broke, for fear of encouragin’ ’em in -pernicious habits, an’ they was a pretty dry lot. They was a-watchin’ -the game close, an’ stood around tol’able close, but o’ course not -crowdin’ the players. Ike stood a little behind Barlow, lookin’ over his -left shoulder, but o’ course sayin’ nothin’. We didn’t s’pose he could -see what cards was held, no more than the rest of us, for all three men -was playin’ close to their chests, as was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_165" id="page_165"></a>{165}</span> natural. It seems, though, -that Ike has eyes consid’able better’n the average hawk, an’ he was -keepin’ tabs on the game right smart.</p> - -<p>“It come Jim Harris’s deal, an’ I noticed the stranger give a sort of a -little start as he watched the cards droppin’. Then he looked at his -hand an’ I see his face change just the least little. He seemed to -hesitate a little an’ then he reached into his pocket an’ pulled out his -gun, an’ laid it on the table alongside of his cards. ‘It’s kind of -uncomfortable settin’ on the end of it,’ he says with a little grin, -which we all understood well enough. Pete Barlow did, anyhow, for he -dropped his cards on the table almost before he had lifted them, and -flashed out his own gun. ‘That’s so. ’Tis uncomfortable,’ he says, as he -lays it on the table. Jim Harris, he warn’t far behind, an’ when he lays -out his weapon he says, ‘I might as well be in the fashion.’</p> - -<p>“Just naturally we all understood what all that meant, but we warn’t any -of us expectin’ what followed. It were fairly amazin’. Ike reached over -in front o’ Pete<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_166" id="page_166"></a>{166}</span> Barlow an’ grabbed his pistol, sayin’ as he did so, -‘You look after your playin’, Pete. If there’s goin’ to be any shootin’ -done, I’ll shoot for you.’</p> - -<p>“Now I reckon there couldn’t be no worse break made than that, an’ I -looked to see Pete break out in a blaze o’ wrath, but I was clean -flabbergasted when he looked up pleasant an’ smiled an’ said: ‘All -right, Ike.’ I was clean flabbergasted an’ I never understood the thing -at all till Ike explained it to me afterward.</p> - -<p>“ ‘You see Harris had boxed the cards,’ he says, ‘an’ the stranger seen -it. That’s why he pulled his gun. I seen that Pete had three tens an’ a -pair o’ aces, an’ I guessed the rest. Now, it was a clean plumb miracle, -but I happened to have a ten o’ clubs in my pocket o’ the same pattern -o’ cards. It was one of a pack that dropped in the water an’ I’d put it -in my pocket. I didn’t know why at the time, but now I can see it was -the will o’ heaven. I reached over an’ took the gun just for an excuse -to drop the card in Pete’s lap. He seen it an’ tumbled.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_167" id="page_167"></a>{167}</span>’</p> - -<p>“Well, that’s all there was to it. The stranger, he wouldn’t play the -hand, o’ course, but Harris havin’ four sevens, laid for Pete, who just -naturally stood pat an’ flashed four tens an’ an ace at the show down. -That let Harris out, an’ Pete swatted the stranger till he had to borrow -twenty to leave town with. An’ the credit of Arkansas City was saved.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_168" id="page_168"></a>{168}</span>”</p> - -<h2><a name="XIV" id="XIV"></a>XIV<br /><br /> -<small>IT WAS A GREAT DEAL</small></h2> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">One</span> o’ the commonest failin’s o’ poor fallen humanity is a lack o’ -self-control,” said old man Greenhut, as he turned back from the door of -his tavern, out of which he had just thrown an unfortunate stranger, and -walked around to his place behind the bar rubbing and slapping his hands -together, as if to brush off some imaginary taint that might be supposed -to have attached to the stranger’s clothes.</p> - -<p>The stranger, who didn’t seem to be in good health, and was far from -being well dressed, had shuffled in a few moments before and walked up -to the stove with a deprecatory air, saying nothing to anybody and -warming himself in an apologetic fashion as if he realized that he had -no right to the heat and good cheer that radiated from the red-<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_169" id="page_169"></a>{169}</span>hot -sides of that comfortable piece of furniture. Nobody said anything to -him, and he coughed once or twice, timidly, before he ventured to walk -over to the bar and accost the old man. “Squire,” he said, “I am -half-sick, an’ I need a glass o’ liquor powerful bad, but I hain’t got -any money. Kin you trust me for a drink? I’ll pay ye for it, honest. I -hain’t never beat a man out of a cent in my life, an’ I’ll pay, sure. I -wouldn’t ask ye for it, on’y I’m reely sick.”</p> - -<p>The old man looked at him steadily while he was talking, but he answered -never a word. Slowly he reached under the bar and the stranger’s face -brightened up. He thought the old man was reaching for a bottle. After -hesitating a little the old man came out from behind the bar. Seizing -the unresisting stranger by the collar he rushed him violently to the -door, and half-threw and half-kicked him out. Then breaking the silence -for the first time since the stranger’s entrance, he delivered himself -of the reflections recorded above as he walked slowly back to his place. -He stood there for some minutes,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_170" id="page_170"></a>{170}</span> evidently thinking of what he had -said, and then, business being slack for the moment, he relighted his -cigar and came out again to his favourite seat by the window.</p> - -<p>“Self-control,” he said, presently, “is God’s best gift to man. The -fellow that kin always control himself under all circumstances is the -one that’s goin’ to win the pot. Now take that ar shiftless bum that -just come in here an’ asked me to supply his necessities at my expense. -If he’d ’a’ had any self-control he never would have allowed hisself to -be mastered by an accursed longin’ for liquor without the price of it, -an’ if I hadn’t ’a’ had my self-control right along with me, like as not -I’d ’a’ let him have it. I’ve knowed men to do just such fool things. -An’ thar he’d ’a’ been saddled with a debt that he wouldn’t never ’a’ -paid, an’ I’d ’a’ been just that much out.</p> - -<p>“I’ve often thought that the Lord must ’a’ meant the game o’ poker as a -instrument o’ savin’ grace in the way o’ cultivatin’ those virtues -’thout which a man hain’t fit to live, nor yet capable o’ gettin’ on in -the world.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_171" id="page_171"></a>{171}</span> Now poker’ll teach a man self-control better’n almost -anything else I know. You never seen a poker player what knowed the -first principles o’ the game, givin’ way to no weaknesses.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Minds me of a game I see played once on the old <i>River Belle</i>, comin’ -down the river just after the spring floods o’ ’76. There wa’n’t no such -games then as there used to be before the war, or even for a few years -after. I don’t know what the reason is, but poker don’t ’pear to be -respected, now, like it used to be. ’Pears like the risin’ generation -hain’t none o’ the moral stamina that folks had when I was younger. Call -poker immoral, I’ve heard tell, just as if ’twasn’t the greatest -educator an’ highest moral training known to civilization.</p> - -<p>“There was a good bit o’ money up in that game, for there was four o’ -the nerviest men I ever knowed in it, an’ every one of ’em was out for -blood. Two of ’em, Jim Waters an’ Abe Simpson, was St. Louis sports that -always travelled together. Jim<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_172" id="page_172"></a>{172}</span> Blivins was another. He come from -Memphis, but he’d kind o’ run hisself out o’ town an’ mostly travelled -the river. ’Twarn’t that he was crooked, partic’lar. He played as fair -as most of ’em did, an’ used to say that he never stacked the cards -’thouten he had reason to think that somebody else in the game was up to -the same sort o’ deviltry. But the truth was he played too strong a game -for the Memphis crowd, an’ it got so that nobody that knowed him would -play with him, so just naturally he had to seek for new pastures an’ -strange lambs. The fourth man was a feller I never seed afore, though I -come to know him well enough afterward. ’Twas George Dunning, a chap f’m -somewheres up in Iowa that had took to the river for business an’ -somehow had struck up a friendship with Blivins. They was playin’ -partners at the time, though I didn’t know it, an’ just naturally they -wasn’t a-shoutin’ it out from the housetops, the same bein’ the upper -deck in case of steamboats. Incidentally there was another feller in the -game. He was a cattle-dealer from Texas, Dunnigan<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_173" id="page_173"></a>{173}</span> by name, that had -just been up north sellin’ a slew o’ cattle, an’ was goin’ home with a -wad that wouldn’t fit comfortable in his inside pocket.</p> - -<p>“The other four was just naturally intendin’ to get hold o’ that wad, -but there was some difference of opinion amongst ’em about it. Waters -an’ Simpson was reckonin’ on takin’ it back to St. Louis with ’em, an’ -Blivins an’ Dunning was thinkin’ o’ gettin’ off at Memphis an’ dividin’ -up there. What Dunnigan was figurin’ on I don’t know, but I reckon he -expected to draw compound interest on his money durin’ the time he was -on the boat.</p> - -<p>“By the time we got below Cairo the game was goin’ on under a full head -o’ steam. The professionals was all well fixed for money an’ there -wasn’t no small stakes played for. Nothin’ was said about a limit, -neither, nor there warn’t no table stakes rules. It was just a case o’ -bettin’ anything you damn please, an’ either layin’ down or makin’ a -bigger bluff every time the other feller peeped.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_174" id="page_174"></a>{174}</span></p> - -<p>“White chips was a dollar, reds was five, an’ blues was fifty, makin’ a -tol’able stiff game even with chips, but they was a good many -hundred-dollar bills lyin’ on the table ’fore they’d been playin’ long, -an’ there was a feelin’ among them that was lookin’ on that bigger money -than that was liable to be flashed ’most any time.</p> - -<p>“It was reely surprisin’, seein’ that the game was that sort, an’ the -men playin’ was so much in earnest, that there was nothin’ decisive-like -in the fust day’s play. You’d ha’ thought that somebody’d gone broke -within a few hours, anyhow, but whether ’twas that they wasn’t in no -hurry, seein’ they had several days ahead of ’em, or whether ’twas that -they was too much for one another, I don’t know. Anyhow, they was -a-playin’ from about four o’clock in the evenin’ till after midnight, -an’ nobody was more’n five or six hundred dollars out that fust day.</p> - -<p>“You see they all played cautious. I’ve often noticed that when men are -playin’ in a real important game, with plenty o’ time to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_175" id="page_175"></a>{175}</span> play in, -they’ll play a much more cautious game than they will if there’s only a -few dollars, or a few hundred in sight. Anyhow, I didn’t see no bet o’ -more than five hundred pushed up while I was lookin’ on, an’ that was -most o’ the time, an’ I didn’t see that called nor raised on’y once. -Blivins put up five hundred once on three queens, an’ Dunnigan, who had -drawed one card, raised him five hundred, so Blivins just naturally laid -down, seein’ ’twas a jack-pot an’ Dunnigan hadn’t opened when he had a -chance, but had raised once before the draw, showin’ he had hopes of a -flush or a straight.</p> - -<p>“Well, as I said, they played till about twelve o’clock an’ nobody was -hurt much. Then Dunnigan said he guessed he’d turn in, an’ nobody made -any objections, only they all seemed to understand they was to go on -with the game the next day.</p> - -<p>“I must say that there Dunnigan was a foxy player. He laid down his -cards a good many times that second day when an ordinary man would have -played ’em, provin’ conclusive that he knowed the game. You<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_176" id="page_176"></a>{176}</span> see he was -reely better off in the game than he would have been if the other -fellers hadn’t been watchin’ one another the way they was. Ef either two -of the four had drawed out o’ the game I don’t reckon he’d ha’ lasted -more’n perhaps an hour or so, though as I said, he understood the game -well enough, but just naturally he wasn’t on to the reely subtle -refinements o’ scientific manipulation, an’ any one o’ them four could -ha’ stacked cards on him without him knowin’ it. But the p’int was that -Waters an’ Simpson was watchin’ Blivins an’ Dunning with more anxiety -than a hen gives to a brood o’ ducklin’s, and Blivins an’ Dunning was -returnin’ the compliment most amazin’ earnest like. Nary a one of ’em -dasted to deal crooked, an’ as for tryin’ to ring in marked cards, any -such trick as that would ha’ just been suicide.</p> - -<p>“After some hours’ play the second day, though, all hands seemed to get -impatient. ’Twa’n’t that they played any less cautious, but they seemed -to be gettin’ on to one another’s play better an’ better all the time<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_177" id="page_177"></a>{177}</span> -an’ feelin’ as though they was justified in playin’ to the strength o’ -their hands more’n they had. I noticed they begun callin’ one another -once in awhile, an’ a call had been ruther a scarce thing before that. -Dunnigan was caught bluffin’ most outrageous once, on a busted flush, -but nobody even smiled. Blivins had called him on two pairs, an’ he -raked in a pot of near a thousand dollars just as if nothin’ had -happened.</p> - -<p>“All of a sudden came a most astonishin’ deal. I reckon it was honest -enough, for, as I said, they was a-watchin’ one another like cats, an’ -slick as they all was, there warn’t one of ’em but knowed the others -would catch him if he tried to deal crooked. So just naturally we had to -assume it was honest, anyway, although Dunning dealt the cards, an’ he -was one o’ the best manipulators I ever see.</p> - -<p>“What made it surprisin’ was that the cards had been a-runnin’ most -almighty slow up to that time, as they will sometimes for a long spell. -There had been a few good hands, o’ course, but there hadn’t been a -real<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_178" id="page_178"></a>{178}</span> struggle worth talkin’ about in all those hours o’ play. This -time, though, there was struggle enough to satisfy the most sanguinary.</p> - -<p>“Dunning dealt, as I said, an’ Waters had the age. He got four hearts -with the ace and king at the head. Blivins was next player an’ he caught -three queens. Dunnigan was next an’ he found kings and eights in his -hand. Simpson was next an’ he got four spades—little ones. An’ Dunning -dealt himself four ten-spots, pat.</p> - -<p>“That of itself was a tol’able noteworthy deal, but the draw was still -more astonishin’. They’d all come in as a matter o’ course, an Waters -had just naturally raised it a blue chip. That give Dunning a chance, -an’ he raised it a hundred dollars. I asked him a long time afterward -how ’twas he didn’t raise the first round, an’ he said he couldn’t -exactly say, on’y he had a sort o’ hunch that Waters would raise, as he -did, an’ so give him all the better show. Everybody stood this raise -also, and then they called for cards.</p> - -<p>“Waters got his fifth heart. Blivins<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_179" id="page_179"></a>{179}</span> caught the fourth queen. Dunnigan -made a king full, an’ Simpson got nothin’. Dunning, o’ course, drew a -dummy to his four tens.</p> - -<p>“If ever there was a kettle o’ fish that was. Blivins bet five hundred -on the go off, an’ Dunnigan raised him five hundred as a simple act o’ -Christian duty, havin’ a king full against one two-card and three -one-card draws, Simpson threw down his cards, havin’ no chance to do -anything else. Dunning just naturally put up a thousand dollars more, -an’ Waters was between the devil an’ the deep blue sea.</p> - -<p>“Just naturally he says to himself that Blivins an’ Dunning was -a-playin’ whipsaw an’ cal’latin’ to scare him out right away. Dunnigan -was the man he was after, same as the others was, an’ he reckoned he -could beat Dunnigan, but he didn’t see how he was goin’ to stand up -against the other two. Talk about your self-control. There was a man -that felt certain in his own mind that he had the winnin’ hand when he -reely had the poorest one in the game. He was low<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_180" id="page_180"></a>{180}</span> man for fair, but you -couldn’t ha’ made him think so just then. An’ ’twas sharper than a -serpent’s tooth to see the other two fellers gettin’ away with -Dunnigan’s money, as he could see they was likely to do.</p> - -<p>“What did he do? Why, he throwed down his cards o’ course, like a good -player as he was. He knowed that, although the chances was that he had -the best hand, he was goin’ to have to play that hand so high that the -three chances against him made it poor play to back it. An’ mind you, -’twarn’t honest play he was lookin’ for, but a whipsaw game by two men -with plenty of money an’ more nerve.</p> - -<p>“Blivins couldn’t do no less than raise it another thousand, an’ it was -up to Dunnigan to make the play of his life. He thought he was makin’ it -when he saw both raises an’ went two thousand better. I don’t know but -what I might ha’ done the same thing, but I’ve played poker now longer’n -I had then, an’ I’ve seen four of a kind out a good many times. ’Pears -to me like I’d ha’ sensed somethin’ o’ the sort when I see two good -players<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_181" id="page_181"></a>{181}</span> bettin’ like them two did, an’ one of ’em drawin’ two cards an’ -the other only one.</p> - -<p>“Anyhow, he raised, as I said, an’ then o’ course he was their cold -meat. All they had to do was to wait on one another, so Dunning he -raised an’ Blivins chipped along. Dunnigan naturally thought he had one -of ’em beat, an’ he raised again, hoping to scare the other one out. He -made his raise five thousand this time, as was entirely proper, seein’ -he’d made up his mind to bet, but he was considerable surprised when -Dunning fingered his roll an’ called for a show on two thousand, which -was all he had left, an’ then Blivins makes good an’ goes him five -thousand more.</p> - -<p>“That was a little more than poor fallen human nature could stand. Just -naturally he was certain that Blivins was bluffing, an’ havin’ more -money in his pocket than was reely good for him, he makes another bluff -hisself, havin’, as I say, parted entirely with his self-control.</p> - -<p>“Blivins was well fixed, too, though, an’ he comes back at him again, so -Dunnigan see it<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_182" id="page_182"></a>{182}</span> was plump foolishness to raise any more, an’ he called. -I’ve heerd people criticize his play, sayin’ that he’d either oughter -laid down or raised again, but I’m free to say that I don’t agree with -’em. A king full was good enough to call on, but nothin’ short of a -straight flush was good enough to raise on against Blivins’s play, -according to my notions.</p> - -<p>“I’ve heerd people say, too, that they didn’t believe Dunning dealt them -cards honest, but I seen the expression on his face when Blivins showed -down four queens against his four tens an’ raked the pot. If he warn’t -genuinely surprised I never see any one that was.</p> - -<p>“That broke up the game, for the cattle-dealer didn’t want to go plumb -broke an’ he dropped out, so there wern’t no use in prolongin’ the -struggle. But if ever a man had cause to be thankful for his -self-control, Jim Waters had when he laid down his ace flush.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_183" id="page_183"></a>{183}</span>”</p> - -<h2><a name="XV" id="XV"></a>XV<br /><br /> -<small>HE SAT IN WITH A V</small></h2> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">I hear</span> a lot o’ talk,” said old man Greenhut, as he wiped up the bar -and set his bottles and glasses in order, “about modern progress an’ the -elevatin’ influences of eddication, an’ sich, but I’ll be everlastingly -hornswaggled if it don’t appear to me that young folks nowadays is sure -a degenerate lot. I don’t mean boys, for there can’t nobody tell what a -boy’s goin’ to turn out to be. I’ve seen reg’lar milksops that went to -Sunday school an’ wore neckties, or, mebbe, played with their sisters up -to the time they was seventeen or eighteen, turn all of a suddin like, -an’ develop into rip-roaring good citizens that could take their own -part in anything that came along from a poker party to a political -meetin’, an’ was a right down credit to the community. An’ similar<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_184" id="page_184"></a>{184}</span> I’ve -seen right lively youngsters o’ fifteen an’ sixteen, that was full o’ -ginger and gave every promise o’ bein’ husky citizens, take to foppish -ways by the time they was twenty, an’ go around smokin’ cigarettes. No, -there ain’t no tellin’ about boys.</p> - -<p>“What I mean,” continued the old man, as he came around to his favourite -seat by the window, “is the no-’count ways that the younger men of -to-day seem to be fallin’ into. Why, talkin’ about cigarettes, there’s -grown men smokes ’em now, just as shameless as if they was smokin’ -honest tobacco in a pipe. An’ I don’t mean dagos and creoles an’ sich, -but full-grown men. An’ what with temp’rance societies, an’ the women -tryin’ to vote an’ gettin’ the men to uphold ’em in it, the country -seems to be a-goin’ hell to breakfast cross lots an’ sideways.</p> - -<p>“You don’t see none o’ the old style o’ men scarcely. Forty year ago men -was different. They wasn’t afraid to drink four fingers to once o’ good -liquor, an’ a word meant a blow an’ a blow meant a shot. Consequences<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_185" id="page_185"></a>{185}</span> -was men was careful what they said, an’ was a heap sight more polite. -An’ they played a man’s game o’ poker in them days. Nowadays they tell -me the women is playin’ it, an’ it’s got to be a reg’lar parlour -amusement.</p> - -<p>“Sam Nichols was in here only the other night an’ somebody ast him to -take a hand in a little game that was goin’ on in the back room, an’ he -laughed an’ says: ‘No, I ain’t a-playin’ poker anywheres now ’ceptin’ at -home. My wife, she’s learned the game an’ some o’ the neighbours comes -in with their wives, an’ we plays ten-cent limit. You have all the fun -o’ poker an’ it don’t cost nothin’ to speak of.’ An’ Sam, he used to be -one o’ the stiffest players in Arkansas City.</p> - -<p>“Just naturally, I was disgusted for fair. ‘Yes, Sam,’ I says, ‘you can -have all the fun o’ poker if you leave out all there is in the game that -makes it worth playin’. Certainly you can. An’ you could have all the -fun of eatin’, too, if you was to take all your teeth out an’ gum it on -a piece o’ sponge. But you wouldn’t get no nourishment out of<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_186" id="page_186"></a>{186}</span> it, I -reckon. An’ similar, I’d like to know what sort o’ nutriment for a grown -man there is in a ten-cent limit game. You sure make me sick.’ ”</p> - -<p>The old man smoked in silence for a few minutes after he had got all -this out and then began to chuckle. “It wasn’t no ten-cent limit game -they was playin’ in here the night Park Halloway made his big haul,” he -said, still chuckling. “That was a grown man’s game. The boys had been a -little short o’ money for three or four weeks, an’ had got to playin’ a -table stakes game among themselves. You see there hadn’t been no -strangers in town since Three-finger Pete an’ his pal come in an’ done -up the crowd with some marked cards they’d had sent here ahead of ’em.</p> - -<p>“That was the slickest trick that was ever played on this community. -Didn’t you never hear of it? Why that was told all up an’ down the river -for years an’ years. It ’peared that Three-fingered Pete was special -sore on Arkansas City for doin’ him up bad the first time he come here, -an’ he swore<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_187" id="page_187"></a>{187}</span> he’d get even. So he waits a long time an’ he gets in with -a feller that dealt in cards wholesale. That feller was afterward shot, -but we never caught Pete.</p> - -<p>“Well, Pete managed to get a line on everybody in Arkansas City that -bought an’ sold cards. There was only three stores where they kept ’em, -an’ this feller that I’m tellin’ about sold to all three. Well, Pete, he -fixed up a set o’ marks entirely original an’ clever enough to fool the -devil himself, an’ for three whole years he marked every pack that came -to Arkansas City, so’s to be sure that no other kind o’ cards would be -in use in the town when he come. He was a good stayer, Pete was, an’ he -played a long game on this.</p> - -<p>“After he was plumb certain that there wasn’t no old stock left over in -town, he drifted in one day, an’ his pal followed next day. They was too -slick to come together, or to let on that they knowed each other. Well, -just naturally, when every pack o’ cards in town was marked, an’ only -two men knowed it, and both o’ them had been practisin<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_188" id="page_188"></a>{188}</span>’ on readin’ them -marks till they knowed the backs as well as they did the fronts, them -two men took away all the available cash capital there was in Arkansas -City. It was a rich haul, an’ everybody ’lowed that Pete was entitled to -great credit for the way he worked it, though just naturally we was all -pretty sore when we found it out, which we didn’t till Pete an’ the -other feller had got away to Mexico.</p> - -<p>“Well, as I was sayin’, the boys was a-gettin’ on the best way they -could after that cyclone, an’ playin’ mumbletypeg amongst themselves -with their odd change till some more strangers would come along an’ give -’em a chance to git their money back. An’ it had been goin’ on that way -for some weeks when it come that night I was tellin’ of, that Park -Halloway made his big play.</p> - -<p>“It was a dispensation o’ Providence, sure enough, that sent three -cotton factors up f’m New Orleans just at that time. They was comin’ up -to dicker with some o’ the planters for the next crop, there havin’ been -some difficulty in the market that had got a lot<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_189" id="page_189"></a>{189}</span> o’ planters -dissatisfied, and these new factors had all sorts o’ money with ’em. -They was stoppin’ over in Arkansas City to make some inquiries, an’ just -naturally they set into a little game while they was a-waitin’ for the -next boat.</p> - -<p>“Jim Farley an’ Dick Hackett had been playin’ with ’em for about a hour -when Halloway come in, an’ naturally they had accumulated some wealth, -so that the game was pretty healthy. It was table stakes, but there -wasn’t one o’ the five that didn’t have over a hundred in front of him, -so when Halloway come in an’ ast if he c’d have a hand we was some -surprised. He’d been as near broke as anybody in town since Pete’s raid, -an’ it didn’t seem likely that he had money enough to set in with.</p> - -<p>“So when he ast to set in, Hackett looked up a little doubtful an’ says, -‘Why, cert’nly, Park, but we’re playin’ table stakes,’ an’ he looked -around at the money then in sight as much as to say, ‘That sort o’ lets -you out, don’t it?’</p> - -<p>“But Halloway, he grinned an’ says,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_190" id="page_190"></a>{190}</span> ‘That’s the on’y game where I could -get a show for my money, I reckon,’ an’ he sets down an’ flashes a -five-dollar bill as sassy as you please. ‘I’ll make it as quick play as -I can,’ he says, still grinnin’, an’ they all laughed an’ pushed him -over five white chips.</p> - -<p>“Well, it was his age an’ he antes a white chip as the others had been -doin’ an’ let his cards lay face down till they’d all come in. Then, -still without lookin’ at his cards, he made his ante good an’ shoved up -the other three. One o’ the factors sat next an’ he saw. Then Hackett -raised it five on the side, Halloway havin’, o’ course, a show for his -money. The other two factors, Davis and Allen their names was, they was -lookin’ for trouble, so they come in, an’ Farley, settin’ next, h’isted -it ten dollars.</p> - -<p>“Course, Halloway hadn’t nothin’ to say, an’ Smith, the first factor, he -laid down. So did Hackett an’ Davis, but Allen come back with ten more, -an’ Farley called it. Then Davis showed an ace high straight an’ Farley -a small flush. Halloway waited till they was<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_191" id="page_191"></a>{191}</span> through, an’ then he -turned his cards over. They was a ten full on sixes.</p> - -<p>“That sort o’ gave him a footin’ in the game, for he had, o’ course, -thirty dollars instead o’ five, an’ while Hackett was ten dollars out, -Farley had won thirty dollars. The strangers was flush, anyhow, an’ they -wasn’t a mite disturbed.</p> - -<p>“It was Halloway’s deal next, an’ when it come his turn to see the ante -he threw his cards away without lookin’ at ’em. ‘I’ll bet the next -hand,’ he says, ‘same as I did the last, an’ I’d ruther not do it on my -own deal.’ So they played that hand without him, an’ Hackett won it, -with about forty dollars in the pot.</p> - -<p>“Sure enough, in the next deal, Halloway shoved his thirty dollars in -the pot without looking at his hand. Just naturally nobody thought he’d -win again, so they bet as if he wasn’t in the game. Smith an’ Farley -laid down, but Hackett an’ Davis raised back an’ forth till Hackett -called for a show for his money. Allen stood one raise, but laid down on -the second.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_192" id="page_192"></a>{192}</span></p> - -<p>“Then came another surprise. Davis had three queens, Hackett had three -kings, an’ Halloway had three aces. He won ninety dollars on that deal, -an’ Hackett won something like a hundred an’ fifty.</p> - -<p>“When the cards was dealt next time there was a jack-pot, for they was -a-playin’ with a buck an’ Hackett had it. They made it a five-dollar -jack, an’ Davis an’ Allen an’ Farley passed. That brung it up to -Halloway an’ he opened it for twenty-five dollars. Smith an’ Hackett -come in, Davis raised it fifty, Allen an’ Farley come in, an’ Halloway -shoved up all he had which was forty dollars more. An’ once more they -all come in. I don’t remember that I ever see anything just like it -afore, but each man of the six drawed one card an’ not one of ’em -bettered his hand. Davis was raisin’ on a four straight flush, king -high, an’, of course, wanted to play it as hard as he could, but the -others was drawin’ to four straights an’ four flushes exceptin’ -Halloway, an’ he had aces up.</p> - -<p>“Then he was in the game with all four<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_193" id="page_193"></a>{193}</span> feet, for he’d won more’n seven -hundred dollars off’n his V-spot in three deals. We was all struck, but -Park on’y grinned an’ says, quiet like, ‘ ’Pears as though I’d struck my -gait, don’t it?’ which it sure did.</p> - -<p>That warn’t the end of it, though, for on the next deal, Allen having -the age, an’ Farley comin’ in, Halloway simply made good with his little -two dollars, waitin’, as it appeared, for somebody else to raise. It was -good play, too, for when it come Smith’s turn he raised it ten dollars. -The others all come in, an’ Halloway raised it twenty-five. This kind o’ -staggered ’em, an’ Hackett an’ Farley, knowin’ Halloway as well as they -did, laid down, but the strangers all thought he was bluffin’ on the -stren’th of his run o’ luck, an’ all three of ’em made good. Allen drew -three cards to a pair of aces. Halloway drew one, holdin’ a kicker to -three sevens, Smith drew two to three jacks, an’ Davis, who was dealing, -drew one to a four flush.</p> - -<p>Allen got his third ace. Halloway got his fourth seven. Smith didn’t -better, an<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_194" id="page_194"></a>{194}</span>’ Davis filled his flush, so if ever the Lord was good to a -man, He cert’nly was good to Halloway. It was his first bet, Farley -havin’ passed out, an’ he put up fifty dollars. Smith came in, figgerin’ -that some one else’d raise, which Davis did for fifty dollars more. -Allen studied on his three aces for awhile an’ then come in. I don’t -know what sort of poker he thought he was playin’, but I reckon he -thought Halloway an’ Davis was both bluffin’. Just naturally Halloway -come back with a hundred more, an’ Smith an’ Allen laid down, Davis -callin’. That made seven hundred and ten dollars in the pot, of which -four hundred and seventy-three dollars went to his profit an’ loss -account, makin’ his winnin’s up to this time one thousand one hundred -and eighty-eight dollars, which was doin’ well for a five-dollar bill in -four pots.</p> - -<p>By this time the others was all proper astonished, an’ Davis showed a -little temper. He’d been hit pretty hard three times an’ was aggravated, -but Halloway never said nothin’. On’y just set there an’ grinned,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_195" id="page_195"></a>{195}</span> an’ -once more the lightnin’ struck in the same place. It was a short game -an’ a tol’able warm one.</p> - -<p>The next deal was Davis’s, an’ as Halloway had the first say he come in -without lookin’ at his cards. The next two men come in, an’ Davis raised -it fifty. That showed, o’ course, that he was lookin’ for fight, for -there wa’n’t but seven dollars in the pot up to then, an’ nobody had -showed any stren’th. Allen an’ Farley looked over their cards pretty -careful, an’ findin’ no encouragement they dropped.</p> - -<p>Then Halloway picked up his cards an’ skint ’em down slow. The luck was -still with him, for he had four treys. He was a cool player, though, an’ -pretended to be studyin’ the cards, while he was really studyin’ how to -play Davis good and hard again. He knowed it was no good to think about -the others, for they wouldn’t be likely to stand Davis’s raise, let -alone his, if he should raise back. So he thought awhile an’ then raised -it a hundred.</p> - -<p>That made Davis madder’n ever. ‘You<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_196" id="page_196"></a>{196}</span> can’t bluff me that way,’ he says, -very nasty, an’ as the other two laid down, he come back with two -hundred more. Then, o’ course, Halloway had him. He looked more serious -than ever for awhile, and finally he says, ‘Well, I reckon I’ll draw one -card,’ shovin’ up his two hundred as he spoke.</p> - -<p>He let the card lay as it was dealt to him, an’ Davis, havin’ a pat -flush, o’ course, drew none. Halloway looked at him for a minute, as if -tryin’ to study out whether he was bluffin’ or not, an’ finally says: -‘Well, I’ll bet you five hundred, anyway.’</p> - -<p>‘An’ I’ll raise you a thousand,’ said Davis, with some sort o’ French -swearin’ that I reckon he must ha’ brought f’m New Orleans, f’r I never -heerd anything like it around here.</p> - -<p>Halloway grinned again, an’ he says: ‘I’m sorry I can’t see your -thousand, but I’ll call for a show for what I have, an’ I reckon my -cards is good.’ An’ he showed down his four treys.</p> - -<p>Well, that broke up the game. Davis was too mad to play any more, an’ -his pals<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_197" id="page_197"></a>{197}</span> see that it was foolish for them to stack up against any such -luck as Halloway was settin’ in. But it was a monstrous good game while -it lasted. I never seen five dollars grow to two thousand three hundred -and eighty-six quite so quick, afore nor since.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_198" id="page_198"></a>{198}</span>”</p> - -<h2><a name="XVI" id="XVI"></a>XVI<br /><br /> -<small>HIS QUEER SYSTEM</small></h2> - -<p>“ ‘<span class="smcap">Tain’t</span> a matter of record,” said old man Greenhut, with a reminiscent -look in his eye, “that any stranger has ever come to Arkansas City with -any notion o’ doin’ up the town what got away with the proposition an’ -any consid’able remnant o’ the wad he had with him when he arrove. The -citizens o’ this town is mostly capable men, what is well qualified to -drink red liquor straight an’ set into ’most any sort of a game without -drawin’ weepons, ’less there’s some provocations, an’ when it comes to -draw-poker it’s universally acknowledged up an’ down the river that -there ain’t no superior game played anywhere. The galoot that comes here -with a notion in his nut o’ makin’ a everlastin’ fortune out o’ such -hands as a merciful Providence may allow him to hold<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_199" id="page_199"></a>{199}</span> in two or three -nights’ play is gen’ly considered to be runnin’ in great luck if he gets -out o’ town without havin’ a subscription took up for his benefit about -the time the next boat ties up.</p> - -<p>There has been a good many times, true enough, when things looked -doubtful. Players has come that had new wrinkles in the way o’ holdin’ -out, or stackin’ the cards, or some new system o’ play that puzzled the -boys for awhile. An’ there’s been some come that sure knowed the game -an’ played it almighty skilful. But none of ’em, as I said, ever reely -got away with the proposition.</p> - -<p>There was one feller, though, that showed up here about six years ago, -that come monstrous near breakin’ the record. That is to say, if he’d -have understood the first principles o’ poker he’d ha’ busted the town -wide open, an’ the mortifyin’ thing about it was ’twas poker he was -playin’. That is, ’twas called poker, an’ he sure did win, but the way -he played it was one o’ the seven wonders o’ the world. We talked about -it quite some, after he left, an’ the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_200" id="page_200"></a>{200}</span> unanimous verdict was that if he -ha’ knowed what he was doin’ an’ how to do it, he’d ha’ just -everlastin’ly skint the entire crowd out o’ what money there was, -instead o’ comin’ out consid’able ahead, an’ him not knowin’ just how he -done it or what he’d done. It sure were bewilderin’, an’ well cal’lated -to make a man lose his faith in Providence, ’thout he was one that stuck -to his religion spite of anything.</p> - -<p>The puzzlin’ thing about it were that the feller seemed to be playin’ -poker all the time, an’ the rest o’ the party was playin’ it for all -they knew, but he were either playin’ on a system that was entirely -unbeknownst to everybody in this part o’ the world, or else he were that -outrageous ignorant o’ first principles as would disgrace a half-grown -boy. An’ yet he won! Some of ’em was inclined to think at first that it -were a new system, an’ there was a good deal o’ speculation on how it -would work, played constant, but nobody had the nerve to try it, seein’ -it were plumb contrary to all science as poker is understood, an’ they -couldn<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_201" id="page_201"></a>{201}</span>’t get up that child-like confidence in heaven’s mercy that would -lead ’em to look for over-whelmin’ luck in the matter o’ cards at the -critical moments o’ the game.</p> - -<p>The way of it was this. He just landed from the boat one day an’ walked -up the levee a bit, lookin’ round, an’ sayin’ nothin’ to nobody. There -didn’t seem to be no reason for anybody to pay attention to him, an’ -consequent nobody did, for he wa’n’t a man that looked like a sport, nor -yet a business man. Just ’peared to have got out f’m somewheres an’ -didn’t know his way back. After he looked round a spell, he sort o’ -drifted in to the hotel an’ wrote his name, absent-minded like, on the -register, an’ said ‘Yes’ when the proprietor ast him if he wanted a -room. Then he just sat round for a day or two, sayin’ nothin’ to nobody -all the time. Didn’t appear to have ambition enough to eat his meals, -for he’d wait till everybody else was most through ’fore he’d go into -the dinin’-room. An’ even when he took a drink, which wa’n’t often, he -did it all alone without seemin’ to take no interest in it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_202" id="page_202"></a>{202}</span></p> - -<p>“ ‘Long about the third day he began takin’ short walks, an’ bimeby he -got as far as to come in here an’ look ’round. Seein’ the bar, he called -for some red liquor an’ drank it, an’ then seein’ a chair he sot down. -There hadn’t been much doin’ for a week or two, an’ I says to Jake -Winterbottom that it mought be a good idea to start a game o’ poker. -‘This here stranger,’ I says, ‘don’t look as if he knowed one card from -another, but ’tain’t likely he’s quite as simple as he looks, an’ -mebbe,’ I says, ‘you might get him into the game. Don’t make it too -stiff right away,’ I says, ’an’ who knows but you might get a small -stake out of him? ’Tain’t very promisin’,’ I says, ‘but some men is like -crooked cattle. There’s more meat on ’em than they looks.’</p> - -<p>Well, Jake, he didn’t think there was nothin’ doin’. He looked the -stranger over an’ sort o’ turned up his nose, but things was quiet, an’ -finally he says: ‘I don’t reckon he’s got fifty dollars in the world, -an’ if we win that we’ll only have to chip in an’ send him away. There -ain’t the makings of a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_203" id="page_203"></a>{203}</span> citizen into him, no way I can figure it, an’ we -don’t want him settin’ around for ever. But we might take a shy at it, -just to pass the time.’</p> - -<p>“So him an’ Sam Blaisdell an’ George Bascom kind o’ got together an’ -played a few hands, thinkin’ the stranger might show some interest an’ -propose to join the game, but he never stirred. Just sot still an’ -chawed his tobacco, like he didn’t give a cuss for nothin’. So finally -Bascom he spoke up an’ says: ‘This is pretty slow playin’ three-handed. -We’d oughter have somebody else in the game,’ an’ they waited a minute -to see if that would catch him, but he never even looked round. So -Winterbottom says: ‘Wouldn’t you like to play?’ an’ the stranger he -says: ‘Yes,’ just the same absent-minded-like way he’d spoke to the -hotel proprietor, an’ he went over an’ sot in. I sold him ten dollars’ -o’ chips, an’ they dealt him cards. It were a table stakes game, an’ -each man had put up ten.</p> - -<p>“The stranger, he talked like a Yankee an’ looked like a Frenchman, but -his name<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_204" id="page_204"></a>{204}</span> on the hotel register was Dennis McCarthy, an’ for all the -interest he showed in the cards after he got ’em he might have been a -Chinee. He just put up when it come his turn, an’ drawed cards every -time, but he never made a bet till his ten was all gone, an’ then he -bought ten more as calm an’ collected as a knot-hole in a board fence.</p> - -<p>“Well, we played along, if you can call it playing poker, just like that -until his third ten-spot was gone, an’ he bought ten more worth o’ -chips. Then he caught a hand that seemed to interest him some, for he -studied it a long time after Bascom had bet ten on his cards before he -said anything. Then he said, ‘I call,’ an’ shoved a ten-dollar bill into -the pot. They showed down an’ the stranger had a pair o’ queens. Bascom, -he had three sevens, so he raked the pot, o’ course, for Winterbottom -an’ Blaisdell had passed out.</p> - -<p>“Well, that there McCarthy, if his name was McCarthy, just sat there and -called every bet that was made after that for three-quarters of an hour. -I never see such a thing before nor since. ’Peared like he’d on<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_205" id="page_205"></a>{205}</span>’y just -found out that he could call, an’ he’d been playin’ along afore that on -the idee that all the other feller had to do to win the pot was to make -a bet, an’ as if he’d got in his head that callin’ was all he was ’lowed -to do under the rules. Whatever his fool notion was, I don’t p’tend to -say, but that’s just what he did. Just called every time it come to him.</p> - -<p>“Just naturally that looked easy, an’ I will say for the boys that they -didn’t try to play it low down on him for a good while. All they did was -to wait for a pretty strong hand an’ then bet it for what it was worth -an’ wait for a call. As there was three o’ them to one o’ him, they -naturally outheld him as a rule, but somehow or other he managed to -scoop a pot just about often enough to keep him even. He’d bought -twenty-five dollars after he lost his first fifty, so there was over a -hundred on the table. The boys wasn’t pushin’ him very hard, so they -only bet fives an’ tens, an’ once in awhile he’d show down the best hand -an’ scoop a pot. An’ bimeby we was all surprised to see he was gettin<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_206" id="page_206"></a>{206}</span>’ -ahead. Still, ’twa’n’t no game to speak about. They’d all got the idee’t -he hadn’t got much of a wad, an’ they was playin’ more for the fun o’ -the thing than to do him up.</p> - -<p>“Pretty soon Blaisdell he caught a four-flush in a jack-pot an’ the -stranger he opened it. Blaisdell stayed an’ the others dropped out. They -each drawed one card an’ the stranger he bet ten. Blaisdell looked at -his draw an’ found he’d filled a ace flush, so he raised it for his -pile, which was thirty dollars, an’ the stranger called. He showed down -a full house an’ Blaisdell had to go diggin’.</p> - -<p>“Next hand Bascom opened the jack on a pat straight, an’ the stranger he -come in an’ drawed one card. The others stayed out an’ Bascom bet his -pile, which was twenty odd, an’ the stranger he called an’ showed down a -flush, so Bascom was obliged to dig.</p> - -<p>“Then ’twas Winterbottom’s turn, as it happened, an’ he opened it on -threes. They was playin’ a jack again on account o’ the hands showed, -an’ I’m blamed if the same thing didn’t happen. The stranger he come<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_207" id="page_207"></a>{207}</span> in -an’ drawed two cards. Winterbottom bet his pile, havin’ three queens. -The other two dropped out an’ the stranger he called an’ showed three -kings.</p> - -<p>“It looked like a most amazin’ run o’ luck, but the stranger never -turned a hair. He did call for the drinks all round, as a sort o’ -reco’nition, but he sot as calm as ever, waitin’ for his cards, an’ -lookin’ as if he didn’t know what to do with ’em when they come. The -others had bought fifty apiece when they come back, so there was money -enough on the table to make it worth while, an’ the play got stronger. -First, Winterbottom he bet twenty on two pairs an’ the stranger called -on one pair. Then Bascom he bet ten on a pair o’ queens an’ the stranger -called on ace high. Then Blaisdell bet twenty-five on three jacks, -Bascom saw it on aces up, Winterbottom stayed out, havin’ nothin’, an’ -the stranger called on a nine-high straight. No matter what he held he -wouldn’t raise.</p> - -<p>“Blaisdell kind o’ got huffy this time, an’ seein’ the stranger was -still pretty well to<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_208" id="page_208"></a>{208}</span> the good, he began cussin’ a little an’ proposed -to take off the limit. The others said they was willin’, an’ they ast -McCarthy if he was, an’ he said ‘Yes.’ Blamed if it didn’t ’pear like -‘yes’ was ’most the only word he knowed in the language.</p> - -<p>“Well, the bets was heavier after that, an’ the stranger lost what he -had in front of him in the next three pots, callin’ on the most -ridiculousest hands you ever see, but he stayed right along in for the -next deal, so they knowed he must have more money in his clothes. It -were his first say, Bascom havin’ the age, an’ he dug out two silver -dollars an’ come in, the ante bein’ a dollar. The others stayed, an’ -McCarthy drawed three cards. When it come to the bettin’, he bet a -dollar, an’ Winterbottom put up fifty, havin’ filled a flush. Blaisdell -dropped out an’ Bascom raised it fifty. McCarthy never said a word, but -he pulled out his wallet an’ fished up a hundred-dollar bill. -Winterbottom raised it fifty an’ Bascom raised it fifty more, an’ the -stranger laid down another hundred.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_209" id="page_209"></a>{209}</span></p> - -<p>“It looked like his finish there, for sure, for o’ course nobody thought -he had much of a hand, an’ the boys thought all they had to do was to -keep raisin’. They knowed he’d keep callin’, for he hadn’t done nothin’ -else for nigh an hour, an’ all they had to do was to keep up the -crisscross an’ whipsaw him out of his pile. ’Twa’n’t certain whether -Bascom or Winterbottom would win, but one of ’em was sure to, an’ the -money would stay right here.</p> - -<p>“Well, they kep’ it up for five minutes, I reckon, till Bascom come to -the end of his wad. He on’y had six or seven hundred in his clothes an’ -Winterbottom wasn’t much stronger. It didn’t look worth while for Bascom -to send for more money, for the stranger’s pocketbook was empty an’ he’d -fished out his last hundred from one of his pockets, so Bascom just made -good when Winterbottom raised, an’ the stranger got his chance to call, -nobody supposin’ that he had more’n perhaps three of a kind, an’ likely -not that, he havin’ called on every hand he held whether ’twas good for -anything or not.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_210" id="page_210"></a>{210}</span></p> - -<p>“It were a fatal mistake, an’ Bascom seen it as soon as he’d done it, -for the stranger dug again an’ flashed up a thousand-dollar bill. ’Stead -o’ raisin’ Winterbottom, as any other player on earth would ha’ done, he -just done his fool act over again an’ called. Then he showed down four -deuces an’ scooped in the pot as cool as if ’twas eight dollars instead -of a little over two thousand.</p> - -<p>“Bascom sort o’ gasped, for he seen what a mistake he’d made, but -Winterbottom, he realized that somethin’ had to be did quick, an’ he -reached out with one hand for the money. ‘You never got them deuces -honest,’ he says, pullin’ his gun, o’ course, as he spoke. He knowed it -meant fight, but he wasn’t lookin’ no more than any of us for the kind -of a fight that came.</p> - -<p>“McCarthy, he was quicker than chain-lightnin’, an’ reachin’ over with -one hand he grabbed Winterbottom’s gun while he put the money in his -pocket with the other. Then, with a queer sort o’ a twist, he wrenched -the gun out o’ Winterbottom’s hand and threw it plumb through the</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="MONEY" id="MONEY"></a> -<a href="images/i_p210a_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p210a_sml.jpg" width="274" height="450" alt="“ ‘WITH ONE HAND HE GRABBED WINTERBOTTOM’S GUN WHILE HE -PUT THE MONEY IN HIS POCKET WITH THE OTHER.’ ”" title="" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“ ‘WITH ONE HAND HE GRABBED WINTERBOTTOM’S GUN WHILE HE -PUT THE MONEY IN HIS POCKET WITH THE OTHER.’ ”</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_210b" id="page_210b"></a>{210b}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_211" id="page_211"></a>{211}</span></p> - -<p class="nindd">window. We was all standin’ ready to see that Winterbottom had fair -play, not considerin’ it etiquette to interfere unless he should get the -worst of it, but, Lord bless you, he hadn’t no show at all. The stranger -he just rose out of his chair an’ give a leap like a buckin’ bronco -clean over the table. He come down with both heels on Winterbottom’s -chest, an’ Winterbottom was out of it. Blaisdell an’ Bascom both drawed -on the instant, but ’twa’n’t no use. That stranger was all over the room -at once, swattin’ Bascom behind the ear with his fist an’ kickin’ -Blaisdell under the chin at the same time. I didn’t think it was worth -while to take a hand myself, seein’ how things was goin’, an’ bein’ some -in years, so I stepped behind the bar an’ waited.</p> - -<p>“Well, them three men tried for a minit or so to get up, but they -couldn’t. McCarthy was on top o’ the whole of ’em as fast as they moved, -an’ he had ’em all whipped in less time than it takes to tell it. I -heerd afterward that he’d lived in Paris some, an’ had learned some -outrageous foreign way o<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_212" id="page_212"></a>{212}</span>’ boxin’ with his feet that no Christian c’d -ever stand up against. They all give in after a little, an’ I didn’t -blame ’em, havin’ seen for myself what the stranger c’d do.</p> - -<p>“Well, that was the end of it. The stranger he walked out after the -scrimmage was over, lookin’ as cool as ever. He looked back when he got -to the door an’ says, ‘Good night. See you again.’ But we never did. He -left town the next mornin’ on an early boat. I’ve often thought, though, -that it were a merciful dispensation that he didn’t know enough poker to -raise instead o’ callin’.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_213" id="page_213"></a>{213}</span>”</p> - -<h2><a name="XVII" id="XVII"></a>XVII<br /><br /> -<small>AN EXTRA ACE</small></h2> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">Speakin</span>’ by an’ large,” said old man Greenhut, as he bit off the end of -a fresh cigar and settled himself in his favourite seat at the window, -“there ain’t no question but what the game o’ draw-poker is about as -nigh perfect as anything that was ever devised by the mind o’ man, an’ -developed by the constant study o’ countless generations. They say there -ain’t no record o’ poker bein’ played in former ages, an’ that faro was -played hundreds of thousands of years ago, when a feller named Faro was -King of Egypt, but it stands to reason there ain’t no truth in that. -Like enough faro is a old game. I ain’t a-sayin’ nothin’ against faro. -It suits them that likes it, but it’s gamblin’, an’ naturally it belongs -to the heathen that started it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_214" id="page_214"></a>{214}</span></p> - -<p>“But poker’s teetotally different. No such system as that of draw-poker -ever growed up in a night like Jonah’s gourd, nor it wa’n’t put together -by no single set o’ fellers. Stands to reason it’s the crownin’ -development of all the civilization the world ever seen. An’ it don’t -seem likely, now that the straight an’ the straight flush has been -discovered, an’ universally recognized, that there’s ever goin’ to be no -changes into the game. It’s perfect as it is, an’ there ain’t no chanst -o’ makin’ it any more perfect.</p> - -<p>“An’ yet there is times when even the best players is obliged to rely on -outside influences to help ’em out o’ some great emergency o’ the game. -That ain’t no fault o’ the game, for as I said, the game is all right, -but it goes to show that a man as relies on on’y one thing is goin’ to -get left when he stacks up against some feller that relies on the same -thing an’ has something else up his sleeve besides. An’ that there -somethin’ else is got to be more’n a knowledge o’ cards.</p> - -<p>“O’ course if a man reely understands the game as he’d oughter, an’ can -handle the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_215" id="page_215"></a>{215}</span> cards so’s to give himself what he needs in the draw when it -comes to a desprit struggle between him an’ the other feller, an’ can -read the backs o’ the cards well enough to have a good general idee o’ -what the other feller is holdin’, why he can worry along under ordinary -circumstances so’s he can hold his own most o’ the time, an’ make enough -over from time to time to pay his livin’ expenses. But that’s all a part -o’ draw-poker, same as it’s a part o’ the game not to be found out when -you’re obliged to change the natural order o’ the cards. There is folks -that has prejudices against them things, an’ if a man is clumsy enough -to get found out, why, o’ course he’s goin’ to get hisself in more or -less trouble, but I maintain so long as they’re done slick enough to not -be seen, they are as legitimate as anything else in draw-poker. That’s -the way Arkansas City has come to have the reputation it has. There’s -some o’ the slickest players on the river right there in that town, an’ -nobody has ever caught ’em usin’ marked cards, or holdin’ out, or -dealin<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_216" id="page_216"></a>{216}</span>’ out o’ the middle or off’n the bottom of the deck.</p> - -<p>“But what I mean about outside influences is entirely different. There -comes a time, sometimes, when a man is obliged to think quick an’ act -quick in order to keep some unscrupulous stranger from sweepin’ away all -his hard-earned winnin’s in one fell pot. At such times even a thorough -knowledge o’ poker ain’t a goin’ to save a man thouten he’s quick enough -to think an’ has sand enough to act on the instant.</p> - -<p>“There was an instance o’ that in Arkansas City the time when Hank -Fairfax an’ his side-partner, Billy Overton, come up here from Vicksburg -to do up the town, an’ come so near doin’ it. It were a great night, an’ -on’y for Sam Pearsall’s presence o’ mind an’ prompt action I reckon we’d -ha’ lost prestige right then an’ there.</p> - -<p>“There couldn’t no one find fault with Hank an’ his partner, for they -come in like men an’ said, open an’ above board, just what they’d come -for. Hank put it kind o’ brutal, but he was fair an’ square about it. He -said:<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_217" id="page_217"></a>{217}</span> ‘We Vicksburg sports is plumb tired hearin’ about Arkansas City -poker, an’ Billy an’ I has come to give you jays a few lessons on how -the game reely ought to be played. If any of you has the sand to play up -against the real thing, now’s your time, but this ain’t no crossroads -proposition. We are out for the stuff an’ we propose to carry it back -with us.’</p> - -<p>“Well, you know there ain’t nobody from nowhere that can let out a yawp -like that in Arkansas City without bein’ took up sudden. ’Twa’n’t eight -minutes by the clock after he’d peeped, afore him an’ Billy an’ Sam -Pearsall an’ Jake Winterbottom an’ Joe Bassett was sittin’ ’round the -table countin’ out their chips. They each put up a thousand an’ made it -a table stakes game. ‘We didn’t come here to play old maid,’ said Billy, -when somebody asked what the game should be. ‘Let’s have somethin’ worth -playin’ for,’ he says, an’ they was all agreed.</p> - -<p>“Well, just naturally they all played right up under their collar -buttons at first, bein’ anxious to get on to one another’s play.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_218" id="page_218"></a>{218}</span> There -hadn’t none of our boys even played with Fairfax, but they all knowed -him by reputation as one o’ the slickest players in Mississippi, an’ -they wa’n’t takin’ no chances on his deal. Overton we didn’t none of us -know much about, ’ceptin’ he had the name o’ bein’ a cool hand in a -quarrel and a bad man in a fight. We knowed he played poker, course, -just as everybody does, but we hadn’t heard o’ his bein’ counted no -crack player, such as Hank would be sure to have with him, an’ we was a -little slow, too, about sizin’ him up, not knowin’ what his particular -graft might be.</p> - -<p>“Bein’ for them reasons a trifle more cautious than usual, the boys, as -I said, was slow about startin’ in, an’ any way the cards ran small for -awhile, but all of a sudden there was somethin’ doin’ on Winterbottom’s -deal. It was a jack-pot with thirty dollars in it, an’ Hank havin’ first -say, opened it for thirty. Pearsall, he came next an’ he come in. -Bassett was the next player an’ he raised it thirty. Overton made it -thirty more and Winterbottom h’isted it fifty. Fairfax raised it a -hundred<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_219" id="page_219"></a>{219}</span> an’ Pearsall says: ‘I didn’t want to raise it the first time -round for fear o’ scarin’ some of ye out, but as long as I’ve got you -all hooked,’ he says, ‘it’ll cost ye two hundred more to draw cards.’</p> - -<p>“Just naturally I was lookin’ for some of ’em to drop out after that -kind o’ play, but every one of ’em stayed. There wa’n’t no more raisin’ -done. I reckon they all thought four hundred an’ forty dollars apiece -was enough to put up before the draw, which sure it was in a game o’ -that size.</p> - -<p>“When it come to the draw there was another surprise. Every man at the -table stood pat. Well, just naturally it were pretty thin ice to dance -on, an’ nobody seemed to know for a minute or two just how to bet, -havin’ nothin’ to guide him but his own hand and the fact that there was -four pat hands out against it.</p> - -<p>“Fairfax, o’ course, knowed just what to do. He put up a white chip. -There was no doubt about his havin’ a chance to play later, an’ he were -easy. Pearsall studied a bit, but finally he decided to wait, too, -havin’ declared<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_220" id="page_220"></a>{220}</span> hisself before the draw, so he chipped along. Bassett -wasn’t raisin’, neither, for he knowed Pearsall’s play pretty well, an’ -havin’ only a small flush he didn’t feel strong, so he chipped along.</p> - -<p>“That brought it up to Overton again, an’ he, thinkin’, I reckon, that -it was up to him to help Fairfax along whether his own hand was good or -not, put up a hundred dollars. It were a queer bet, but I sized it up -for the beginnin’ of a seesaw in case Fairfax should want one. That -might not ha’ been what was in his mind, but I reckon ’twa’n’t far out -o’ the way.</p> - -<p>“Winterbottom seen the raise. He were lookin’ for more developments, an’ -he wa’n’t ready to play his hand very strong till he found out what was -doin’. It were extra cautious play all round, with the advantage lyin’ -between Fairfax an’ Pearsall, but mostly on Pearsall’s side.</p> - -<p>“Fairfax put up two hundred an’ I seen he were ready for a seesaw. I -don’t know what might ha’ happened if there’d been more money on the -table, but Pearsall saw his opportunity<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_221" id="page_221"></a>{221}</span> an’ grabbed it. He counted his -chips an’ findin’ six hundred in front of him, threw it all in the pot.</p> - -<p>“Bassett throwed down his flush like a man, an’ Overton called for a -show for his pile, which wa’n’t quite big enough for a call. That put it -up to Winterbottom, an’ he skinned his hand over again, thinkin’ mighty -hard. He had a full hand an’ money enough to raise. An’ more than that, -he’d dealt the cards hisself, so he wa’n’t worried none on that account, -but finally he just made good. He said to me afterward, ‘I would ha’ -raised,’ he says, ‘but I reckoned Fairfax was goin’ to raise again, an’ -the others was all in, so I gave him the chance.’</p> - -<p>“But Fairfax was as rattled as the rest of ’em was, an’ he only called. -Then it come out that there was two flushes an’ two fulls in the game, -not reckonin’ the flush that Bassett had throwed down. Winterbottom’s -flush beat Overton’s, bein’ ace high, an’ Pearsall’s ace full o’ course -beat Fairfax’s jack full.</p> - -<p>“It were a body blow for fair. Fairfax an’ Overton seen they’d -overplayed their<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_222" id="page_222"></a>{222}</span> hands, an’ they was sore enough to make a beef about -it, on’y they knowed it were too late. There wa’n’t nothin’ to say, -’thouten they’d kicked on Jake’s dealin’, an’ they couldn’t do that -after they’d played the hand an’ lost. The on’y thing they c’d do was to -quit or put up again. They wa’n’t quittin’, so they put up another -thousand apiece an’ played along. Bassett had chips left an’ Pearsall -was on velvet.</p> - -<p>“There wa’n’t no heavy play again right away, but luck run to the -Vicksburg fellers for awhile, so’s’t they picked up a few hundred in the -next half-hour, mostly on pots they raked in without a call. Our boys -was playin’ as careful as they was an’ was layin’ for a chanst at ’em.</p> - -<p>“Bimeby then comes a hand where Fairfax an’ Bassett did some crisscross -business. Bassett had been playin’ close f’m the first, an’ he had -pretty near all o’ his original wad left, spite o’ what he’d lost on -that flush, so when he caught three deuces on Pearsall’s deal an’ it -were a jack-pot that had been pretty well fattened, he just opened it -for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_223" id="page_223"></a>{223}</span> fifty without much fear o’ the consequences. All the others laid -down except Fairfax, an’ he come in on a pair of aces. He took three -cards, but Bassett only drawed one. ’Twa’n’t extry good play, for his -threes wa’n’t big enough to play ’em very strong ’thouten he was goin’ -to bluff, an’ he might better ha’ drawed two cards, relyin’ on Fairfax -thinkin’ his threes was bigger’n they was, but luck was with him in the -draw ’n’ he catched the other deuce.</p> - -<p>“Just naturally he felt good, an’ thinkin’ mebbe Fairfax might ha’ -bettered an’ might raise, he throwed in a chip.</p> - -<p>“Fairfax fumbled his cards a minute afore he picked ’em up. I don’t know -whether he were a-studyin’ or whether it were a accident, but everybody -noticed it, an’ it were lucky they did, as things turned out. But when -he did pick up his hands he smiled a bit an’ throwed two fifty in the -pot.</p> - -<p>“That were just what Bassett were looking for, an’ he shoved all his -chips to the centre o’ the table without countin’ ’em. O’ course Fairfax -couldn’t raise no more; but he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_224" id="page_224"></a>{224}</span> counted up, an’ findin’ it took six -hundred to call, he called.</p> - -<p>“Bassett showed down his four deuces an’ says: ‘I reckon that’s good,’ -an’ he reached for the pot, but Fairfax says, ‘Hold on. That’s a pretty -good hand, but aces’ll beat it if you have enough of ’em,’ and he showed -down four aces.</p> - -<p>“Right there was when Sam Pearsall showed his resources. O’ course, so -fur as poker goes, that is, so fur as the reglar game goes, Fairfax won -the pot all right, but, as I was sayin’, there is things outside o’ the -reglar game that a man can rely on in a emergency if he’s quick to think -an’ quick to act, an’ Sam were always as quick as a cat.</p> - -<p>“I don’t know how it happened that Sam had a ace o’ diamonds hid away -somewheres, but they’d changed the deck several times, an’ I reckon he -must ha’ thought it might come in handy to figger on, or somethin’ o’ -that sort. Anyway, he had it, an’ it were the same pattern back as the -deck they was playin’ with. So he speaks up quick. ‘Hold on you,’ he -says. ‘There’s somethin’ wrong<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_225" id="page_225"></a>{225}</span> here. I discarded the ace o’ diamonds,’ -he says, an’ reachin’ over quick, he turns the discard pile face up, an’ -spreadin’ out the cards, sure enough there were the ace.</p> - -<p>“O’ course that queered Fairfax’s hand right away. They counted the -cards, an’ sure enough there were fifty-three cards in the deck. Just -naturally Fairfax an’ Overton smelled a mice, an’ they called on me to -bring back the cards I’d gathered up every time they’d called for a new -deck, an’ I did it.</p> - -<p>“They picked out the deck o’ the same pattern they was usin’ an’ counted -that, an’ just naturally they found fifty-one cards in it, but no ace o’ -diamonds. It was clear enough where the card had come from, but the -question was how it come where it was, an’ there was no way o’ tellin’ -whether the missin’ card was the one that Fairfax held in his hand, or -whether it was the one that Pearsall had showed in the discard pile.</p> - -<p>“There wa’n’t much said. Everybody remembered how Fairfax had fumbled -his cards, but nobody cared to say nothin’ about<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_226" id="page_226"></a>{226}</span> it, for there wa’n’t -no use o’ havin’ to fight with a man like Fairfax when Overton was -along, specially as the pot had to be divided anyhow. It were a foul -deck beyond a question, and there wa’n’t no dispute when Bassett took -back his chips.</p> - -<p>“Fairfax were mad clear through, though. He didn’t say much, but he got -up an’ reckoned he didn’t care to play no more in a game where four aces -wa’n’t good. It wa’n’t really what one would have expected from a dead -game sport such as he had the name o’ bein’, but we had the satisfaction -o’ seein’ him an’ Overton go back to Vicksburg without makin’ their -bluff good, even if they didn’t leave their money behind ’em.</p> - -<p>“Which goes to show, as I said, that there is times when a man has to -rely on outside influences even in playin’ poker.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_227" id="page_227"></a>{227}</span>”</p> - -<h2><a name="XVIII" id="XVIII"></a>XVIII<br /><br /> -<small>PLAYED BY THE BOOK</small></h2> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">There’s</span> a powerful lot o’ people in this here world,” said old man -Greenhut, as he rinsed out a couple of whiskey-glasses and set them -away, “that seems to think they is app’inted by a all-wise Providence to -set other folks right. It don’t seem to make no difference what’s done, -or who does it, or how it’s done, they’re always ready to chip a lot of -advice into the pot, an’ tell ’em how they’d oughter done it different.</p> - -<p>“Mostly such folks is born fools an’ don’t know no more about things in -general than a hound pup in the wilderness knows about the plan o’ -salvation, but you couldn’t make one o’ ’em realize what a fool he is if -you was to cut his head open an’ try to squirt sense into it. What’s -this the Good Book says? It’s somethin’ about if you pound<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_228" id="page_228"></a>{228}</span> a fool up in -a mortar and shoot him out with the bombshells, yet will not his folly -depart from him.</p> - -<p>“There hain’t nothin’, as I said, but what critters like them will try -to put right accordin’ to their own notions, an’ the result, so far as -I’ve ever seed it, is tol’able certain to be a mixup of the worst sort. -An’ when they gets into a game o’ poker there’s more bad blood stirred -up in a hour than good, steady play for six months’d be likely to bring -up. Sometimes it’s on’y nasty words, an’ sometimes it’s a gun-play. But -when such a critter gets hold o’ one o’ these here poker manuals such as -I seed the other day that’s just been published in the East, an’ -undertakes to make a civilized community swaller his raw notions just -because some feller that never played poker on the Mississippi has had -’em printed in a book, he can just about cover the underside o’ the sky -with cobwebs o’ perplexity spun out o’ the brains o’ good men that gets -bewildered listenin’ to ’em.</p> - -<p>“The way I come to see this here book<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_229" id="page_229"></a>{229}</span> I’m tellin’ about was through a -little game that the boys got up last week to oblige a travellin’ -Easterner that stopped over for a few days to look at some plantations -up the river a bit, that was offered to a British syndicate at a figger -that wouldn’t ha’ paid more’n 100 per cent. profit to the owners if the -deal had went through. They said this here Wanderin’ Willie boy was some -sort of a big-bug in business matters when he was to home, an’ he was -travellin’ in cogs, whatever them is. Anyway, he didn’t want nobody to -know who he was, an’ he was called Mr. Hapgood when he was travellin’, -an’ the keeper that had him in charge treated him as if he was made o’ -glass. Hapgood called him his valet, an’ ordered him round like he was a -hired man, an’ the keeper never made no fuss at all about it.</p> - -<p>“Hapgood was pokin’ round town ask-in’ all sorts o’ questions of -everybody, an’ some o’ the boys referred him to me for general -information, so he come in that evenin’ an’ chinned with me for half an -hour. He bought liquor for the house two or three<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_230" id="page_230"></a>{230}</span> times, an’ somehow or -another there was quite a crowd in here after the first round. I seen -there was some o’ the crack players in the place, an’ it kind o’ -reminded me o’ the popularity o’ the game here, so when Hapgood ast me, -as he did, what the leadin’ industries o’ Arkansas City was, I mentioned -draw-poker among ’em. He kind o’ laughed as if I’d said somethin’ funny, -an’ said he hadn’t been in the habit o’ thinkin’ of it as a industry, -but he’d given considerable study to the game an’ had come to the -conclusion that it was just about the real thing. I ast him if he played -it much an’ he said no, not exactly, but him an’ four or five o’ his -friends had got hold o’ this here manual, as he called it, an’ had -practised quite a lot, so’s’t he considered himself a first-class -player.</p> - -<p>“Well, just naturally I gave him to understand that we had some players -in town that we thought was able to hold up their end against any -ordinary player, an’ that they would consider it a privilege to make up -a game most any time if they could get a first-class player to give them -points.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_231" id="page_231"></a>{231}</span> They was always anxious to learn, I said, an’ if he would like -to get the benefit of a little practice, I thought they would arrange it -so’s’t he could have the opportunity.</p> - -<p>“You’d ha’ thought he was a bullfrog jumpin’ for a piece o’ red flannel -if you’d ha’ seen how quick he took it up. He was more than ready, an’ -the boys seein’ how eager he was kind o’ hung back to be coaxed, but old -Jake Winterbottom, he pleaded with ’em till he got Jim Blaisdell an’ Sam -Pearsall an’ Joe Bassett to set in with him an’ make a five-handed game.</p> - -<p>“They set down at the table as they was in the habit of doin’, just -takin’ any old place that happened, an’ Hapgood he says, kind o’ -surprised, ‘We’ll have to cut for choice o’ seats, won’t we?’</p> - -<p>“The boys was more surprised than he was, and Winterbottom, he says, ‘I -don’t see no objection to that, but if anybody has any choice o’ seats -he can have it as fur as I’m concerned. I don’t see no use o’ cuttin’.’</p> - -<p>“ ‘Well,’ says Hapgood, ‘the rules says we must cut for choice. You’re -goin’ to play<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_232" id="page_232"></a>{232}</span> accordin’ to the rules, ain’t you? As I understand it, -poker ought to be played strict under the rules.’</p> - -<p>“ ‘You’re dead right on that, stranger,’ says Joe Bassett, givin’ -Winterbottom a kick in the shins under the table. ‘You can bet this game -is goin’ to be played accordin’ to rules if I’m in it. An’ it won’t be -healthy for the man that breaks the rules.’</p> - -<p>“So they cuts for choice o’ seats, and Pearsall cut low. That give him -the choice o’ seats, and he said he’d set where he was. Winterbottom was -next lowest man an’ he said he’d set where he was, too. He was suited -well enough. But Hapgood, he spoke up again an’ he says that won’t do. -The second lowest man must set next on the left o’ the low man, an’ the -third lowest next on his left, an’ so on.</p> - -<p>“Winterbottom started in to cuss a little, not because he cared a cuss, -but just because he was surprised, but he got another kick in the shins, -an’ takin’ a sudden tumble to hisself, he jumped up an’ took his proper -seat. When they’d all got seated again Joe<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_233" id="page_233"></a>{233}</span> Bassett ast in a general -sort o’ way what good all that did, an’ Hapgood says, ‘Why, that’s one -o’ the laws in the International Code. You have to do it before you play -or else the game wouldn’t be regular.’</p> - -<p>“ ‘That’s right,’ says Joe Bassett. ‘We must play by the rules, but, -stranger, we ain’t exactly posted on this here International Code. We -play the old Mississippi River rules, the Mississippi River bein’ the -place where the game was born an’ growed up. If there’s a International -Code we’d like to know about it, an’ if you’ll tell us all about it as -we play, we’d think it monstrous kind o’ you.’</p> - -<p>“Well, Hapgood says he’ll do it with pleasure, ’n’ he spoke to his -keeper an’ tells him to go over to the hotel an’ get the manual out of -his portmanteau. ‘The code is in that,’ he says. So the keeper he -starts, an’ the boys cut for deal accordin’ to custom, an’ Jake gets it. -He shuffles an’ offers the deck to Pearsall, who sits on his right, to -cut, but Hapgood speaks up an’ says that ain’t right. ‘The ante man is -the man that<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_234" id="page_234"></a>{234}</span> cuts the cards,’ he says. ‘I don’t know as it makes any -great difference,’ he says, ‘who cuts ’em, but that’s what the book -says.’</p> - -<p>“Winterbottom, he’s gettin’ a little bit old, an’ he’s kind o’ sot in -his ways, an’ I c’d see that he was gettin’ sort o’ rattled, but before -he c’d say anything, Bassett, he spoke up again. ‘It don’t really make -no difference, I reckon,’ he says, ‘but if the book says that the ante -man must cut, why, he’s goin’ to cut. On’y you see, stranger, we hain’t -familiar with that book an’ we been in the habit o’ lettin’ the feller -on the dealer’s right cut the cards. It’s on’y our ignorance, you know. -We’re willin’ to learn better.’ An’ he, bein’ the age himself, reaches -over and cuts the cards.</p> - -<p>“Jake, he kind o’ shakes his head a little, but he don’t say nothin’ an’ -he starts to deal, but Hapgood he speaks up again. ‘Before we start,’ he -says, ‘we must have it understood whether we are going to play any of -the variations in the game. We play straights, don’t we, and straight -flushes?’</p> - -<p>“ ‘Oh, yes,’ says Bassett.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_235" id="page_235"></a>{235}</span></p> - -<p>“ ‘And straights beat three of a kind, don’t they?’</p> - -<p>“ ‘Well, yes,’ says Bassett, ‘they commonly do, when you get ’em.’</p> - -<p>“ ‘And blazers, do we play them, and jumpers? And do we play with a -joker?’</p> - -<p>“Bassett was puzzled for a moment, an’ before he could get started -Winterbottom busted loose. ‘No!’ he hollered, just like he were mad. -‘No, we don’t play with a joker, nor big an’ little casino, nor right -and left bower, nor his nobs, nor his heels. We play draw-poker. An’ we -don’t play blazers nor jumpers, because we don’t know what they are and -we don’t care a darn. We wouldn’t play them if we did know.’</p> - -<p>“ ‘Well, well,’ says Hapgood, ‘that’s all right. I only asked because -they’re in the book, and we have to know, you know, before we play, you -know.’</p> - -<p>“ ‘Well, we know,’ growled Jake and he started to deal again. While he -was dealing Bassett put up his ante an’ Hapgood, who set next, he says, -‘I straddle,’ an’ throws in two chips. That makes it four to play,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_236" id="page_236"></a>{236}</span> an’ -Blaisdell he throws down his cards. Pearsall comes in an’ so does -Winterbottom. Bassett makes good an’ Hapgood raises it eight. They was -playin’ table stakes.</p> - -<p>“Pearsall, havin’ next say, he says, ‘I raise you eight,’ an’ shoves up -his chips.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Oh!’ says Hapgood, speakin’ up quick. ‘Then you don’t play the -doublin’ game?’</p> - -<p>“ ‘What in thunder is the doublin’ game?’ says Pearsall.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Why you can’t raise less than double what the last bet was,’ says -Hapgood.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Is that in the book?’ asked Bassett, sudden like.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Yes,’ says Hapgood.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Then we play it,’ says Bassett very determined.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Well,’ says Pearsall, ‘I raise you sixteen chips.’</p> - -<p>“Winterbottom he studies for a minute an’ he says, ‘I’ll come in,’ but -he says it kind o’ slow.</p> - -<p>“It were Bassett’s turn next, an’ he says, ‘I raise it thirty-two -chips.’</p> - -<p>“Things was gettin’ interestin’ about then.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_237" id="page_237"></a>{237}</span> It were quick poker even -for Arkansas City, an’ I looked to see some layin’ down, but they all -had pretty good cards as it happened an’ they all made good. In the draw -Bassett took one card, Hapgood took two, Pearsall stood pat, an’ -Winterbottom took two.</p> - -<p>“Then they all waited for a minute or so, an’ finally Winterbottom says -to Hapgood, ‘It’s your bet.’</p> - -<p>“ ‘Oh, no,’ says Hapgood, ‘it isn’t my bet, I straddled.’</p> - -<p>“ ‘Well, what in blue blazes has that got to do with it?’ says Pearsall.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Why, if I straddled I get the age,’ says Hapgood, an’ the boys was -struck dumb for a minute or so.</p> - -<p>“Finally, Bassett he caught his breath, an’ he says, ‘Is that in the -book?’</p> - -<p>“ ‘Why, certainly,’ says Hapgood, an’ just then his keeper come in with -the book in his hand. It was a monstrous pretty little red book, too, -with a fancy cover an’ gilt edges on the leaves.</p> - -<p>“Well, Bassett he were gettin’ sort o’ weak by this time, but he managed -to say, ‘I ain<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_238" id="page_238"></a>{238}</span>’t doubtin’ your word, stranger, but this here is kind o’ -strong liquor for us. We ain’t used to it. Don’t you think you’re -mistaken? Do you think that any man that knowed enough about poker to -write a book about it would put that in?’</p> - -<p>“ ‘Well, it’s right here,’ says Hapgood, opening the book. ‘It’s law 44 -in the International Code. You’ll see it on page 100. It says: “The -straddle transfers the age from the ante man to the straddler,” ’ and he -read it and showed it.</p> - -<p>“The boys looked at one another for a little, as if nobody could say -anything, an’ I reckon they couldn’t right away, but finally Bassett he -spoke up, an’ he says: ‘We’ve started to play this here game accordin’ -to the rules, an’ I reckon we’d better see it through for one deal, -anyhow. Pearsall, it’s your bet.’</p> - -<p>“Pearsall he looked kind o’ faint, but he throwed in a chip, an’ -Winterbottom seed it, an’ Bassett he come in, an’ Hapgood he raised it -ten. Then the boys seen their duty, an’ they done it for fair. The chips -was a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_239" id="page_239"></a>{239}</span> dollar, an’ Pearsall he raised it twenty, an’ Winterbottom he -raised it forty, an’ Bassett he raised it eighty, makin’ about half a -million dollars on the table. Hapgood he throwed down his cards, an’ -Pearsall an’ Winterbottom did likewise, so nobody found out what anybody -had.</p> - -<p>“The next deal was about the same story, on’y they all come in, an’ -after they’d coaxed Hapgood along till he’d put up a fair-sized stake, -they doubled upon him four times instead of three, an’ he throwed down -again.</p> - -<p>“That brought it up to Hapgood’s deal, an’ I reckon he must ha’ been a -little rattled, seein’ how he wa’n’t likely to get much of a show, for -instead o’ dealin’ cards to all five players he on’y dealt out four -hands. O’ course, they all seen what he was doin’, but they kind o’ -watched him to see if it wa’n’t some new sort of a trick out o’ that -book o’ his’n, an’ when he finished nobody moved to pick up his cards. -An’ still Hapgood didn’t seem to notice nothin’ out o’ the way, so -Bassett spoke up very mild an’ subdued like, ‘Ain’t that a misdeal, -stranger?<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_240" id="page_240"></a>{240}</span> You haven’t dealt Winterbottom any cards. He’s in the game, -ain’t he?’</p> - -<p>“Then Hapgood seen what he’d done an’ picked up the deck again. ‘Oh, -no,’ he says, ‘it ain’t a misdeal. I’ll give him a hand,’ and he dealt -him one card off the top of the deck, another off the bottom, the next -off the top, the next off the bottom, and the next and last off the top.</p> - -<p>“Then Winterbottom turned to me an’ says: ‘Greenhut, I wish you’d bring -me a drink o’ red liquor. I think I’m going to faint.’ I brought it to -him quick, for he did look pale, an’ he ain’t as young as he was. After -he’d swallowed it he says to Hapgood: ‘What in blue blazes is that sort -o’ monkey business you was just puttin’ up? Is there anything in that -extraordinary thing you call a book that says for you to do a thing like -that?’</p> - -<p>“ ‘Why, certainly,’ says Hapgood. ‘You’ll find it in law 34 of the -International Code, on page 98. “If too few hands have been dealt or a -player has been omitted, the dealer shall supply the omission by dealing -the<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_241" id="page_241"></a>{241}</span> necessary number of cards alternately from the top and bottom of -the pack.” There it is. You can read it for yourself.’</p> - -<p>“And he handed the book to Jake. Jake took it and looked at it curiously -while the rest of us looked over his shoulders. The rule was there and -so were the other things he told us about. And the book was published by -some firm in London and another firm in New York. It looked like a sure -enough book. It even had the author’s name printed as Templar. I was -almost stunned. I couldn’t think of anything to say. Neither could the -rest of the boys for a few minutes, but finally Jake handed the book -back to Hapgood an’ he says, mighty serious like, ‘I don’t find no fault -with you, stranger. You mean well, an’ I don’t reckon you’re the man -that wrote this book, but I want to give you a little good advice. If -you’re thinkin’ o’ playin’ poker much while you’re in the country, an’ -think o’ takin’ that book along with you, the best thing you can do is -to take out an all-fired big policy o’ life insurance. Your heirs, if -you have any, is liable to get<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_242" id="page_242"></a>{242}</span> rich monstrous sudden that way. As for -me, I think I’ll cash in. I’m open to play draw-poker at any time, but -this here game is too rich for my blood.’</p> - -<p>“An’ that broke up the game. I don’t know whether they really do play -any such poker as that book tells about in the East, but ’tain’t never -likely to be played in this country. It does beat all how some folks can -get things printed, but I remember hearing it said once that it stood to -reason that nobody would ever write a book on how to play poker if he -knowed, ’cause if he knowed he’d play enough not to need to write for a -livin’.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_243" id="page_243"></a>{243}</span>”</p> - -<h2><a name="XIX" id="XIX"></a>XIX<br /><br /> -<small>ONLY ONE SURE WAY TO WIN</small></h2> - -<p>“ ‘Pears to me,” said old man Greenhut, as he leaned his elbows on the -bar and pulled viciously at a very black cigar to keep it alight, “like -there was a monstrous lot o’ foolishness talked about the game o’ -draw-poker. Fellers’ll tell you with tears in their mouth about gettin’ -beat at the game an’ about the hard mess of luck they have an’ how some -other player’ll always hold over ’em or pull out against their pat -flushes an’ wipe up the floor with ’em when they’d oughter have the pot -cinched according to all laws. Oh, there ain’t no end to hard luck -stories. They’re thicker than cold molasses, but there hain’t no sense -into ’em. O’ course, a man may get hit hard now an’ again when he ain’t -lookin’ for it—he may get kicked by a mule sometimes when he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_244" id="page_244"></a>{244}</span> thinks -he’s out o’ the mule’s reach; but a man that gets kicked all the time is -either a jackass or else he don’t know mules.</p> - -<p>“So with poker. No man that knows poker is goin’ to get beat at it all -the time, an’ the man that does get beat nine times out o’ ten beats -hisself. ’Tain’t the other fellers’ play half as much as it is takin’ -fool chances that makes men walk home ’stead o’ takin’ the cars. There’s -a heap o’ talk about one man playin’ better poker than another man, but -my experience tells me that the principal trouble is not that one man -plays better than another, but that one man don’t play so well as -another. An’ it stands to reason that when a man don’t play as well as -the other feller he’s goin’ to beat hisself.</p> - -<p>“There was Jake Winterbottom,” continued the old man, as he straightened -himself up and walked around to his favourite seat by the window. -Winterbottom wasn’t in the room at the time, or probably Greenhut would -not have mentioned him by name.</p> - -<p>“There was Jake Winterbottom. Jake is a powerful good player now, an’ I -reckon<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_245" id="page_245"></a>{245}</span> he can hold his end up in the most select circles. He’s played -steady with the best talent of Arkansas City for a good many years, an’ -any man that can do that don’t have to have no trepidation about settin’ -in with the best of ’em.</p> - -<p>“But I remember the time when Jake was about the easiest proposition -there was to be found all up an’ down the river. ’Peared like there -wa’n’t no possible way o’ losin’ money at the game that he hadn’t -studied out an’ practised till he had ’em all down pat. He c’d lay down -three of a kind against aces up with the same monotonous regularity that -he’d bet a straight against a full. An’ he didn’t have no sense about -the draw. He’d pull for a flush every time he got four of a suit, an’ -sometimes when he had only three, no matter what the odds was in the -bettin’. An’ when he did happen to have the winnin’ hand, if he bet it -at all, which he wouldn’t half the time, he never got nothin’ to speak -of out of it.</p> - -<p>“I used to reason with him. There wa’n’t no reason as I know on why I -should, for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_246" id="page_246"></a>{246}</span> he wa’n’t nothin’ to me, more’n a fair, average customer, -but somehow or other I allus cottoned to Jake f’m the time he struck the -town till he’d come to be recognized as one o’ the leadin’ citizens. -’Peared like he made a impression on me f’m the first. Anyway, I felt -kind o’ sorry to see him everlastin’ly buckin’ up ag’in a game that was -too much for him, an’ I told him so, many’s the time.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Jake,’ I used to say to him, ‘you hain’t no business playin’ with the -Arkansas City crowd. They’ll do you, sure.’ But he’d always say: -‘Greenhut, I’m learnin’, an’ learnin’ is allus expensive. One o’ these -days I’ll do ’em.’ So I let him alone.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Peared like he learned all of a sudden. He’d been pikin’ along, -playin’ a fiddlin’ game whenever he got a chance to stick his nose in, -but givin’ no evidence o’ talent till this one night, when there was two -strangers come in to do the talent. Jake was here an’ he had about seven -dollars in his clothes when they made up a table stake game an’ each man -put up fifty dollars. There was six playin’, too, so there was three -hundred<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_247" id="page_247"></a>{247}</span> dollars on the table when they started. Jake, he looked on for -awhile an’ never peeped. Didn’t think he’d be let in an’ consequent said -nothin’ till three of the home talent dropped out, busted. That left Sam -Pearsall playin’ agin the two strangers, an’ he were nervous. He wa’n’t -much more’n holdin’ his own, an’ he looked round to see if there wasn’t -somebody to set in. Joe Bassett an’ Jim Blaisdell was willin’ enough, -but they had no money left, an’ Jake seein’ how things stood, he spoke -up kind o’ timid like, an’ he says: ‘I don’t reckon I’d last more’n a -few minutes, but I’ll take a hand if you’ll let me play for what I’ve -got.’</p> - -<p>“Sam spoke up quick an’ says, ‘I hain’t no objections,’ an’ the two -strangers says, kind o’ careless, ‘Oh, that’s all right,’ so down he -sets. But they was disgusted enough when they seen what his pile was. He -dug up seven dollars an’ two bits, an’ bought his chips an’ took a hand.</p> - -<p>“It were a dollar jack an’ one o’ the strangers opened it for four -dollars, an’ Jake he throwed down. The stranger he win it,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_248" id="page_248"></a>{248}</span> an’ the next -deal it were Jake’s ante. He put up two bits, call four, an’ the others -all come in an’ he wouldn’t make good. That left him just six dollars, -but it were his deal.</p> - -<p>“When I seen that deal I kind o’ says to myself that mebbe I’d sorter -mistook Winterbottom, an’ mebbe he’d been practisin’ some. It were -Pearsall’s ante, an’ he made it a dollar to play. The first stranger, he -were a little cross-eyed man, he come in, an’ the other feller raised it -two dollars. Jake he made good, takin’ three dollars, an’ Sam he raised -it five. Then the cross-eyed man made it five more to play, an’ the -other one stayed, an’ Jake called for a sight for his pile.</p> - -<p>“Sam took two cards an’ the cross-eyed man took one. The next man took -two, an’ Jake took two. Well, they all filled. Sam made a full, the -cross-eyed man filled a flush, though it wa’n’t the straight flush he -were after; the next man made a seven full, Sam’s bein’ nines, an’ Jake -caught a fourth deuce.</p> - -<p>“O’ course, all the bettin’ was amongst<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_249" id="page_249"></a>{249}</span> the other three, Jake on’y -havin’ a show for the twenty-four dollars his six called for, but Sam -raked in considerable over a hundred on the show-down.</p> - -<p>“The next pot were a jack on the fours, an’ Sam made it five dollars to -play. Neither one o’ the strangers opened, so it were up to Jake, an’ he -busted it for nineteen dollars, bein’ his pile. Sam stayed out an’ the -cross-eyed man came in, but he failed to fill, an’ Jake was on velvet -with forty-eight dollars in front of him, havin’ opened on two jacks.</p> - -<p>“There was nothin’ doin’ on the next deal, so that made it a dollar -jack, an’ Jake’s first say. He opened it again for the size o’ the pot -an’ got h’isted twice, so it cost him twenty more to play. When it come -to the draw, he said he reckoned he’d split his openers, an’ he laid -aside a queen, holdin’ up four spades.</p> - -<p>“Well, that made a rippin’ good pot, for he filled his flush an’ bet all -he had before he looked at his draw. Just naturally, Pearsall an’ the -cross-eyed man both saw the bet,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_250" id="page_250"></a>{250}</span> Sam havin’ three aces an’ the other -man three kings.</p> - -<p>“By this time they was all gettin’ pretty sore to think they’d let Jake -in with his seven dollars, but it were too late to kick, an’ when it -come his deal again, as it were, the next hand, I says to myself that -I’d just about make up my mind accordin’ to what he did with the cards. -If he was to lose, I’d consider it a streak o’ luck that he’d been -havin’, but if he was to deal ’em as well as he had afore, I’d conclude -that he was a-learnin’ the game.</p> - -<p>“Well, after that deal was over, I never had no more doubts about -Winterbottom. O’ course, havin’ as much money as he had to play with, -’twa’n’t necessary nor proper to look after Sam’s interest in the pot, -so he didn’t deal Sam nothin’, but he gave the cross-eyed man three aces -an’ the other feller a pat straight, takin’ care to have a seven spot -handy when it would just fit into his sevens up on the draw. An’ the -bettin’ just come so’s’t he had a chance to give the second<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_251" id="page_251"></a>{251}</span> raise an’ -he scooped about a hundred an’ forty dollars on that pot.</p> - -<p>“That left him winnin’ tol’able near all there was on the table, but the -two strangers they both dug, an’ Sam stayed along with about thirty -dollars that he had left, an’ the game went on.</p> - -<p>“But, Lord bless ye, them fellers didn’t have no show. They couldn’t -win, no matter what they did, an’ the game broke up in about twenty -minutes, with Pearsall forty dollars ahead, an’ Jake winnin’ all the -other money in sight.</p> - -<p>“I ast him about it next day an’ he told me that he’d been a-studyin’ -the game all the time since he’d first begun to play, an’ the way he -sized it up it were no use for a man to bet on any cards unless he had a -pretty good notion what was out against him. ‘Some fellers seems to know -it by instinct,’ he says, ‘an’ some has luck, but I never had no luck to -speak of, an’ when I come to tryin’ to judge of another man’s cards by -instinct, I didn’t never seem to strike it right, so I made up my mind -that the on’y thing for<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_252" id="page_252"></a>{252}</span> me to do was to study the cards an’ get so’s’t -I c’d tell ’em by the feelin’. It takes a heap o’ work learnin’, but I -worked, an’ if I do say it, Greenhut, I don’t reckon there’s any man on -the river that can come nearer’n I can to tellin’ what cards is out, -specially when I’ve dealt ’em.’</p> - -<p>“Well, just naturally, a man with such talents as that ain’t a-goin’ to -have his light hid under no bushel basket not for very long. The boys -reco’nized his talents as quick as I did, an’ there ain’t no man in -Arkansas City as is more respected an’ more thought of than Jake is. The -best of it is that he’s square an’ don’t never play it low down on the -home talent. But when it comes to a difficult proposition, such as -sometimes has to be tackled when there’s a couple o’ clever strangers in -town, I never feel safe without thinkin’ Jake Winterbottom is in the -game. An’ if he is, why, the strangers don’t never get away with no -alarmin’ amount of Arkansas City money.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_253" id="page_253"></a>{253}</span>”</p> - -<h2><a name="XX" id="XX"></a>XX<br /><br /> -<small>KENNEY’S ROYAL FLUSH</small></h2> - -<p>“<span class="smcap">It’s</span> a most surprisin’ thing,” said old man Greenhut as he set the -bottles away behind the bar, “that folks don’t seem to ’preciate the -importance o’ bein’ persistent. Now, that there Si Walker, ’t just come -in here an’ took a drink an’ went out ’thout sayin’ a word to no one, is -a bright an’ shinin’ example o’ never doin’ nothin’ worth while, ’cause -he don’t never stick to it. Gits discouraged like an’ sets down an’ -thinks about it, when if he’d on’y spit on his hands an’ take a fresh -grip he mought come out a four-time winner. Why, I tell you that man -might ’a’ been a justice o’ the peace an’ married the Widow Baker with -four hundred acres o’ good farm land, no end o’ stock an’ utensils, an’ -money in the bank, on’y fer that fatal habit o’ his o’ not stickin’ to -it. Just give up, he did, ’cause he got beat out in two<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_254" id="page_254"></a>{254}</span> ’lections an’ -wouldn’t run fer office no more, an’ when the widow said no three or -four times, he ’lowed she didn’t want him an’ got out o’ the game, when -the blame fool’d oughter knowed that all she wanted was a man with -gumption enough to keep on courtin’.”</p> - -<p>The old man turned his back for a moment, while he slyly poured a little -water into a whiskey bottle in which the liquor was running low, and -then placing it with the other bottles he came out to his favourite seat -by the window and sat smoking for some minutes.</p> - -<p>“Beats all,” he said, after awhile, “how folks lets go like that. Don’t -seem to have no sense o’ religion. The Good Book says, ‘Go to the ant,’ -you sluggers. Consider her ways and be wise. Now, there ain’t no p’ints -about a ant that’s worth considerin’, ’cept their almighty -stick-to-it-iveness. Stands to reason, it means fer us to keep peggin’ -away till we git there. ’F Si Walker’d on’y pegged like the ants does, -he mought ’a’ been rich an’ respected.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_255" id="page_255"></a>{255}</span></p> - -<p>“There was Pete Kenney that dropped off’n a boat here some thirty year -ago an’ just stayed. There didn’t seem to be no reason why he should ’a’ -come here in the first place, or why he should ’a’ stayed after he -arrove, but he did. Some said he must ’a’ dropped on to the boat by -accident somewheres up the river, an’ the captain put him off at the -first landin’, him not havin’ the regulation fare in his jeans. However -’twas, he come, an’ he remained. More’n that, he’s well fixed now an’ -pays taxes.</p> - -<p>“There warn’t no reason fer it, fer as anybody could see, ’ceptin’ -Pete’s all-fired persistency. He was a bright enough sort o’ man an’ -might ’a’ settled down in business fer himself, fer he got a job as -bartender down to the hotel an’ made money. They do say as how a steady, -industrious bartender in a hotel where there’s a good run o’ business -an’ a boss that drinks some himself, can have a saloon of his own in a -few years, an’ I reckon it’s pretty near true. I kept bar in a hotel -myself when I was young.</p> - -<p>“That wa’n’t Pete’s lay, though. Pete<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_256" id="page_256"></a>{256}</span> used to say that there was one -way of establishin’ yourself in life that laid over any other, an’ that -was to hold a royal flush in a good stiff game o’ draw-poker. Then, he -says, it’s on’y a question o’ how much the others has got to inspire -their confidence, an’ how much they has to bet with that fixes the -amount to be gathered in, so’s’t a man can retire an’ be respectable fer -the rest of his natural life.</p> - -<p>“Some on us reasoned with Pete at times about this. We told him that -royal flushes was sca’ce game, an’ that four of a kind was good enough -fer a careful player to get rich on, but Pete ’lowed that a royal flush -was the on’y thing a man could be dead sure of. Seems he’d had four -queens beat when he was young, an’ he’d l’arned consid’able caution from -th’ experience.</p> - -<p>“ ‘As to a royal flush bein’ sca’ce,’ Pete says, ‘it stands to reason -that a man’s goin’ to get it sometime, if he plays long enough. Stick to -it,’ he says, ‘an’ sooner or later yer goin’ to git a royal flush. The -on’y thing needed is to stick to it.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_257" id="page_257"></a>{257}</span>’</p> - -<p>“Consequences was that Pete, havin’ found his theory of business -success, devoted himself to the workin’ on it out, with a persistency -that would ’a’ growed wool on a nigger’s heel ’f he’d devoted hisself to -that particular form of effort. Why, Pete’d give his nights an’ days to -poker. He never allowed business to interfere with a game, long’s he’d -money to play with.</p> - -<p>“Just naturally his theory of the game interfered with his general -success. Mostly it does interfere, I’ve noticed, when a man gets -theories in his head an’ plays the game different f’m the ordinary run -o’ people. These here sharps that figgers out some particular thing in -the game as bein’ a dead certainty, always loses money on it, for you -can say what you like about the great American game, but it certainly -does beat anything else for the preponderance of uncertainty that has to -be calculated on, whenever you have a dead sure thing in your mind—all -excepting a royal flush, as Pete used to say with ondeniable wisdom.</p> - -<p>“Pete’s mind bein’ fixed, so to speak, on<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_258" id="page_258"></a>{258}</span> that royal flush, you can see -for yourself that it warped his judgment on the question o’ drawin’ -cards. Many a time I’ve seen him split a pair of aces, an’ draw three -cards to a ace an’ queen, or ace an’ ten o’ the same suit. Once I even -seen him split two pairs, aces an’ queens, an’ draw two cards to the -ace, queen an’ jack o’ diamonds, an’ Joe Hooker says he seen the blamed -ijjit split three kings to draw to three hearts just because they was -court cards o’ the same suit. An’ the first card he picked up in the -draw was the fourth king. Shows how a man’ll overlook the blessin’s o’ -Providence right in his fist, reachin’ out after things he hain’t no -reason to hope for in the natural course of events. Stands to reason a -man’ll lose money defyin’ fate with such monkey-shines as them.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Twasn’t no use to argue with Pete, though. He were as obstinate as a -mule an’ stuck to his notion o’ gettin’ a royal flush like a sick nigger -sticks to the Methodist Church. You couldn’t persuade him. One day I -says to him, ‘Look a’ here, Pete, a royal flush is most onquestionably a -good piece o’ property,<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_259" id="page_259"></a>{259}</span> but what show hev you got o’ gettin’ one. You -put me out o’ patience. Look at the pots you might ’a’ scooped with two -pairs an’ three of a kind if you’d only drawed like a Christian,’ says -I, ‘instead o’ puttin’ your trust in strange gods, an’ sacrificin’ your -good chips an’ the principles o’ the game in a strange an’ foolish -endeavour. It’s flyin’ in the face o’ Providence,’ I says to him, ‘an’ -you’ll go down to your grave unhonoured, unwept, an’ unhung if you -persist in it. More’n that,’ I says, ‘you’ll be dead broke all the days -o’ your life.’</p> - -<p>“But you couldn’t convince him. ‘There’s four royal flushes in the deck, -ain’t there?’ says he, ‘an’ them five cards is just as likely to come as -any other five, ain’t they? An’ if there’s anything certain in this here -world o’ trouble an’ oncertainty, ’tis that a man’ll get ’em sometime, -if he keeps on tryin’. An’ say! When I do get ’em if the Lord spares me -till that happy day, I won’t do anything but swat the gang.’</p> - -<p>“ ‘The Lord can spare you easy enough,’ says I, disgusted, ‘an’ so can -the community<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_260" id="page_260"></a>{260}</span> if you go on tryin’ to break up our national institutions -by propagatin’ sich revolutionary idees. It’s worse’n anarchy,’ I says. -‘It’s ridiculous.’</p> - -<p>“But there wa’n’t no movin’ of him, an’ we just had to leave him to the -error of his ways, an’ what we thought was the inevitable vengeance of -heaven. An’ the boys calculated that bein’ as how he was a -self-app’inted vessel o’ wrath, an’ bound to be skinned in the game as -long as he continnered to play it, it was a sort o’ missionary work to -assist in the skinnin’. Most of ’em devoted themselves to the missionary -work, too, with such holy zeal that Pete was broke most of the time.</p> - -<p>“He was good grit, though. Nobody never heard him complain, for he -seemed to be sustained by a calm confidence in that royal flush, an’ -every time he went broke he’d go back to work as chipper as a catfish -an’ stick to it till he had a stake to sit into the game with.</p> - -<p>“That was another thing I used to talk to him about, while I was trying -to show him the error of his ways. ‘Supposin’ you do get<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_261" id="page_261"></a>{261}</span> a royal flush -sometime,’ I says, ‘how can you expect to get a legitimate profit out of -it, if you go broke all the time trying to get it? You won’t have no -money to bet with,’ I says.</p> - -<p>“But all he ever said to that was, ‘Oh! the Lord will provide. You don’t -suppose things is goin’ to be so ordered, do ye, that heaven’s richest -blessin’ would come to a man, an’ him not have the means to back it up?’ -Which was next door to blasphemy as I told him frequent, but he on’y -smiled. An’ when the time come, as it did finally, when his faith was -justified, an’ he reaped the reward o’ persistency, it were developed -that he had good reason to smile, for he had provided for that there -contingency with a wisdom compared to which the guile o’ the sarpent was -as the babblings o’ babes an’ sucklin’s. Oh! Pete was a polished article -even if we did size him up for a deluded fanatic all them years.</p> - -<p>“It went on for a matter o’ fifteen year or more, an’ Pete’s royal flush -come to be a standin’ joke in town. Fellers would laugh about it every -time he set into a game, an’ it<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_262" id="page_262"></a>{262}</span> were esteemed a great piece o’ wit for -some feller to say, ‘I’ll bet a thousand to one in town lots that Pete -won’t get a royal flush to-night.’ ’Course, nobody ever took it up, but -everybody’d laugh, an’ Pete would laugh with ’em, for he was -good-natured, an’ he’d say, ‘I’ll get it sometime, boys, if I don’t -to-night.’</p> - -<p>“An’ he did. If ever a man won success by long-continued, persistent -strugglin’ for it, Pete Kenney did, an’ things fell out about as he’d -always said they would. It were a pretty good game from the first, for -there was a couple o’ crossroads gamblers who’d come to town lookin’ for -blood, an’ it happened that there was two planters just back from New -Orleans with their crop money in their pockets, an’ they was lookin’ for -excitement. One of ’em knowed Pete an’ liked him an’ ast him to join in -the game that was started just about the time they got off at Arkansas -City here, an’ Pete havin’ a hundred in his clothes, just naturally did.</p> - -<p>“He played lucky from the start. It happened, fortunately, that he -didn’t get a<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_263" id="page_263"></a>{263}</span> chance to make one of his fool draws more’n once in half -an hour or so, an’ as his play outside o’ that was fairly good he -managed to scoop in some rattlin’ good pots on flushes an’ fulls, -besides two or three that he took in on deuces and nerve, or some sich -hand.</p> - -<p>“Anyhow, he had near a thousand in front of him when there come a big -jack-pot with fifty in it before it was opened. Pete sat next to the -dealer an’ he passed, havin’ on’y a king, jack, an’ ten o’ clubs, an’, -o’ course, not bein’ permitted to open under the rules. The next man -opened it for fifty, the next three come in, an’ Pete raised it a -hundred. That was his fool play. Whenever he’d see a show for a royal -flush he used to play as if he had it, for fear he wouldn’t get the good -of it when it did come.</p> - -<p>“Well, it worked pretty well. One of the crossroads professionals -dropped out, but the other one had a seven full, pat, an’ after the two -planters had come in, he raised Pete another hundred. Pete came back at -him with another and one of the planters dropped. The other had a four -flush and he stayed.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_264" id="page_264"></a>{264}</span> The gambler, for some reason, didn’t raise again, -but simply saw the raise, and there was thirteen hundred dollars in the -pot.</p> - -<p>“In the draw Pete got the ace an’ queen o’ clubs. I suppose if I’d a -caught them cards under the circumstances, I’d a dropped dead, but Pete -never turned a hair. There was al’ays a kind of a drop to the left side -of his face an’ it looked a little droopier than usual, for a minute, -but he gave no other sign, and the others thought he had three of a kind -at the most. The planter filled his flush, an’ so Pete had two good -hands to play against, which was as much as anybody could expect. He had -about six hundred on the table to bet with, besides, and more’n that, he -had resources that nobody at the table knew about.</p> - -<p>“The planter sat next to the opener, who dropped out, and as it was his -first bet and he had a flush, he pushed up a hundred, not carin’ to go -too heavy against the gambler who had stood pat and who had stood the -third raise before the draw. The gambler raised, of course, pushin’ up -three-fifty.</p> - -<p>“Things was a-goin’ Pete’s way, but he<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_265" id="page_265"></a>{265}</span> never grinned. What he had to do -was to make the others think he was bluffing, so he studies his cards -careful for awhile an’ then says, sort o’ desperate-like an’ sudden, -‘I’ll see that, an’ I’ll go you two-fifty better,’ an’ he pushes his -pile to the middle of the table, barrin’ fifteen or twenty dollars he -had in loose change.</p> - -<p>“The planter’s flush was king high, so he saw it, but didn’t raise, an’ -the gambler raised it five hundred, thinking that Pete would drop out. -‘That’s more than your threes are worth, I reckon,’ he said, with a -sneer, but Pete never answered him. He studied his cards awhile longer -and then said, pretty slow, ‘I haven’t got the cash to see you, but I’ve -got the deeds to some property here that’s pretty valuable, an’ if -you’ll take that for security, I’ll raise you a thousand.’</p> - -<p>“He pulled some law papers out of his pocket as he spoke and laid them -on the table, but the gambler spoke up, very nasty, an’ says: ‘I ain’t -buyin’ no property without<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_266" id="page_266"></a>{266}</span> looking at it, an’ money is the on’y thing -that talks in this game.’</p> - -<p>“Pete looked at the planter, but he shook his head. ‘I wouldn’t mind as -far as I am concerned,’ he said, ‘but there is an objection made. I -don’t see how I can help you.’</p> - -<p>“ ‘Very well,’ says Pete, pretending to look troubled, ‘then I’ll have to -ask for a few minutes’ time till I can get some money to play with. -Sam,’ he says to the nigger that was bringing them drinks, ‘take these -papers over to Mr. Stevens an’ ask him if he will loan me ten thousand -dollars on them.’</p> - -<p>“Then there was a little wrangle. The other gambler who had dropped out -objected to the delay, but the two planters spoke up for Pete and the -gambler who held the full house said he was willin’ to wait while the -gentleman got some more money, as he was goin’ to win it anyhow, so Sam -went over to Mr. Stevens’s house. Stevens bein’ the president of our -bank an’ a gentleman with proper sporting habits.</p> - -<p>“Some of us that was lookin’ on was guessin’ for fair. We never knowed -o’ Pete<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_267" id="page_267"></a>{267}</span> havin’ no property, an’ we thought he was bluffin’, but we -couldn’t see just how he reckoned he could work it, or what he expected -to do. I says to myself, ‘I reckon he’s caught that royal flush, but -what this move means is more’n I know.’ Anyhow, there warn’t nothin’ to -do but wait, an’ I waited as all the others did, for it looked as if -there’d be some fun.</p> - -<p>“Pretty soon Mr. Stevens came back with the nigger, an’ says, ‘What’s -this mean, Pete? The nigger says you want to borrow ten thousand -dollars.’</p> - -<p>“ ‘Yes, I do,’ says Pete.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Well,’ says Stevens, ‘you can have the money on these deeds, of -course, if you’ll come to the bank to-morrow, but you—’</p> - -<p>“ ‘I want it now,’ says Pete, interruptin’, an’ as he spoke he picked up -his cards from the table where they had been lying, an’ holdin’ ’em kind -o’ careless, just so that Stevens could see ’em, but pretendin’ not to -notice that they could be seen.</p> - -<p>“ ‘Oh!’ says Stevens, ‘you want the money<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_268" id="page_268"></a>{268}</span> to play with, do you? But -certainly you ain’t goin’ to bet on that hand?’</p> - -<p>“ ‘You’ll oblige me,’ says Pete, pretendin’ to get in a terrible rage, -‘by sayin’ nothin’ about my hand. It may not be the strongest hand in -the deck, but it’s the best one out. Besides, it’s my own business what -I do with the money. The question is whether you’ll let me have it.’</p> - -<p>“Oh, yes,’ says Stevens, ‘I’ll let you have it, all right. That is, I’ll -give you my personal check.’</p> - -<p>“I reckon that’s good,’ says Pete, an’ so it was, for everybody on the -river knowed Stevens.</p> - -<p>“It was the neatest play I ever expect to see, for them papers wasn’t -worth the ink that was on ’em. It seems that Stevens had come to know -about Pete always playin’ for a royal flush, an’ had joked him about it, -knowin’ Pete pretty well an’ likin’ him as a man gets to like a -bartender that treats him right, an’ Pete had got him to promise to lend -him all the money he needed to play with, whenever he should get the -royal flush.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<a name="CERTAINLY" id="CERTAINLY"></a> -<a href="images/i_p268a_lg.jpg"> -<img src="images/i_p268a_sml.jpg" width="297" height="450" alt="“ ‘BUT CERTAINLY YOU AIN’T GOIN’ TO BET ON THAT HAND?’ ”" title="“ ‘BUT CERTAINLY YOU AIN’T GOIN’ TO BET ON THAT HAND?’ ”" /></a> -<br /> -<span class="caption">“ ‘BUT CERTAINLY YOU AIN’T GOIN’ TO BET ON THAT HAND?’ ”</span> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_268b" id="page_268b"></a>{268b}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_269" id="page_269"></a>{269}</span></p> - -<p>Then when Stevens came over to lend him the money if he really had the -cards, him knowin’ that the deeds was a bluff, he was sport enough and -liked Pete well enough to help him along with his little remark about -not betting on that hand.</p> - -<p>“Of course, when they heard that, the other players thought sure he was -bluffing, an’ Pete coaxed ’em along till he cleaned up $18,000. Then he -invested the money, an’, as I said, become a respectable taxpayer. It -all shows what a man can do by stickin’ to what he has to do in this -world.”</p> - -<p class="cb">THE END.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_270" id="page_270"></a>{270}</span></p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_271" id="page_271"></a>{271}</span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="cb"><big>L. C. Page and Company’s Announcement List of New Fiction</big></p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="nind">Carolina Lee</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>By <span class="smcap">Lilian Bell</span>, author of “Hope Loring,” “Abroad with the Jimmies,” -etc.</p> - -<p>With a frontispiece in colour from an oil painting by Dora Wheeler -Keith</p> - -<p class="r"> -$1.50</p></div> - -<p>A typical “Lilian Bell” book, bright, breezy, amusing, philosophic, full -of fun and bits of quotable humour.</p> - -<p>Carolina is a fascinating American girl, born and educated in Paris, and -at the beginning of the story riding on the top wave of success in New -York society. A financial catastrophe leaves her stranded without money, -and her only material asset an old, run-down plantation in South -Carolina. In the face of strong opposition she goes South to restore the -old homestead and rebuild her fortunes. Complications speedily follow, -but, with indomitable faith and courage, Carolina perseveres until her -efforts are rewarded by success and happiness.</p> - -<p class="nind">The Cruise of the Conqueror</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p><span class="smcap">Being the Further Adventures of the Motor Pirate.</span> By <span class="smcap">G. Sidney -Paternoster</span>, author of “The Motor Pirate,” etc.</p> - -<p> -With a frontispiece by Frank T. Merrill $1.50<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>One of the most fascinating games to childhood is the old-fashioned -“hide-and-seek,” with its scurrying for covert, its breathless suspense -to both hider and seeker, and its wild dash for goal when the seeker is -successful. Readers of “The Motor Pirate” will remember the exciting -game played by the motor pirate and his pursuers, and will be glad to -have the sport taken up again in the new volume.</p> - -<p>In “The Cruise of the Conqueror,” a motor-boat enables the motor pirate -to pursue his victims in even a bolder and more startling way, such, for -example, as the hold-up of an ocean steamer and the seizure for ransom -of the Prince of Monte Carlo.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_272" id="page_272"></a>{272}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">The Passenger from Calais</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p><span class="smcap">A Detective Story.</span> By <span class="smcap">Arthur Griffiths</span>.</p> - -<p> -Cover design by Eleanor Hobson $1.25<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>A bright, quickly moving detective story telling of the adventures which -befell a mysterious lady flying from Calais through France into Italy, -closely pursued by detectives. Her own quick wits, aided by those of a -gallant fellow passenger, give the two officers an unlooked-for and -exciting “run for their money.” One hardly realizes till now the -dramatic possibilities of a railway train, and what an opportunity for -excitement may be afforded by a joint railway station for two or more -roads.</p> - -<p>It is a well-planned, logical detective story of the better sort, free -from cheap sensationalism and improbability, developing surely and -steadily by means of exciting situations to an unforeseen and -satisfactory ending.</p> - -<p class="nind">The Golden Arrow</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>By <span class="smcap">T. Jenkins Hains</span>, author of “The Black Barque,” “The -Windjammers,” etc.</p> - -<p> -With six illustrations by H. C. Edwards $1.50<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>Another of Captain Hains’s inimitable sea stories, in which piracy, -storm, and shipwreck are cleverly intermingled with love and romance, -and vivid and picturesque descriptions of life at sea. Mr. Hains’s new -story describes the capture on the high seas of an American vessel by a -gang of convicts, who have seized and burned the English ship on which -they were being transported, and their final recapture by a British -man-of-war.</p> - -<p class="nind">The Treasure Trail</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>By <span class="smcap">Frank L. Pollock</span>.</p> - -<p> -Library 12mo, cloth decorative $1.25<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>This is a splendid story of adventure, full of good incidents that are -exceptionally exciting. The story deals with the search for gold -bullion, originally stolen from the Boer government in Pretoria, and -stored in a steamer sunk somewhere in the Mozambique Channel. Two -different search parties are endeavouring to secure the treasure, and -the story deals with their adventures and its final recovery by one -party only a few hours before the arrival of the second.</p> - -<p>The book reads like an extract from life, and the whole story is vivid -and realistic with descriptions of the life of a party of gentlemen -adventurers who are willing to run great odds for great gains.</p> - -<p>There is also “a woman in the case,” Margaret Laurie, who proves a -delightful, reliant, and audacious heroine.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_273" id="page_273"></a>{273}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">Miss Frances Baird, Detective</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>By <span class="smcap">Reginald Wright Kauffman</span>, author of “Jarvis of Harvard,” etc.</p> - -<p> -Library 12mo, cloth decorative $1.25<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>A double robbery and a murder have given Mr. Kauffman the material for -his clever detective story. Miss Baird tells how she finally solved the -mystery, and how she outwitted the other detective at work on the case, -by her woman’s intuition and sympathy, when her reputation for keenness -and efficiency was hanging in the balance.</p> - -<p class="nind">The Idlers</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>By <span class="smcap">Morley Roberts</span>, author of “Rachel Marr,” “Lady Penelope,” etc.</p> - -<p> -With frontispiece in colour by John C. Frohn $1.50<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>The <i>London Literary World</i> says: “In ‘The Idlers’ Mr. Morley Roberts -does for the smart set of London what Mrs. Wharton has done in ‘The -House of Mirth’ for the American social class of the same name. His -primary object seems to be realism, the portrayal of life as it is -without exaggeration, and we were impressed by the reserve displayed by -the novelist. It is a powerful novel, a merciless dissection of modern -society similar to that which a skilful surgeon would make of a -pathological case.”</p> - -<p>The <i>New York Sun</i> says: “<i>It is as absorbing as the devil.</i> Mr. Roberts -gives us the antithesis of ‘Rachel Marr’ in an equally masterful and -convincing work.”</p> - -<p><i>Professor Charles G. D. Roberts</i> says: “It is a work of great ethical -force.”</p> - -<p class="nind">Stand Pat</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p><span class="smcap">Or, Poker Stories from Brownsville.</span> By <span class="smcap">David A. Curtis</span>, author of -“Queer Luck,” etc.</p> - -<p> -With six drawings by Henry Roth $1.50<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>Mr. Curtis is the poker expert of the <i>New York Sun</i>, and many of the -stories in “Stand Pat” originally appeared in the <i>Sun</i>. Although in a -sense short stories, they have a thread of continuity, in that the -principal characters appear throughout. Every poker player will enjoy -Mr. Curtis’s clever recital of the strange luck to which Dame Fortune -sometimes treats her devotees in the uncertain game of draw poker, and -will appreciate the startling coups by which she is occasionally -outwitted.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_274" id="page_274"></a>{274}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">The Count at Harvard</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p><span class="smcap">Being an Account of the Adventures of a Young Gentleman of Fashion -at Harvard University.</span> By <span class="smcap">Rupert Sargent Holland</span>.</p> - -<p> -With a characteristic cover design $1.50<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>With the possible exception of Mr. Flandrau’s work, the “Count at -Harvard” is the most natural and the most truthful exposition of average -student life yet written, and is thoroughly instinct with the real -college atmosphere. “The Count” is not a foreigner, but is the nickname -of one of the principal characters in the book.</p> - -<p>The story is clean, bright, clever, and intensely amusing. Typical -Harvard institutions, such as the Hasty Pudding Club, <i>The Crimson</i>, the -Crew, etc., are painted with deft touches, which will fill the soul of -every graduate with joy, and be equally as fascinating to all college -students.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_275" id="page_275"></a>{275}</span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="cb">Selections from L. C. Page and Company’s List of Fiction</p> - -<p class="cb">WORKS OF</p> - -<p class="cb">ROBERT NEILSON STEPHENS</p> - -<p> -<i>Each one vol., library 12mo, cloth decorative</i> <i>$1.50</i><br /> -</p> - -<p class="nind">The Flight of Georgiana</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p><span class="smcap">A Romance of the Days of the Young Pretender.</span> Illustrated by H. C. -Edwards.</p></div> - -<p>“A love-story in the highest degree, a dashing story, and a remarkably -well finished piece of work.”—<i>Chicago Record-Herald.</i></p> - -<p class="nind">The Bright Face of Danger</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>Being an account of some adventures of Henri de Launay, son of the -Sieur de la Tournoire. Illustrated by H. C. Edwards.</p></div> - -<p>“Mr. Stephens has fairly outdone himself. We thank him heartily. The -story is nothing if not spirited and entertaining, rational and -convincing.”—<i>Boston Transcript.</i></p> - -<p class="nind">The Mystery of Murray Davenport</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>(40th thousand.)</p></div> - -<p>“This is easily the best thing that Mr. Stephens has yet done. Those -familiar with his other novels can best judge the measure of this -praise, which is generous.”—<i>Buffalo News.</i></p> - -<p class="nind">Captain Ravenshaw</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p><span class="smcap">Or, The Maid of Cheapside.</span> (52d thousand.) A romance of Elizabethan -London. Illustrations by Howard Pyle and other artists.</p></div> - -<p>Not since the absorbing adventures of D’Artagnan have we had anything so -good in the blended vein of romance and comedy.</p> - -<p class="nind">The Continental Dragoon</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p><span class="smcap">A Romance of Philipse Manor House in 1778.</span> (53d thousand.) -Illustrated by H. C. Edwards.</p></div> - -<p>A stirring romance of the Revolution, with its scene laid on neutral -territory.<span class="pagenum"><a name="page_276" id="page_276"></a>{276}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">Philip Winwood</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>(70th thousand.) A Sketch of the Domestic History of an American -Captain in the War of Independence, embracing events that occurred -between and during the years 1763 and 1785 in New York and London. -Illustrated by E. W. D. Hamilton.</p></div> - -<p class="nind">An Enemy to the King</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>(70th thousand.) From the “Recently Discovered Memoirs of the Sieur -de la Tournoire.” Illustrated by H. De M. Young.</p></div> - -<p>An historical romance of the sixteenth century, describing the -adventures of a young French nobleman at the court of Henry III., and on -the field with Henry IV.</p> - -<p class="nind">The Road to Paris</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p><span class="smcap">A Story of Adventure.</span> (35th thousand.) Illustrated by H. C. -Edwards.</p></div> - -<p>An historical romance of the eighteenth century, being an account of the -life of an American gentleman adventurer of Jacobite ancestry.</p> - -<p class="nind">A Gentleman Player</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p><span class="smcap">His Adventures on a Secret Mission for Queen Elizabeth.</span> (48th -thousand.) Illustrated by Frank T. Merrill.</p></div> - -<p>The story of a young gentleman who joins Shakespeare’s company of -players, and becomes a friend and protégé of the great poet.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="cb">WORKS OF</p> - -<p class="cb">CHARLES G. D. ROBERTS</p> - -<p class="nind">Red Fox</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p><span class="smcap">The Story of His Adventurous Career in the Ringwaak Wilds, and of -His Final Triumph over the Enemies of His Kind.</span> With fifty -illustrations, including frontispiece in color and cover design by -Charles Livingston Bull.</p> - -<p> -Square quarto, cloth decorative $2.00<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>“Infinitely more wholesome reading than the average tale of sport, since -it gives a glimpse of the hunt from the point of view of the -hunted.”—<i>Boston Transcript.</i></p> - -<p>“True in substance but fascinating as fiction. It will interest old and -young, city-bound and free-footed, those who know animals and those who -do not.”—<i>Chicago Record-Herald.</i></p> - -<p>“A brilliant chapter in natural history.”—<i>Philadelphia North -American.</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_277" id="page_277"></a>{277}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">The Kindred of the Wild</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p><span class="smcap">A Book of Animal Life.</span> With fifty-one full-page plates and many -decorations from drawings by Charles Livingston Bull.</p> - -<p> -Square quarto, decorative cover $2.00<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>“Is in many ways the most brilliant collection of animal stories that -has appeared; well named and well done.”—<i>John Burroughs.</i></p> - -<p class="nind">The Watchers of the Trails</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>A companion volume to “The Kindred of the Wild.” With forty-eight -full-page plates and many decorations from drawings by Charles -Livingston Bull.</p> - -<p> -Square quarto, decorative cover $2.00<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>“Mr. Roberts has written a most interesting series of tales free from -the vices of the stories regarding animals of many other writers, -accurate in their facts and admirably and dramatically told.”—<i>Chicago -News.</i></p> - -<p>“These stories are exquisite in their refinement, and yet robust in -their appreciation of some of the rougher phases of woodcraft. Among the -many writers about animals, Mr. Roberts occupies an enviable -place.”—<i>The Outlook.</i></p> - -<p>“This is a book full of delight. An additional charm lies in Mr. Bull’s -faithful and graphic illustrations, which in fashion all their own tell -the story of the wild life, illuminating and supplementing the pen -pictures of the author.”—<i>Literary Digest.</i></p> - -<p class="nind">Earth’s Enigmas</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>A new edition of Mr. Roberts’s first volume of fiction, published -in 1892, and out of print for several years, with the addition of -three new stories, and ten illustrations by Charles Livingston -Bull.</p> - -<p> -Library 12mo, cloth, decorative cover $1.50<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>“It will rank high among collections of short stories. In ‘Earth’s -Enigmas’ is a wider range of subject than in the ‘Kindred of the -Wild.’ ”—<i>Review from advance sheets of the illustrated edition by -Tiffany Blake in the Chicago Evening Post.</i></p> - -<p class="nind">Barbara Ladd</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>With four illustrations by Frank Verbeck.</p> - -<p> -Library 12mo, gilt top $1.50<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>“From the opening chapter to the final page Mr. Roberts lures us on by -his rapt devotion to the changing aspects of Nature and by his keen and -sympathetic analysis of human character.”—<i>Boston Transcript.</i><span class="pagenum"><a name="page_278" id="page_278"></a>{278}</span></p> - -<p class="nind">Cameron of Lochiel</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>Translated from the French of Philippe Aubert de Gaspé, with -frontispiece in color by H. C. Edwards.</p> - -<p> -Library 12mo, cloth decorative $1.50<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>“Professor Roberts deserves the thanks of his reader for giving a wider -audience an opportunity to enjoy this striking bit of French Canadian -literature.”—<i>Brooklyn Eagle.</i></p> - -<p>“It is not often in these days of sensational and philosophical novels -that one picks up a book that so touches the heart.”—<i>Boston -Transcript.</i></p> - -<p class="nind">The Prisoner of Mademoiselle</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>With frontispiece by Frank T. Merrill.</p> - -<p> -Library 12mo, cloth decorative, gilt top $1.50<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>A tale of Acadia,—a land which is the author’s heart’s delight,—of a -valiant young lieutenant and a winsome maiden, who first captures and -then captivates.</p> - -<p>“This is the kind of a story that makes one grow younger, more innocent, -more light-hearted. Its literary quality is impeccable. It is not every -day that such a heroine blossoms into even temporary existence, and the -very name of the story bears a breath of charm.”—<i>Chicago -Record-Herald.</i></p> - -<p class="nind">The Heart of the Ancient Wood</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>With six illustrations by James L. Weston.</p> - -<p> -Library 12mo, decorative cover $1.50<br /> -</p></div> - -<p>“One of the most fascinating novels of recent days.”—<i>Boston Journal.</i></p> - -<p>“A classic twentieth-century romance.”—<i>New York Commercial -Advertiser.</i></p> - -<p class="nind">The Forge in the Forest</p> - -<div class="blockquot"><p>Being the Narrative of the Acadian Ranger, Jean de Mer, Seigneur de -Briart, and how he crossed the Black Abbé, and of his adventures in -a strange fellowship. Illustrated by Henry Sandham, R. C. A.</p> - -<p> -Library 12mo, cloth, gilt top $1.50</p></div> - -<p>A story of pure love and heroic adventure.</p> - -<p class="nind">By the Marshes of Minas</p> - -<p> -Library 12mo, cloth, gilt top, illustrated $1.50<br /> -</p> - -<p>Most of these romances are in the author’s lighter and more playful -vein; each is a unit of absorbing interest and exquisite workmanship.</p> - -<hr class="full" /> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Stand Pat, by David A. Curtis - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STAND PAT *** - -***** This file should be named 51760-h.htm or 51760-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/1/7/6/51760/ - -Produced by deaurider, Chuck Greif and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at -http://gutenberg.org/license). - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need, are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at -http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at -809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email -business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact -information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official -page at http://pglaf.org - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit http://pglaf.org - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - -</pre> - -</body> -</html> diff --git a/old/51760-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/51760-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 9e8192f..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h/images/i_f04_lg.jpg b/old/51760-h/images/i_f04_lg.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 89b0fce..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/images/i_f04_lg.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h/images/i_f04_sml.jpg b/old/51760-h/images/i_f04_sml.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 908b1a4..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/images/i_f04_sml.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h/images/i_p056a_lg.jpg b/old/51760-h/images/i_p056a_lg.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index e3669c8..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/images/i_p056a_lg.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h/images/i_p056a_sml.jpg b/old/51760-h/images/i_p056a_sml.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 7f02617..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/images/i_p056a_sml.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h/images/i_p112a_lg.jpg b/old/51760-h/images/i_p112a_lg.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f7c8cd1..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/images/i_p112a_lg.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h/images/i_p112a_sml.jpg b/old/51760-h/images/i_p112a_sml.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 429a2e1..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/images/i_p112a_sml.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h/images/i_p150a_lg.jpg b/old/51760-h/images/i_p150a_lg.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 14ba20d..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/images/i_p150a_lg.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h/images/i_p150a_sml.jpg b/old/51760-h/images/i_p150a_sml.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 755ee3e..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/images/i_p150a_sml.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h/images/i_p210a_lg.jpg b/old/51760-h/images/i_p210a_lg.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index b3e3055..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/images/i_p210a_lg.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h/images/i_p210a_sml.jpg b/old/51760-h/images/i_p210a_sml.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 8f9f148..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/images/i_p210a_sml.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h/images/i_p268a_lg.jpg b/old/51760-h/images/i_p268a_lg.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index e00644f..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/images/i_p268a_lg.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h/images/i_p268a_sml.jpg b/old/51760-h/images/i_p268a_sml.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index b6303e6..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/images/i_p268a_sml.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h/images/ill_colophon.png b/old/51760-h/images/ill_colophon.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 118509b..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/images/ill_colophon.png +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/51760-h/images/ill_leaf.png b/old/51760-h/images/ill_leaf.png Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index c8228d9..0000000 --- a/old/51760-h/images/ill_leaf.png +++ /dev/null |
