The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-05-11
Another Ranger.
Drnnk.lnn Ennle.

"This is something of q BRIDGE" observed
mild looking gentleman to big, burly fell
low as they were both sauntering across that
structure so dear to the City of Brooklyn.
ayes; it's in something of the style We
bridge cutters out West"
"Ah, then you are a Western man 2" re-
marked the pale city toiler.
"You can ante on that, boss, every time.
I'm just landed from tae bosom of the rip
roarn' West"
"And how Is the West? A pretty nice
place to live in, fancy, but from all hear,
1t must require some nerve to face all its
dangers? ?"
"Nerve, nerve? Well | should smile !;
why man, you'd not live long enough in that
climate to pick your lot in the cemetery.
Pm from Dakota, hear me? From the land
of CORY scalp locks and busted thermom
eters."
"Indians there? Why had supposed
they were all at peace now and gathered in
the agencies"
"Agencies snorted the Western ranger,
"why as Icame down the Missouri saw no
less'n ten thousand in war paint and feath-
ers. Did you ever see an Indian pony, a
regular scrubby, balf-breed pony ?"
The city man never had.
"Well," continued the plainsman, 6" was
coming down from the up country to strike
the Missouri, when was set onto by red
devils. Twas coming dark, and heard such
hullabaloo as would make you shake In
your skin, horses stampin', greasers yellin'
ard bullets fyin' all round me. Iknowed it
was run or die, and just let 60 that pony.
He was of my trainin', and made just two
hundred miles between that an' daylight.
Oh, we travel out West ?''
"Well, did you outrun them?"
81 should smile. Long about midnight l
heard the last yell, and when l struck the
Missouri was empty as contribution box
an dry as prayer meetin'."
"And the ponY?"
"Oh, he was fresh'rn when he started, but
was no good as I'd made up my mind to
come down the river"
"But where did you find boat?" asked
the pale man.
"Boat, who said wanted boat? Why
man, did you ever hear of the Missouri river?
Did nobody ever tell you what current that
river has {? fust took a comfortable sized
log, mounted that an with a coupled of
brushes padded out in the stream. Once in
the current fust stretched myself on the log
and went to sleep, waking up that afternoon
at Fort Buford, three hundred miles below.
Our rivers has currents, they ken glide you
bet.n
"Isuppose you have been something of "a
miner, too?"
"Well, there stranger, you struck my
racket pat; rather think I've shoveled dirt.
Me an my partner washed claim that
panned thousand to the foot. We rolled
mp wealth till We sickened of the yellow dirt
an then put the hull thing up OH poker
hand-"
"And lost?"
"Lost? No; but won bigger one than
our own"
'And where Is this mine DOW Z"
"Where we found It," sneered the fierce
plainsman. "We people West make money
when we start. No ten dollar a week clerk
business, you bet."
Sand this game of poker, how's that"
timidly asked the city man.
"Never play it? Why, man, y,u don't
mean il? Let's Ticker up an I'll teach you.
That's my game. But I'll only play square
with you and show you some points. I'm
the champion poker player of Glendive, you
hear me"
Presently the quiet city man aud the roar.
ing terror of the West were absorbed in a
poker game in the back parlor of Fulton
street saloon. The crowd gathered. The
play went on. Luck favored the city man,
and he raked in his opponents money-ten
twenty, fifty, one hundred. Then luck
turned, he lost and kept losing, until the
hundred first won and four more were in the
hands of the plainsmau. Then, no longer
daring to lose, he grasped his hat and fed,
amid the roars of the crowd.
"Let's imbibe." Sd
The crowd stood up. The champion poker
player flung ten to the barkeeper.
"Dot ish no goot." .sf ... ..s-.-a
Another and another bill was presented
and refused.
"Done, fummixed, skinned by an internal
tenderfoot," !" howled the Dakota man, flinging
the roll of counterfeit bills to the floor.
"Not so stranger" spoke up voice from
the crowd. "Thas was Slim Jim, one of the
sharpest gamblers In New York, and who
learned his trade in the Black Hills after he
gave up robbing stages"