The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-05-28
Another Ranger.
IBrooklyn Ragle.l

This is something of bridge" observed
a mild looking gentleman to big, burly fell
low, as they were both sauntering across
that structure so dear to the city of Brook
Ign.
YES, " it's in something of the style we
bridge cutters out West.''
"Ah, then you are Western man?'' re-
marked the pale city toiler,
"You can ante ON that, boss, every time.
I'm just landed from the bosom of the rip
roarin' West9''
And how is the Wests A pretty nice
place to live in, fancy; but from all hear,
it must require some nerve to face all its
dangers?"
Nerve, Nerves Well, l should smile
why, man, you'd not live in that climate 10
pick your lot in the cemetery. I'm from the
Dakota,-hear me-from the land of glory.
scalp locks and busted thermometers.
indians there? Why, | suppose they
were all at peace now and gathered in the
agencies2"
Agencies snorted the Western ranger.
why, as | came down the Missouri / saw no
less'n 10000 in war paint and feathers. Did
you ever see an Indian pony-a regular
shrubby, half-breed pony?"
The city man never had.
Well continued the plainsman. 81 was
coming down from the up country to strike
the Missouri, when l was set onto by red
devils. Twas just coming dark, and l heard
such hullabaloo as would make you shake
IN your skin; horses stampin, greasers yell
lin and bullets flynn all around me. I
know'd twas run or die, and | Just let 90
that pony. He was of my trainin', and I
made just two hundred miles between that
and daylight. Oh, we travel out West.
well, did you outrun them?s
81 should smile. Long about midnight
heard the last yell, and when I struck Tie
Missouri was empty as contribution box
and dry as prayer meetin'.''
And the pony?'
"Oh, he was freshern'n when he started,
but was no good, as I'd made up my mind
to come down the river.'
But where did you find a boat?'' asked
the pale man.
Boat, who said L Ranted boat? WHY
man, did you ever hear of the Missouri riy-
er? Did nobody ever tell you what a current
1t has? first took comfortable sized log.
mounted that, am with couple of branches
padded out in the stream.
Once in the current just stretched my
self on the log and went to sleep, waking M
that afternoon at Fort Bufcrd, three hun
dred miles below. Our rivers have currents,
they ken glide you bet.''
II suppose you have been something of a
miner, too?'
swell, there stranger, you struck my rack
ct pat; / rather think I've shoyeled dirt.
Me an my partner washed a claim that
panned thousand to the foot. We rolled
up wealth till we sickened of the yellow dirt
an then put the hull thing on a poker
hand --n
"And lost9''
Lost? No; but won bigger one than
our own"
sAnd where is this mine nowr'
Where we found it," sneered the fierce
plalnsman. "We people West make money
when we start. No ten dollar clerk business
you bet.n
"And this game of poker, how's that?''
timidly asked the city man.
Never play il? Why, man, you dom
mean 1t? Lets ticker up an I'll teach you
That's my game But / only play square
with you and show You some points. Pm
the champion poker player from Glendive,
yon hear me?'
Presently the quiet city man and the roar
ing terror of the West were absorbed ia a
poker game in the back parlor of Fulton
street saloon. The crowd gathered The
| play went on. Luck favored the CITY man.
| and ne 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 plainsman. Then. no lon
| ger daring to lose, he grasped his hat and
fled, amid the roars Of the crowd.
'sLet's imbibe.v
The crowd stood up. The champion polk
er player flung ten to the bar-keeper
'sDot is no goot."
Another and another bill was presented
and refused
Ozone, fummixed, skinned by an infer
nal tender foot" howled the Dakota man,
| hinging his roll of counterfeit bills to the
| floor.
| "Not so, stranger" spoke up a voice
from the crowd, that was Slim jim, one Of
the sharpest gamblers of New York, and
who learned bis trade in the Black Hills af.
ter he gave up robbIng stages"