Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-12-31
HOW HE WON.
The Card That Fell Out of the Trousers-
Leg.

Butch was grand scamp, a brave,
reckless ruffian, but he had some very
good points. For instance, he could
make excellent hoe-cakes and he was
cheerful and conpanionable, and could
tell highly interesting lies. We be-
came attached to each other, and.
though l knew he was murderer and
a thief, and that he was selling whisky
to the Indians, and smuggling opium
across the line from British Colum bia,
l did not care. l was young and care
less, and besides, as l said, he could
make excellent hoe-cakes. One even
ing, as we sat side by side on the
sandy soil, leaning against the house
and smoking our after-supper pipes,
and l was listening to a remarkably
good lie about bear that frightened
all the other bears out of an extensive
mountain range by fraudulently using
a long pole to mark his height on trees,
group of Indians, driving cattle be-
fore them, rode from behind a rocky
point that was thrust into the waters
OF the Columbia. Instantly Butch
sprang to his feet and rushed into the
cabin. He put on cunnin y-devised
harness that held two navy six-shoot-
ers in handy position under his arms.
He put on his coat. He pulled at the
pistols to see if they were loose and
that there would be no hitch in the
performance if anything more than a
rehearsal should be required. In u
Jew minutes the party of horsemen
drew rein in front of the cabin There
were three young bucks from Moses
camp in the Grand Coulie. Butch
greeted them cheerfully and helped to
corral the cattle. Then he told me
that these men were the selected
poker-players of the Columbia Plains
Indians; that they had been staked by
the tribe to play with him in hopes of
winning number OF cattle. Yes, he
said, the cattle were the stakes.
Before the first hand was dealt
Butch quietly informed the Indians
that English and Chinook only could
be spoken at the table, and that the
first Indian who spoke in his own (and
to Butch unknown) tongue would have
the top of his head shot off. The
braves cheerfully agreed to this condi-
ton. Then the relative value of COWS,
calves, and steers was agreed upon.
They decided to play table stakes.
The checks were pistol and musket
balls. Ten pistol pals were equal in
value to a calf, or to musket ball.
Three musket balls equaled a COW in
value. A heavy California blanket
was thrown over q rough table. A
candle was thrust into a tomato can
that was filled with beans, and the
game began. The strong wind ceased
blowing. The silence Of the plains
was broken only by the groaning and
signing of the mighty river as it swept
past the cabin to the sea. Hour after
hour passed, and not word was spo-
ken by the players. With faces as un-
changeable as bronze the three Indians
played, and, favored by the dim light
and the fact of Butch having but one
eye, how they did cheat! The luck
varied, as it always does in poker
game. Now they would be ahead, now
Butch.
l dropped asleep, and when l awoke
it was nearly morning. Butch's back
was toward me. | saw some cards
thrust under his coat collar. l knew
he was waiting for the end to come.
One of the Indians dealt. Butch pick
ed up his cards, raised his right hand
to scratch the back of his neck, ad-
roitly exchanged the cards he held for
those in reserve, and then thrust the
cards he had received below his shirt
collar. Then he turned to me, expos
ing the back of his head to the In
GianS, and he Winked n wink of GREAT
sagacity at me. He talked to me for an
instant and then turned 10 the table,.
The Indian to the left bet calf The
next one straddled it. The dealer
went a COW better, and Butch saw it
and raised the pot two COWS. All
staid. All stood pat. Then the bet
ting began in earnest. 1t went until
all the cattle the Indians brought were
staked. Then came the show down.
Butch had four queens and an ace.
The Indians all had fours. which they
had stolen, of course, They grunted
loudly. They struck their mouths
with the palms of their open hands, to
express surprise. Then they bade us
good-by and mounted, and, singing rs
they rode, disappeared in the faint
gray light of early morning, Butch
had won thirty head of cattle. AS we
got breakfast the king of clubs fell out
of Butch's right trousers leg.-CorreS-
pondence Ne0 YORK. Sun.