The National tribune., 1886-10-07
POKER IN THE WEST.
An Exciting Game with Indians-Cattle the Inter.
ests at Stake.
Pal Glib

Isl. Paul Gio6e.l
Butch was a one-eyed man. The missing
eye, afterward learned, had been dropped in a
California mining camp one evening when
Butch was having little fun with the boys.
He was a merry, thOughtless man, and in
cautiously raised an ace full, which he had
been at considerable trouble to gather directly
after cold deck had been rung in on the game
In the confusion that followed the discovery
that six or seven aces were on the table
Butch's eye had been promptly extracted by
anOthermerry man, and he had been awkwardy
carved by a third and bunglingly shot by n
fourth. On his recovery Butch said that,
though he did not mind having little fun
with the boys, the boys Of the camp played a
little too roughly for him. So he left and es-
tablished himself at the mouth of the We
natchee. He traded for furs. He played poker
with the Indians. lie raised cattle. He sold
whisky to the Indians and provisions to the
Chinese miners.
One evening as we sat side by side on the
sandy soil, leaning against the house and smOk-
ing our after-supper pipes and / was listening
10 a remarkably good lie about bear that
frightened all the bears out of an extensive
mountain range by fraudulently using long
pole to mark his hight OH the trees, a group of
Indians driving cattle before 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
lie put on IA cunningly-devised harness that
held two navy six-shOo;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 rehearsal should be re-
quired. Ia few moments the party of horse
men drew rein in front of his cabin. They
were three young bucks from MOsess camp in
the Grand COulee. Butch greeted them cheer
fully 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 hope of winning number Of cattle.
Yes, he said, the cattle were the stakes. Be-
fore the first hand was dealt Butch quietly in
formed the Indians that English and Chinook
only could be spoken at the table, and the first
Indian who spoke in his own land TO Butch un-
KNOWN tongue would have the top of his head
shot OF. The braves cheerfully agreed TO this
condition. Then the relative value of cows
calves aud steers Was agreed upon. They de-
cded to play table stakes. The checks were
pistol aud musket-balIs. Ten pistol-balls were
equal in value 10 a cali or 10 a musket- ball
Three musket-balls equaled COW in value
A heavy California blanket was thrown over
"a rough table. candle was thrust into a to-
matO-can that was filed with beans, and the
game began. The strong wind ceased blowing.
The silence of the plains was broken only by
the mysterious groaning and signing of the
mighty river as it swept past the cabin to the
sea. Hour after hour passed and not a word
was spoken by the players. With faces as un-
changeable rs bronze the three Indians played,
and, favored by the dim light and the fact of
Butch's having but one eye, how they did
cheat! The luck varied, as it always does in a
poker game. Now they would be ahead, now
Butch. dropped asleep, and when awoke it
was nearly morning.
Butch's back was toward me- i saw some
cards thrust under his coat collar. knew he
was waiting for the end TO come One of the
Indians dealt. Butch picked up his cards,
raised his right haLd 10 scratch the back OF
his neck, adroitly exchanged the cards he
held for those in reserve, aud then thrust the