The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-12-14

"'We1l see fair play; don't you be
skeered of that, my buck, says chap
named Aston, from Alabama. We'll
see it all fair and square, but the man
that tries to bluff this crowd had better
get measured for his coffin first, and
make contract with grave digger.
| cause we don't want the trouble and ex-
| pense of burying him. Now, Tommy
dropping his hand On my shoulder,
'what'll you do to give the gentleman
| satisfaction?
"By this time l was as mad as hat
ter. and as reckless as the biggest dare
devil there.
"Tll play him either at draw poker
or old sledge, and you'll all see fair play
"'Done,' cried the bully. Here's my
dollars ready
Stop a minute, my friend, if you
please says I, as cool as cucumber
and as polite as French dancin' mas
ter L don't want your dollars. I've
dollars enough of my own. You say I've
cheated you. If | have deserve KILN.
If you've lied on me you deserve the
same. To settle the matter I'll play you
the best game in three for the first shot.
If / win / shall have the pleasure of
blowing out your brains, and if l lose
you may do the same to me-
"The men round about rs shouted.
"'That's your sort, Tommy. That'll
settle it one way or t'other, and we'll
see fair play
"Our Arkinsaw friend didn't seem to
fancy the notion much, but after all his
buster he couldn't refuse just for
shame
"'rl play you at seven up he grunt-
ed out.
1--WE took our places opposite one an
other and set to work. The crowd closed
round us, and Aston, my Alabama
friend, stood at my back. While the
three games lasted l don't believe he
once took his eyes off the man from Ar
kansaw. 1 don't believe he even SO
much as winked.
"Well, to cut long story short,
won the first game, the bully won the
second, and then we set to on the third,
the final and fatal game. There wasn't
'cordin' to the old sayin' twas so still
you could have heard pin drop. You
see, man is life was at stake, and though
human life wasn't thought much of in
them diggins the whole proceedin' was
so queer that the boys was sorter struck
of heap, and watched US 'thout hardly
drawin' long breath.
1.-THE first hand held high and low;
t'other teller turned the jack and made
game. So far we were even. l begged
in the next hand. and the teller, havin'
pretty good show and thinkin', l sup
pose, from my Begin that l hadn't
trump, give me one rather than run the
cards. He played ace for high and trey
for low, but l happened to hold the
deuce and cut under him. l had gift
and low, he scored high and game; the
jack warn't out, and we were even yet.
81 dealt the last hand, and I'm proud
to remember now that my fingers didn't
tremble any more'n the bluff Kinney's
ranch was built on. won't say but a
thought of home and mother went
through me sharp as the bully's knife
could have done, but I'd have been shot,
not once but twenty times, before I'd
have shown glimpse of the white feath-
er then.
HE took up his hand. can't for my
life tell 20! why, but never touched
mine. 1 just set still and stared at the
other man. He looked sorter glum, hest
tated a minute, then begged.
Il felt desperate and determined to |
end it one way or the other. It seemed to
me 'twouldn't make no sorter difference |
what our cards was. l felt like some |
thing-I can't say what-had taken the |
matter clean out of our hands and was
goin' to settle it for us.
"'Tll give you one,' | said quietly.
What! without looking at your
cards?'
Yes, without seeing my cards
"He tried his best to keep his face
straight and look solemn, but his mouth
would grin and his little pig eyes twin
killed..
with boastful flourish he led out |
the king of trumps. Then at last l took |
up my hand. Ace, deuce, jack and
queen stared me in the face. Never in
my life. before nor since, did hold such |
a hand at cards!
Il took his king with my ace, and led
back the queen, on which he played the
trey.
II reckon that's low. anyhow said
he; but he didn't look quite so pleasant
as before.
al reckon not said l, and coolly
showed him the deuce
"His jaws dropped and his eyes looked
like they would pop out of his head In
a minute more led out the jack, and his
ten spot tumbled to it. Then the man
shouted, High, low, jack and the game'
Before the shout half died away a
pistol shot went off with a sharp crack
right over my head, and the Arkansaw
bully jumped three feet in the air, and
fell dead with his drawn revolver in his
hand.
You'd a sharp squeak for your life
that time, Tommy said Aston. re-
turning his smoking gun to his belt.
IF I'd been a second later you'd have
been lying where he is. The mean cuSs!
he's gone where he may cheat the devil
if he can, but he won't play no more
tricks in Texas. We play on the square
here. Reckon he knows it by now.'"-
New Orleans Tmes-Democrat,
Case of Tree 1.es0rrection.
About 1915 a large tree of the elm
species, growing on the farm of Mr..
Smvth. rector of Little EOugbtoD En-