The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1891-10-30

tried ter coax her ter marry him without
her fathers consent. He tod her that
her mother wouldn't blam her, ef she
knew what er blackleg her father wuz,
an that il wuz foolish fer her ter make
her own life miserable, an his'n, too,
jest fur ther SAX nv keepin' er promise.
But all his argyin didn't do no good.
Clara, though she cried when he wuz
plcadin' with her, refused ter break her
promise.
"Fur three ur four days afterwards
Giant Jack went round lookin' suller'n
er mad bull; then one evenin' he got me
an three other fellers to go up to Hor-
tons cabin.
LETS shake, he said ter Horton when
we got thar; and ter show I've got nothin'
erg'in yer I'll play er game Nv keerds
with YER
Horton shook hands with him heart
ily, but he looked er little s'prised, fur
Giant Jack had allus refused ter play
with him before.
:" 'Uv course I'll have er game with
yer, said he, awful clipper; fur he
thought he'd got er new victim. Set
right down thar
"Giant Jack sot down ter ther table,
an Horton seated himself opposite ter
him.
They cut fur deal, an Giant Jack
drew ther highest keerd.
What's yer gamer he axed, shuffiin'
ther pasteboards.
"'Seven up, said Horton. That's ther
most poplar game jest now
''Ther game wuz small at fust, an Hor-
ton won six out ov ther fust seven.
Then bigger stakes wuz made, an Giant
Jack won erbout four ont ov every five
games.
"When ther young folks, back here in
ole Missoury, useter play keerds fur fun,
John Norval useter be ther smartes' an
luckiest one ermongst 'em; an, fur the1
fust time since he'd ben at ther camp,
Horton had found his match.
at wuz erpurely scientific game, each
man bein' too clever fur ther other ter
attempt any eheatin'. Horton wilz stead.
lily losin'. but he didn't offer ter give up
playin. I've noticed, az er gineral thing,
that ther more er man loses when he's
gamblin', ther more anxious he is ter
play.
"At last Horton rose ter his feet, look.
in pale an haggard
"'Ye have cleaned me out, he said.
I've nothin' more ter stake
"'Thar's yer daughter. said Giant
Jack coolly. 'I'll lay half NV ther pile
that I've won ter night az inst her.
Horton glared at him er minute. an
then sot down ter ther table erg'in.
"Giant Jack dealt ther keerds, an ther
game commenced. Horton made ther
Jack, an Giant Jack wuz high, low,
game.
Ether second heat, Giant Jack went
high, low, jack an ther game.
1--we won, he said, quietly.
"Horton jumped ter his feet an drew
his pistol. but quick ez er fash Giant
Jack covered him with his own barkin
iron.
Drap that, said he, sternly, 'ur ye'll
find ] ken play at pistols ez well ez at
keerds.
4. "Ther pistol drapped from Horizons
tFfmblin' hand ter ther floor. He knew
that Giant Jack wuz ther best shot in
the camp.
Horton glared at Giant Jack fur
bout half er minute, an then he called
Clara from her little room atther end uy
ther cabin.
Take her erway from here at once,
he said ter Giant Jack. She can't stay
here ter-night; an hope Ill never sci
eyes on her ergin.
in er few words, Giant Jack told hel
what had happened; an ther look III
JOY that shone in her eyes told palmer
than words could have done how pleased
she wuz at ther turn erfairs had taken
| Without er word NV farewell ter hel
father. ur even er backward glance, sh,
TUX Giant Jacks arm an he led her from
ther cabin, leavin' behind him every
thing else that he had won from Horton
"We gave up our cabin ter Clara thai
night, an slept in ther cabin that be
longed ter ther fellers that went with u,
ter Horizons, which wuzclose to our'n.
rrhe next day we--Clara, Giant Jacl
and myself-took ther stage fur Frisco
an ez soon ez we got thar Giant Jack anc
Clara wuz married.
Sand What became of her fatherY'
asked.
Il don't sknow whatever become u,
Horton. We never heard from hin
since that night we left him erlone ii
his cabin at ther Californy minin' camp
Yes, that woman yer see jest now witl
Giant Jaek-m John Norval ez he i
known erbout here--is his Wife an b,
| won hpr l1nt with or ewordg NOR axaotI,