Connecticut western news., 1891-07-30

skeered of that, my buck says chap | named Aston, from Alabama. Well 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'n you do to give the gentleman satisfaction?
 By this time was as mad as hat ter, and as reckless as the biggest dare devil there.
 "'rll play him either at draw poker l or old sledge, and you'll all see fair play
 sssDone, cried the bully. Here's my
 dollars ready
 "'Stop minute, my friend, if you
 please says 1, as cool as a cucumber
 and as polite as a French dancin' mas
 ter. I don't want your dollars. I've dollars enough of my own. You say I've cheated you. If have deserve ki1lin'. 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 lose you may do the same to me- 'sThe men round about us shouted. "sThat's your sort, Tommy. That1l 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. "Tll play you at seven up,' he grunt- ed out.
 ''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 I don't believe he once took his eyes of the man from Ar kansaw. I 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 word spoken 'mongst the crowd, and 'cordin' to the old sayin' twas so still you could have heard pin drop. You see, a mans 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. 'sThe first hand held high and low; t'other feller turned the jack and made game So far we were even. begged in the next hand. and the feller, havin' a pretty good show and thinkin', sup pose, from my beggin' that hadn't a trump. give me one rather than run the cards He played ace for high and trey for low, but I 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. ''I 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 I won't say but 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- CT then. "He took up his hand. 1 can't for my life tell you why, but never touched mine. just set still and stared at the other man. He looked sorter glum. hesi- tated a minute, then begged. 1 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. I 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.
 "'Ill give you one,' I said quietly. "'What! without locking at your 1 cardsY
 "'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 kled
 "With boastful flourish he led out the king of trumps. Then at last I took up my hand. Ace, deuce, jack and queen stared me in the face. Never in my life, before nor since. did hold such ] hand at cards!
 "I took his king with my ace, and led back the queen. on which he played the trey.
 "I reckon that's low, anyhow said he; but he didn't look quite so pleasant as before.
 "'I reckon not said 1. and coolly showed him the deuce.
 "His jaws dropped and his eyes looked l 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 gamer Before the shout half died away a pistol shot went off with 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 l hand.
 "'You'd a sharp squeak for your life
 that time, Tommy said Aston, re- l turning his smoking gun to his belt.
 If I'd been 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 Times Democrat. Pleasant for Dodson. 1 Jonesby, who alluded to lot of soar
 ing owls as flight of stares," spoke of the resemblance between a bannister
 and barrister in that with either man