The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1891-10-31


tried ter coax her ter marry linn without
her fathers consent. He told her that
her mother wouldn't blame her, eff she
knew what er blackleg her father wuz,
an that it wuz foolish fer her ter make
her own life miserable, an his'n, too,
jest fur Their SAX NV keepin' er promise.
But all his argyin didn't do no good.
Clara, though she cried when he wuz
pleadin' 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-
toms cabin.
"'Let's 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
lily, but he looked Ell little s'prised, fur
Giant Jack had allus refused ter play
with him before
Nv course Ill 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 Their highest keerd.
What's yer gamer he axed, shufflin'
ther pasteboards.
Seven up said Horton. That's Their
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 Missourv, useter play keerds fur fun,
John Norval useter be Their smartes' an
luckiest one ermongst 'em; an, fur ther
fust time since he'd BEN at Their camp
Horton had found his match.
at wuz er purely scientific game. each
man bein' too clever fur Their other ter
attempt any cheatin'. Horton wuz stead
lily losin' but he didn't offer ter give UP
playin'. I've noticed, az err 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.
Eye 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 Their pile
that I've won ter night ag'inst her.
1, =
then sot down ter ther table erg'in.
'Giant Jack dealt ther keerds, an ther
game commenced. Horton made theI
Jack, an Giant Jack wuz high, low,
game.
Ether second heat, Giant Jack went
high, low, jack an Their game.
"Tve won, he said, quietly.
"Horton jumped ter his feet an drew
his pistol; but quick ez er flash Giant
Jack covered him with his own barkin'
iron.
"'Drap that, said he. sternly, 'ur yen
find ken play at pistols ez well ez at
keerds.'
ether pistol drapped from Horizons
tremblin' hand ter Their floor. He knew
that Giant Jack wuz Their best shot in
the camp.
"Horton glared at Giant Jack fur
bout half er minute. an then he called
Clara from her little room at Their end Nv
Their cabin.
"'Take her erway from here at once,
he said ter Giant Jack. She can't stay
here ter-night: an hope I'll never set
eyes on her erg'in.'
In er few words, Giant Jack told her
what had happened; an ther look uf
JOY that shone in her ewes told palmer
than words could have done how pleased
she wuz at ther turn erfairs had taken.
Without er word NV farewell ter her
father, ur even er backward glance, she
tux Giant Jack arm an he led her from
ther cabin, leavin' behind him every
thing else that he had won from Horton.
eve gave up our cabin ter Clara that
night, an slept in Their cabin that be-
longed ter Their fellers that went with us
ter Horizons, which wuz close to our'n.
1.-The next day we-Clara, Giant Jack
and myself-tOok Their stage fur Frisco;
an ez soon ez we got thar Giant Jack and
Clara wuz married.
"And what became Of her father?'' /
asked
Il don't know whatever become NV
Horton We never heard from him
since that night we left him erlone in
his cabin at ther Californy minin' camp.
Yes, that woman yer see jest now with
Giant Jack-ur John Norval. ez he is
known erbout here-is his wife; an he
won her, not with er sword, nor exactly
by courtship. In plain English, he won
her at the old fashioned game uf high,
low, Jack. -. H. Spencer in Chicago