The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-05-19

lers were lookin' sorter blue, but
they took it quietly, bein' used to
ups and downs OF that sort. Just
as I was dom my level best there
walked up to our campfire a big six
foot Teller from Arkinsaw. He warn't
a teamster, but belonged to a com
pany Col. Kinney kept on guard at
the ranch. He was a quarrelsome,
bullyin' sorter Teller and none ofus
liked him much. Tonight he was
chocktul of whisky and just spilin'
for a fight.
HE sat down close by and begun
to brag. He could do this and he
could do that. He could back the
buckin'es hroncho on the ranch; he
could hit the eagles head on dol
lar with u bullet at twenty PAGES; he
could carve live meat better'n
any butcher in Texas; he could bluff
any man alive at draw-poker; he
could plank down - to any other
mans 81.
Nobody paid any 'tention to him,
and seeing he couldn't stir up the
crowd he jumped on me, partly, 1
suppose, because I was young and
green and he thought I was safe
game, partly because it riled him to
see me rakin' in the dollars so fast.
''He staggered up, put down his
dollars, and began bettin' high. He
lost agin and agin, which didn't
sweeten his temper q Bit All OF a
sudden he brought his big foot down
on the ground with q thump that
made me jump.
"'I'll if I stand this any
longer. That young buck ant won
his money fair, and l ant goin' to
pay nary mother continental red.
Look We here, young teller, just hand
me back that money you've cheated
me out of or it'll be bad for your
health
"At the last ward his pistol was
out, but quick as he was, the men
round about was quicker. Before
his gun was we'll pulled a dozen
cornered him. You oughter seen how
cowed he looked. They'd got the
drop on him and no mist AXE.
"'A dozen agin one amt fair play
he muttered, thrusting the pistol
back.
Wen 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 who tries to bluff this crowd
had better get measured for his cof-
fin first and make contract with
grave-digyer, cause we don't want
the trouble and expense of burying
him. Now, Tommy dropping his
hand on my shoulder. 'What'll you
do to give the gentleman satisfac-
tion?"
by this time / was as mad as a
halter and as reckless as he biggest
daredevil there.
'pll play him either at draw polk
er or old sledge and you'll 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 a cucum-
Der and as polite as q French dane
ing master. I 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.
10 settle the matter I'll play you
the best game in three for the first
shot. If l win I shall have the pleas
ure OF blowing out your brains, and
II lose you may do the same to me-
1.-The men round about shouted.
THAT'S your sort, Tommy.
That'll settle it one way or t'other,
and we'll see fair play, id if we
don't!
"Our Arkinsaw friend didn It seem to
fancy the notion much, but after all
his buster he couldn't refuse lust for
shame.
"Tll play you at seven-up,' he
grunted OFT.
1--WE took our places opposite one
another and set to work The crowd
closed around us, and Aston, nv
Alabama friend, stood at my back.
While the three games lasted don't
believe he once took his eyes off the
man from Arkansaw. I don't believe
he even SO much as winked.
swell to cut a long story short, I
won the first game, the bully W on
the second, and then we set to on the
third, final, and fatal game. There
warn't a word spoken 'mongst the
crowd, and, 'cordin' to the old saw
in, twas so still you could have
heard a pin drop. You see mans
life was at stake, and though human
life wasn't thought much of in
them diggin's, the whole proceedin'
was SO queer that the boys was sor-
ter struck of a heap, and watched us
'thout hardly DRAWN along brea tn.
THE first hand I held high and
and low, t'other Teller turned the jack
and made game. So far we were
even. I begged in the next hand,
and the Teller, havin' a pretty good
show. and thinkin', I suppose, from
me beggin' that / hadn't trump,
gave me one rather than run the
cards. He played ace for high, and