The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-06-15
STEAMBOAT FRANK.

meath the black SLOUGH hat, who had just
stepped aboard. Good place to leave;
nothing but swamps."
How far to Davis plantationY'
Bout three hours. Another burned
swamp. Stop thereT'
Yes. Got a plantation back from the
river a piece. Swamp is right through.
Three hours, ehT'
Yes. Didn't suppose there was land
enough along there to plant one."
"Oh, it's all right when you get to it.
Going to be dark, amt it,"
Should say so. Got a good pilot,
though"
First rate. Do you playT'
Sometimes. if the games good. Who's
in itT'
Nobody much. Drummers and such
like. Oh, Wheeler of Richmond. Know
himY'
mo; who is he?"
Not much; cotton edger. Safe game"
"AIl right; Tn in That sprays little
wet, amt it?"
Rather; let's go inside"
What's the limitY'
Two hundred. Have a cigar
Eyes, thanks. Here we are"
Amy room here. gents2 Whew! it's
cloudy"
Yes, lots Of ROOM. Hello, colonel:
come in" says q voice from the smoke
Bring out the drink, niger. / say.
colonel, what you're going to haveT'
Little whisky-rye."
Rye whisky there. niger. Hold on.
there-I want another card. All right.
Don't your friend take anything?"
Don't know: you had better ask him"
"Tl take the same. stranger" from
beneath the hat"
"All right. How do they run, colonel"
Fair to middling. Haven't been up
for some time. What's the news?'
Nothing much. Queer about Nichols.
wasn't itT"
Eyes: how did that happenT
We'll, there are several stories going
around. Some say they put up a job to
do Steamboat Frank. and he got the BEST
Of them. Comm in. colonel"
Yes"
You, stranger?
Yes"
"All right. Never did think much of
that Teller Nichols anyway"
Same here; bad eyes"
You're right. How many do you
want7 Three. Frank killed two, didn't
he? Who was the other fellow?"
Don't know. Some one from Texas.
l think"
~ raise you co." here broke in q
Spanish accent from the lower end OF
the table. :
Hello. Sig! Right in it, eh? I'll have
to raise you. How did that killing come
off anyhow? Know anything about it.
Wheeler
"Oh, easy enough, from what ! hear.
They got to playing a pretty stiff game,
and Frank took all the money! They
were hard losers and tough men gen.
erally. They accused him of cheating
and started the row. and he simply wiped
them out"
"And they We're not the first ones that
he has wiped out either"
mo, You are right. If all the reports
are correct, he has a pretty long list back
) there. but they do say that know him
that he is a square as a die and wouldn't
kill a chicken without he had to, but
when some n comes along and takes
him for a mud fat or sand bar the way
things jingle around that locality is q
caution to Christmas bells in a great
city"
And then he branched ont into several
amusing anecdotes regarding him; of his
heavy games and ugly scrapes; Of bis
cool nerve and ready wit; how upon one
occasion a Texas ranchman had, by his
loud and braggadocio manner, contrived
70 offend the more quiet tastes Of Steam.
boat Frank; had been backed over the
taffrail Of a boat with a cooked revolver
uncomfortably near his nose, and after
being towed for a mile or two was al
last hauled aboard again and contained
less starch and more gentleness of man
ner.
~But there is n fellow who has got
In on Frank, who don't allow any time
Tor fooling. He Is q big New Orleans
gambler called Blazer"
BLAZER? You don't tell me-" said tn,
colonel II know him; hard lot, the,
say"
"Yes, you're right, and they say he i
the man who has driven Frank from tn,
river"
What, Blazer? How is that?' asket
the colonel.
well, you see it is q long story
There was, as is usual, a woman In 1t
She sort of liked Frank best, I suppose
Can't blame her much, after ssein,
Blazer, eh? Face like a Chinese funeral
only more SO. Frank must be a corke
II he looks worse than she does. Well
Hnyhow, Frank got the girl, and Blaze
Inns been trying to down him ever since
Frank had asked him tt come ont an,
8sttle it two or three times, but Blazer
peculiar gift doesn't seem to lie in tina
direction. He lies some other way be,
tn. You gee, he has a strong pull dow
A4fhe Crescent, and Franks case don
hsvs time to settle down as any othe