The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-02-16

ed. They'd got the drop on him and
no mistake. ss
GA dozen agin one amt fair play
he muttered, thrusting the pistol
back.
We'll see fair play, don't you be
skeered of that, my buck, says q
chap named Aston, from Alabama.
| We'll see it ill fair and square, but
the man that tries to bluff this crowd
had better get measured for his coffin
first and make a contract with agrave
digger, cause we don't want tbs
trouble and expense of burying him.
Now, Tommy dropping his hand on
my shoulder, 'what'lI you do to give
the gentleman satisfaction
"By this time I was as mad as
halter and as reckless as the biggest
devil there r.
"I'll play him either at draw poker
OF, old sledge and you'll all see fair
play H.., i. Il"
! "Done!" cried the bully. Here's
my do lars ready 49,. g..
Stop a minute, my friend, if you
please, says I, as cool as a cucumber
and as polite as French dancin'
master. i don't want your dollar.
I've dollars enough ofmy own. You
say I've cheated you. If I have I
deserve KILN 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 I win I
shall have the pleasure of blowing out
your brains, and if lose you may do
| the same to me-
| 1.-THE men round about shouted.
""That's your sort, Tommy.
That'n settle it one way or t'other,
and we'll see fair play, id il we
don'tp
"Our Arkinsaw friend didn't seem
to fancy the notion much, but after
all his bluster he couldn't refuse, just
for shame:
IN play you at seven-up," he
grunted out.
1--WE took our places opposite one
another and set to work, The crowd
closed around us and Aston, my Ala
bama friend, stood at my back. While
the three games lasted don't believe
he took his eyes off the man from
Arkinsaw. don't believe he even so
much as winked.
"Well, to cut a long story short, I
won the first game, the bully won the
second, and then we set to on the
third, final, and fatal game. There
warn't q word spoken 'mongst the
crowd, and, 'cordin' to the old sayin',
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 sorter struck of heap,
and watched us Thought hardly draw
in Il long breath.
''The first hand l held high and
low, t'other Teller turned the jack and
made game. So far we were even.
begged in the next hand, and the
Teller, havin' pretty good show, and
thlnkln', l suppose, from me begin
that | hadn't trump, gave me one
rather than run the cards. He play
ed ace for high and tray for low, but
happened to hold the deuce and cut
under him. I had gift and low, he
scored high and game; the jack warn t
out and we were even yet.
II dealt tho 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. =
won't say but a thought of home aud
mother went through me as 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
y glimpse of the white feather then.
HE took up his hand. l can't
for my life tell you why, but I never
touched mine. lust set still and star.
l nG q ha ha~ I'll k>~
glum, hesitated q minute, then begged
!, 81 felt desperate and determined to
end it one way or the other. 1t seem.
ed to me 'twouldn't make no sorte1
difference what our cards was. I felt
!? like something, Tcan't say what, had
taken the matter clean out of GU,
. hands and was going to settle it fol
l US.
=: "pll give you one,' I said quietly.
haud?"
"Yes, without seeing my cards.
: "He tried his best to keep his fac
! straight and look solemn, but hi
:, mouth would grin and his little pi,
l eyes twinkled.
"With boastful flourish he led ou
the king of trumps. Then, at last,
!. took up my hand. Ace. deuce, jac]
= and queen stared mo in the face
Never in my life before nor since, did
hold such hand at cards!
. II took his king with my ace ant
y led back the queen, on which he play
. ed the tray.
> "I reckon that's low, anyhow,
= said he, but he didn't look quite 81
= pleasantly as before.
81 reckon not said I, and cooll
:. showed him the deal.
"His jaw dropped and his eyes loob
y ed like they would pop out Of his head
- - In a minute more 1 led out the JAG
10 and his ten-spot tunbled to it. The
~ ~ the men shouted high, low, Jack an
10 the game-!''
w before the shout half died away
10 pistol shot went off with shar
y crack right over my head, and the A
y | ly;po NJ h,,l1xy -, n, nod fhroo foot in RI