The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1893-06-10
STEAMBOAT FRANK.

yes. Got a plantation back from the
river piece. Swamp is right through
Three hours, eh2'
Eyes. Didn't suppose there was land
enough along there to plant one"
ooh It's all right when you get to it.
Going to be dark amt itf"
"Should say so. Got a good pilot
though"
First rate. Do you play"
Sometimes, if the game good. Who's
in itg'
Nobody much. Drummers and such
like. Oh, Wheeler of Richmond. Know
himY'
mo; who is he?"
mot much; cotton edger. Safegame."
"All right; I'm in. That sprays little
wet, ain't III"
Rather, let's go inside"
whats the limity
"Two hundred. Have a cigarT
Eyes, thanks. Here we are"
"Any room here, gents2 Whewl its
cloudy"
eyes, lots Of room. Hello, colonel;
come In" says voice from the smoke.
"Bring out the drink, Niger l say,
colonel, what you're going to haveT
"Little whislty-rye."
"Rye whisky there, nigger. Hold on,
there-I want another card All right.
Don't your friend take anythingP"
Don't know; you had better ask him."
"Tll take the same, stranger" from
beneath the hat"
"All right. How do they run, colonely'
Fair TO middling. Haven't been up
for some time. What's the news:
''Nothing much. Queer about Nichols
wasn't itl"
Eyes; how did that happen?"
"Well, there are several stories going
around. Some say they put up job to
do Steamboat Frank, and he got the best
OF them. Comm in, colonelF
eyes"
''You, stranger"
''Yes."
"All right. Never did think much of
that feller Nichols anyway"
"same here; bad eyes"
"You're right How many do you
want3 Three. Frank killed two, didn't
her Who was the other fellow"
Don't know. Some one from Texas,
think"
~ raise you 5O," here broke in a
Spanish accent from the lower end Of
the table.
"Hello, Sigl 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 pretty stiff game,
and Frank took all the money. They
were hard losers and tough men gen
orally. They accused him of cheating
and started the row, and he simply wiped
them out"
"And they were not the first ones that
he has wiped out either"
"No, you are right. II all the reports
are correct, he has pretty long list back
there, but they do say that know him
that he is as square as die and wouldn't
kill chicken without he had to, but
when some one comes along and takes
him for a mud fiat or sand bar the way
things jingle around that locality Is 0
caution to Christmas bells in great
city"
And then he branched out into seyera
amusing anecdotes regarding him; of hii
heavy games and ugly scrapes; of hii
cool nerve and ready wit; how upon on,
occasion a Texas ranchman had, by hii
loud and braggadocio manner contriveC
to offend the more quiet tastes of Steam
boat Frank; had been backed over tn,
taffrail of boat with a cooked revolver
uncomfortably near his nose, and aftel
being towed for a mile or two was a
last hauled aboard again and contained
less starch and more gentleness Of man
ner.
"But there is one fellow who has go
in on Frank, who don't allow any tim,
for fooling. He is big New Orlean
gambler called Blazer"
"Blazer2 You don't tell me-" said tn,
colonel. II know him; hard lot, thel
say"
Eyes, you're right, and they say he i
the man who has driven Frank from tn
river"
"what, Blazerg How is thatY7 aslse,
the colonel.
"Well, you see it is a long story
There was, as is usual, a woman IN il
She sort Of liked Frank best, suppose
Can't blame her much, after seeinl
only more so. Frank must be a corke
If he looks worse than she does Well
anyhow, Frank got the girl, and Blaze
has been trying to down him ever since
Frank had asked him to come out AM
settle It two or three times, but Blazer
peculiar gift doesn't seem to lie in tina
direction. He lies some other way bet
ter. You rec no has a strong pull dow
at the Crescent, and Franks case dom
have time to settle down as any othe
man would. The fellows Frank settlet
were great friends Of Blazers, and
heard a rumor that the whole thing wa
a job cooked up TO do Frank, but don
know as there is anything in it. If ther
was job. 1t failed in its object anyhow
Your deal, stranger. Bad for Frank
though, just the same"
Thus pleasantly amused the time hey
by unnoticed, until presently the Who'll
party were aroused e the consciousness
that the quiet man at the far corner O
the table, whose face was concealed be
meath the brim Of his hat, was winnin
all the money in the crowd.
"You are playing great luck" rC
marked the colonel.
"Yes, easy money. First I've sec
lately"
The party became slightly nettled, an
the colonel proposed extending the limit
They all agreed and the stranger st
kept ON at his old gait.
''Im done" said one Of them present
ly rs he threw down his hand
The stranger WAS stil playing In Ii
same easy half careless manner, his bel
being made without any apparer
thought, while the others We're more d,
hberate aud played with the creates
caution.
Il think we had better let out a fe
more laps IN this limit, said'th colon
as he warmed 10 the music.
Suppose we cut loose altogether
suggested the Spaniard in a tone
fdgned calmness, although his 'eyl
blazed with excitement. Some of the
assented, the rest dropped out an
watched the battle.
who's IN this timer asked the stral
ger Is be began TO deal. "All righ
here you 60, What's up, gentsY'
Give hundred" said the colonel
be threw note in the center Of Il
table.
"ll have TO raise you 600, colonel
said the stranger as it came 10 him
"One Thousand above you, said Il
colonel
Fifteen hundred, shouted the Spa
lard ~ ho threw down the stuff. IN
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