The herald., 1893-07-10
STEAMBOAT FRANK.


''How far to Davis plantation?'
"'Bout three hours. Another burned
swamp. Stop there?"
:, eyes. Got plantation back from the
river piece. Swamp is right through.
Three hours, eh?'
eyes. Didn't suppose there was land
enough along there to plant one."
"Oh, it's oil right when you get to it.
Going to be dark, amt ita'
''should say so. Got a good pilot.
though"
"First rate. Do you play?"
sometimes, if the games good. Who's
In it9'
Nobody much. Drummers and such
like. Oh, Wheeler Of Richmond. Know
him?"
mo; who Is he?" ~
"Not much; cotton edger. Safe game"
y ''All right; Tn in. That sprays little
wet, amt it?'
Rather; let's go inside"
"What's the limit?'
"Two hundred. Have cigar?"
Eyes, thanks. Here we are"
''Any room here, gents? Whewl it's
cloudy" 1
''Yes, lots of room. Hello, colonel:
come In" says voice from the smoke.
"Bring out the drink, nigger. l say,
colonel, what you're going to have?"
Little whisky-rye."
Frye 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."
'a. "I'll 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 it?"
( Eyes; how did that happeny'
"Well, 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?'
eyes"
"You, stranger
eyes"
"All right. Never did think much of
that feller Nichols anyway"
'Same here; bad eyes," s.saA
~ you're right. How many do You
wantf Three. Frank killed two, didn't
he2 Who was the other fellowr'
"Don't know. Some one from Texas,
/ think" .ro
- II raise you 50," here broke in a
Spanish accent from the lower end of
the table.
"Hello, Sigl Right in it, ehp I'll have
to raise you. How did that killing come
off anyhow? Know anything about it,
Wheeler"
- "Oh, easy enough, from what I hear.
They got to playing pretty stiff game,
and Frank took all the money. They
were hard losers and tough men gem
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"
mo, you are right. If 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 a die and wouldn't
kill a chicken without he had to, but
when some one comes along and takes
him for mud fiat or sand bar the way
things jingle around that locality is q
caution to Christmas bells in q great
city"
And then he branched out into several
amusing anecdotes regarding him; of his
heavy games and ugly scrapes; Of his
cool nerve and ready wit; how upon one
occasion Texas ranchman had, by his
loud and braggadocio manner, contrived
TO offend the more quiet tastes Of Steam
boat Frank; had been backed over the
taffrail Of boat with cooked revolver
uncomfortably near his nose, and after
being tOwed for q mile OF two was at
last hauled aboard again and contained
less starch and more gentleness of man
ner.
But there is one fellow who has got
in on Frank, who don't allow any time
for fooling. He is a big New Orleans
gambler called Blazer"
"Blazerp You don't tell me-" said the
colonel. II know him; hard lot, they
say"
Yes, you're right, and they say he is
the man who has driven Frank from the
river"
"What, Blazer? How is thatY' asked
the colonel.
"Well, you see 1t is long story
There was, as is usual, woman in it,
She sort of liked Frank best, suppose
Can't blame her much, after seeing
Blazer, eh? Face like Chinese funeral
only more so. Frank must be a corker
II he looks worse than she does. Well,
anyhow, Frank got the girl, and Blazer
has been trying to down him ever since.
Frank had asked him to come out and
settle II two or three times, but Blazers
peculiar gift doesn't seem to lie In that
direction. He lies some other way bet
ter. You see, he has strong pull down
at the Crescent, and Franks case don't
have time to settle down as any other
man would. The fellows Frank settled
were great friends Of Blazers, and
heard q rumor that the whole thing was
. Job cooked up to do Frank, but don't
know as there is anything in It. II there
was a Job, " failed In its object anyhow.
Your deal stranger. Bad for Frank,
though, JUST the same."
Thus pleasantly amused the time few
~ nnnoticed, s4til presently the whole