The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1893-12-01
1T LOOKED SUSPICIOUS.
Why "A Travelling Man Gave Up Playing
Poker with Strangers.

POker With Strangers.
II dG.'t play cards with strangers"
said a qu!et loo king man on the Pullman
in response to an invitation from the
drummer to join them in a little game
OF poker. The drummer flushed up and
was about to say something.
Hold on" remarked the quiet man,
land I'll explain. Sit down here a min
ute or two and let me tell you"
The drummer being an obliging person
sat down.
About five years ago" began the
quiet man, Il was out in the west coun-
try at IL wild town, and one night, being
FOND of cards and a pretty fair player, /
asked four or five cowboys at the tavern
where was stopping to play cards with
me. didn't know them, and they didn't
know me, but they took it for granted
l was all right, and they went to nv
room, where | had two or three decks of
cards. We started the game at a quar-
ter the ante with "A So limit. Sid it
wasn't long until | was winning nicely:
for, as said before, | was "a good PLAYER.
After some time we took another deck
OF cards, and as usual had Il good hand.
My winnings had made my new
found acquaintance rather suspicious,
but as l was perfectly honest | didn't nav
much attention to that. | remember
very distinctly had an ace of diamonds
in my hand, and when it came around to
show down | knew the pot was mine.
but Just as l laid down my hand the man
opposite me whipped out his revolver
and Jabbed it into my face, and on the
instant out came all the other mems
guns, and was scared almost to death.
l couldn't say "A word, for / thought NV
time had come, but nobody shot.
Look here" CALCULATED the man who
had first pulled his gun, applying several
disagreeable epithets in addition, and he
o an ace of diamonds out of his
hand. This restored my consciousness
somewhat, and after waiting until each
man had expressed his opinion of me.
and the final decision had been reached
that l was to give up all l had won and
probably be shot later, | got III d word.
"'Gentlemen,' | said, appearances are
against me, but | am honest. | don't
~" nv" tiih tAlld dCc got III the ptck.
but if you will look in my valise there
you will find Il pack exactly like this n
lying loose III it, and the cards must
have got mixed in there. I'm sure |
didn't do it. One of the men took the
cards out Of the valise and ran them
over, and the ace was missing. That
much was i'll my favor, but it did not
restore confidence.
Send down stairs | said next. to
the clerk and have him come up, He
was playing here this afternoon.
Then they sent for the clerk, and he
said that he and "A party of friends had
played with those cards during the aft
ernoon, and farther, that they had used
two packs to do some tricks with. He
also stood bond for my honesty, and aft
er an hour or SO of terrific strain on me
my friends concluded l was all right.
Then, to establish good fellowship firm
ly, | insisted on their taking their money
back. They set up the drinks all around.
and l left them at last with a solemn
VOW registered that when l played poker
again | must know everybody in the
game, and everybody must know me-.
Don't You think n experience like that
Is enough for an honest man of quiet
temperament to go through:"-D"trOit
Free Press.