Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-07-21
GAME.

against the bar of down town hotel
last evening and toyed with a tumbler.
"P'r'aps, though, - he added, glancing
around inquirirgly, you fellows never
heard Of him.
\ withered old miner from Nevada
county hintod that ''mebbe he was re-
lated TO the Bill Cox who was hanged
at Red Dog in 1SG1.''
This the Mariposa man disputed on
the ground that Seth during his life
time was too square man to have
even been a thirty eighth cousin to the
chap who had come to such an iGnomin
ious erd al Red Dog.
WHY, shot, he went on, turning
from the Nevada man to the four other
byst2ndcrs, Seth was as square man
as ever met iii California. He would
fight, If necessary, and would drink rs
1nuch as the next man, and what more
was wanted il those days.
But that amt what j was going to
tell you aboQt. You see Seth had ore
| fault, and that was stubbornness of the
cusSeaost kind All one had TO do was
to take a stand on anything, and Seth
wCuld g. naturally take hitch on the
contrary SIDE and outhold your hand
somehow, even if you had all trumps.
Seth was marshal Of Indian Gulch,
| up cur way, Is far back rs 1869, and
| being 50 stubborn he carried things
! pretty much his own way. If they
didn't go his way, they Were not likely
TO 20 any way"
The man from TIE butterfly county
| paused to gaze through the bottom OF
his tumblor for moment, and then re
| sumcd.
''Now. sho! just to give you an idea
Of how stubborn Seth was, I'll tell you
o. a little incident He had discussion
| with miner about turkey buzZards,
! and Just because the miner sad they
Were sinking things Seth maintained
| that they we're second to nothing in the
| poultry line. Wen. the miner thought
he'd take fail cut Of Scth and the
next day brought HIM turkey buzzard
| and dared him to eat 1t. sIes. wagerod
him 500 Oh Il. Did be win: Why, sho.
seth ate the buzzard, and as ne was
picking the bcncs inquired if there was
anybody else around who WAS anxious
~ ii.-As iNfA vic u N-lt li.ilct
| delicious morstls IN the world. That
was Seth al over. He'd never give III
Oh anything he undertook. Shot ard
the MarlposG man rcfllca his Glass.
| ''Onc day, he resumed briSllly, Just
rs the Nevada man was about 70 say
something, "a new miner, who said he
hailed from Chinese Camp, amhled into
the gulch and made himself quite popu-
! lar before night, treating everybody
time and again at Red Ryan's saloon
As Marshal Seth thought it his duty 20
make the acquaintance Of the strange
| pilgrim who WIS 30 wei hceled appar-
entity with dust, it wasn't long before
Seth and the newcomer, who said bis
name was Dan Fletcher. We're bucliirg
against each other at poker.
Nov, she, that v@s az right, but
Dan, while they We're playing, began to
| tell how he had made the pilgrimage
all the way from Poor Shoat to Angels
and cleaned out every poker sharp on
the road. Seth, il his bullheadcd way.
SAID he rcckoned if he had met Dan on
that journey Dan Tould have had to
take TO the Wilderness for want OF
] IApiAiNs,, bt NttiAeA iRs~Ht ttCAI ~ NAtStL.S'i
out.
Then there was a hurricane of 81
argument, and finally Seth boosted that
he'd put everything lie had up agGins.
all Dgn had and play poker until one or
t'other was busted. Dan jumped at the
offer, and arrangements were made.
Tho game was to be played i'll a
room at John Haason's hotel, and each
mans wealth was represented by %
$50 pieces, which they used rs chips.
Seth, as marshal, proclaimed holiday
i'll town until he had cleaned Dan out,
then he promised a big hurrah. The
whole town was gathered around Han
sons place, and ., intervals of an hour
signs were hung out as to the game.
One time it would be Seth is hundred
ahead, and at another Even game,
with Dan S ante up. There was lots Of
betting on the result. Red Ryan wa.
gered his saloon against claim that
Seth would win. And, sho, all the
time Seth and Dan sat there Tipping
their cards like machines and rot motto
ing anything outside of the gamo!''
After stopping TO cliuk glasses with
MS l1itSTtSt''l ttuuitHce inc man IrOEl
Mariposa took a fresh twist in his rem
iniscences. .,f-
About 10 o'cloc, that night Dan was
out $500, and when some of the boys
took up supper for the players, for they
. hadn't eaten anything, you know, he
growled out to take it away, as no man
could play cards and eat and drink too.
Seth was SO stubborn that he wouidn'
stop either, for fear Dan would think
he was weakening The boys set down
the supper and left 'em. In the morn.
ing breakfast was put down alongside
the untouched supper. All they wanted
was half dozen new decks of cards.
! They had worn out four packs. Sho! nc
mistake
well, now, there's no use drawing
out the agony on thing that turned
ont so serious as that game. As any.
body at Indian Gulch can tell you tc
this day, Seth and Dan played there fol
: Ave days and for five nights, a-seesaw.
.. ing and a-seesawing, but each as stub