The herald., 1894-07-15
GAME.


from Mariposa county as he leaned
against tho bar of down town hotel
last evening and toyed with tumbler.
''P'r'aps, though, " he added, glancing
around inquiringly, ''you fellows never
heard of him..
A withered old miner from Nevada
county limited that ''mebbo he was re-
lated to the Bill Cox who was hanged
at Ped Dog i'll 1861"
This the Mariposa man disputed on
the ground that Seth during his life
time vGs too square u man to have
even been a thiriy-cighth cousin to the
chap who had como to such an ignomin
ious end at Red Dog
'Why, shot, he went OH, turning
from the Nevada nan TO the four other
bystandcrs, 'Soth was as square man
as ever met in California. Hc would
fight if necessary, and would drink cs
much as the next r,an, Gnd what more
was wanted il those days."
''But that amt what | was going to
tell You aboCt. You see Seth had ono
fault and that was stubbornncss Of tho
cussedest kind All ono had to do WAS
to take stand ON anything, and Seth
would as naturally take a hitch OH the
contrary sido and outhold your hand
somehow, even if you had all trunps.
'Seth was marshal of Indian Gulch,
up our way, rs far back as 1862, and
being SO stubborn he carried things
pretty much his own way If they
didn't so his way, thoy wero not likely
to go any way"
The man from tie butterfly county
paused to gaze through the bottom of
his tumbler for moment, and then re-
sulned.
''Now, sho! Just to give you an idea
= of how stubborn Seth was, I'll tell you
of a little incident Ho had discussion
with u miner about turkey buzzards,
and just because the miner said they
were sinking things Seth maintained
that they were second to nothing i'll the
poultry limo. Well, the miner thought
he'd take fall out of Seth, and the
next day brought him "a turkey buzzard
and dared him to cat it. Yes wagered
him $50 on it. Did he win? Why sho!
''Seth ate the buZzard, and as he Uas
anybody else around who was anxious
to pay him for eating one Of the most
delicious morsels in the world. That
was Seth all over. He'd never give III
on anything he undertook, sho!" and
the Mariposa man roflled his glass
''Ono day" he resumed briskly, just
as the Nevada man was about to say
something, "a new miner, who said he
hailed from Chinese Camp ambled into
the gulch and made himself quite popu-
lar before night, treating everybody
time and again at Red Ryans saloon.
AS Marshal Seth thought it his duty tc
make the acquaintance of the strange
pilgrim who was so well heeled appar-
, emily with dust, it wasn't long before
; Seth and the newcomer, who said his
name was Dan Fletcher, were bucking
against each other at poker.
''Now, sho, that was all right, but
Dan, while they were 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, in his bullheaded way,
sad he reckoned if ho had met Dan on
that journey Dan would have had to
take to the wilderness for want OF
clothes, he would have been SO cleaned
out.
''Then there was q hurricane of an
argument, and finally Seth boasted that
he'd put everything he had up against
all Dan had apd play poker until one or
tother was busted. Dan jumped at the
offer, and arrangements were made.
''The game was to be played in a
room at John Hanson s hotel, and each
mans wealth was represented by 25
$40 pieces, which they used as chips.
Seth, as marshal, proclaimed holiday
In town until he had cleaned Dan out,
then he promised u big hurrah. The
whole town was gathered around Han
sons place, and at intervals of an hour
signs were hung out as to the game.
One time it would be Seth is a hundred
ahead and at another Even game,
with Dams ante up. There was lots of
betting on the result. Red Ryan wa
Sered his saloon against a claim tnat
Seth would win. And sho, all the
time Seth and Dan sat there Tipping
their cards like machines and not MOTTO
ing anything outside of the gamep'
After stopping to clink glasses with
his interested audience the man from
Mariposa took fresh twist in his rem
iniscences.
"About 10 o'clock 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 wouldn't
stop either, for fear Dan would think
he was weakening. The boys set down
the supper and left 'em. In tho 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. Shol no
mistake.
well, now, there's no use drawing
out the agony Oh q thing that turned
out SO serious as that game. AS any
body at Indian Gulch can tell you to
this day, Seth and Ds.l played there for
five days and for five nights, a-seesaw-
ing and a-seesawing, but each as stub
born as the other and determined not to
give in. They hadn't touched the meals