Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-05-13
CHANGED THE PACK.
LOST WITH CARDS, BUT WON THE
WHOLE ROLL WITH HANDS.


The Strangers Beat the Local Poker rlay-
ers Down to the Last Deal. When the
Lanky Man Raised the Colonel and His
Partner Up . Tree.
II wouldn't advise a stranger In the
back country of Arkansas to play poker
with the natives, for he is as sure to lose
in the long run o., the sun is TO RISE" said
the colonel, picking the orange slice out Of
the glass and chewing it up. "They amt
so strong ON holding or playing their cards
after they get 'em, but when the game
breaks up they get in their fine work pow.
erfully heavy. Like to hear about 'emi
"Well, what I'm going to tell you Is gos-
pel truth and no foolishness. Along about
1880 was down in Little Rock when
partner of mine came In from Indian Ter.
ritory and proposed cotton buying trip
through the lower part of the state So we
went. We made some pretty good deals
for small crops and ut last reached place
called Cutters Store. There were half
dozen houses and q blacksmith shop in the
town, but seven miles away there was
lively burg named Horton Center A
small railroad passed there, and il was the
gathering place for all the railroad hands
and countrymen for miles around They
fought chickens all day Sunday and play
ed cards all night every night in the week
lobe Jenkins my partner, and myself
concluded we'd go over there one day and
take a whirl with the animals, SO wc start.
ed out early to tramp it. The road was
good and mostly through dried swamp
close grown with trees.
at didn't take us long to get acquaint-
ed in Horton Center. The glad hand was
put out everywhere, and there was a Jug
or ticker back of every one. After
couple Of hours of this welcoming bust
ness somebody suggested little game OF
draw just to pass the time, and tall,
lanky man said that us 1t was pretty warm
we might as well go to his house and play
on his piazzen as he called it. After the
game had been going on half an hour or SO
lobe and just looked at each other Il
was the softcst, easiest outfit we had ever
struck. The other four players just threw
their money away, making the biggest
fool bets anybody ever saw. Fact is, they
couldn't have been worse poker players II
they hadn't seen q card before in their
lives BY 8 O'Clock at night we had all
the money in sight, and lobe said we'd
better BIO starting out, as it was a long
walk home, and the moon would be get
ting low down before we could reach
there. Tho tall, lanky fellow begged us
to stay oil night but we had to refuse
We started home for G uffer's Store through
the woods just loaded down with cash and
pretty near $3.50 winner, when all Of q
sudden we heard dogs baying behind u.s.
We both recognized hounds. lobe said he
rcckoned somebody was coon hunting, but
thought it was mighty funny time Of
the year for 'em to do it, and he began to
tell about % coon hunt he had gone on
once, when he broke off
" 'Pard, he ho!lered, get tree. Those
dogs arc after us. 30
II Skinned up one, and lobe took an
other, and in two minutes the meanest lot
Of big mouthed, NANCY hounds you ever
saw We're cavorting around under us howl
ing like hyenas We both hoped somebody
would come, and pretty soon somebody
did. 1t was the tall, lanky man. He came
up and quieied the dogs and then leaned
on long barreled gun and proceeded to
address us. He said he was mighty pained
to do what he had to do, but the fact was
that Horizons Center had been victimized
ever SINE the railroad came by poker play
ing strangers, who came In and cleaned up
all the ready money in the community.
He was sorry to say that we had returned
the cordial hospitality extended to us in
the same cruel way. We had gone intoa
game with the mayor, the town marshal,
the leading merchant and the county treas
urcr which was himself.
Tho county treasurer had staked the
other gentlemen with all the available
public funds, and we had skillfully--ho
would not say dishonestly-won them all.
1t was his duty, therefore, to require us
to hand the winnings and any other small
change We rlight have about us back. The
dogs We're not hungry, but would get so
after awhile, and when we got tired OF
roosting and came down they might ap-
pcasc their appetites with U.S. Besides,
there were some other citizens Of Horton
Center back in the woods who could pick
n possum oft of the highest tree In tho
bottoms on The darkest night in the year
Did we shell outp We did. We threw the
money we lad down on tho ground, and
the tall, lanky man gathered it up. Then
he said good night and whistled to the
dogs.
You'll have a safe road to Cutters,
he remarked In "A hearty tone as he moved
)ff, and mebbe it might be as well ef you
lidn't mention this hcer little eppyzode
when you gifts thar lobe and left Ar
kansas in three days, and reckon some
Arkansas cotton planters are waiting for
us to come for their crops yet. Washing
tOn Post
Touts and Tlpsters.