Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-11-12
!. DEAD MANS HAND.

SIT was hot day in June, said the old
cattleman Us he thoughtfully read the
makers name in his sombrero, can while
not possessin one of these yere heat gauges
to say ackerate I'm allowin it was ridin
hard on jest sech weather as this. The
Tucson mail was in, an band of us was
at the postoffice a-makin of demands for
letters when in comes Cherokee Hall,
lookin some moody, an sets himself down
ON shoebox.
"Which you no doubt thinks as how
you'll take some missives youse'f this
mornin, says Dock Peters, a-noticin Of his
gloom an amin to pint his idees up some
other trail. Pass over them documents for
Cherokee Hall an don't try for to hold out
nuthin on to us, for we're way toe. peevish
to stand any offlshul gayeties today.
"There amt no one weakminded enuf
to write to me none, says Cherokee,
which 1 remarks this yere phenomenon
with pleasure. Mailbags pack grief, not
Joy, an 1 amt honin for no hand in the
game whatever. It's Is years since buys
stamp or gets letter, an all thirst there
fore is assuaged complete.
"'Fifteen years is shore long time
says Enright, an then we all hops into our
letters again. Finally Cherokee breaks in
once more.
''I amt amin to invest Wolfville in no
superstitious fears, says Cherokee, but l
jest chronicles as a current event how
was sittin into little poker last night,
an three times straight / picks up the
hand the dead man held-jacks up on
"a L.,
"'Who all lose to it2' asks Dan Boggs,
some breaShless.
"'Why, says Cherokee, it's every time
that old loghorn as comes in from Tucson
back some two weeks ago.
"Yes, says Boggs, a-gettin mighty
decided, IAN you bet your saddle an throw
the pony in death is flxiD its sight for him
right now. It's shorely a-warnin, an I'm
glad whole lot it amt none of the boys,
that $ all.
,"You see, this yere stranger who Chero-
kce alludes at comes over from Tucson a
little while before this. He has long white
HAIR an beard, an, jedgin from the, rings
on his horns, he was maybe a-comin go.
He seemed like he had plenty Of money,
an we takes it he's all right His leavin
Tucson showed he had sence, SO we cashes
him at his own fgger. OF course we all
never asks his name none, as aSkin names
an lookin at the brands on boss is speshul
roodo in tho west an shows your bringin
up, an frequent your bringin down, but
he allows he's called old Bill Gentry, to
the boys, an he an Faro Nell are particular
friendly.
"Talkin to him, says Faro Nell, is
jest like allyn in the shade. He knows
everything, too all about books an things
all over the world. He was a-tollin me,
too, as how he had daughter like me that
dies way back some ers about when was
a yearlin. He feels a heap bad about 1t
yet, an gets SO sorry for him, SO old an
white
"'An you may gamble, says Boggs, If
Nell liked him, he's all right.
"'If Nell likes him, that makes him all
right says Cherokee.
''We was still talkin an readin over our
mail in the postoffice when all at once we
hears Jack Moore outside.
"'What's this yere literature as affronts
my eyes pasted on to the outside of Uncle
Sans wyckeyup? says Moore mighty
truculent. We all goes out, an there shore
enuf is notice offerin 1900 reward for
some sharp who's been standin up the
stage over on the Lordsburg trail.
"'Whoevor tacks this up, I wonderP'
says Enright. 1T never was here ten min
utes ago.
"'Well, jest you all hover around an
watch the glory of its comm down., says
Moore, a.cuttin on 1t loose with his knife
an tearin 1t up Il herewith furnishes the
information cold, this yere camp of Wolf
vile knows it's business an don't have to
be notified of nuthin. This yere outfit has
a vigilance committee all regular, an
which I'm kettle tender therefor, an when
it comes nacheral to announce some notice
to the public you will perceive me a-per-
vadin Of tho scenery on boss an promul-
gatin Of said notice viver yoce. Am I
right, Enright?'
WAll right as preachin, Jack, says En-
right. You speaks throoth like runnin
brook
"'But whoever sticks up that notice Is
the information / pants for, says Boggs,
a-pickin up an readin Of the pieces.
"'I reckon I posts that notice some my
self, said big, squar' man we don't
know, who comes in that mornin on the
stage, an who was then a-saunterin about
the suburbs of the crowd a-listenin to the
talk.
"Well, don't do 1t no more, pardner,'
says Moore, mighty grave. We're no
doubt way wrong, but we have our own
pecooliar notions about what looks good,
SO after now don't alter the landscape none
round we're till you first gifts our views
"'I'm offerin even money postin notices
wouldn't hurt this camp little bit, says
the stranger.
"'Well, comm right to cases, says En-
right, 1T don't hurt as none, but 1t CRATES
on us a whole lot. The idee Of mere
stranger a-strollin in an a-tackin up of no.
tioes like no was standin pat hand on
what he knows an we not in 1t is a heap
unpleasant. So don't do 1t no more
"'Well, don't aim to do 1t any more
says the man, but I still clings to my
idee that notices amt no setback to this
camp
"'Which the same bein mere theory
says Doc Poets, personal to yourself,
holds 1t would DO onpolite to discuss It; 90
let's oil wheel under cover for drink.
$50 we all lines up on the Early Bird
bar, an the drinks ends the talk, as they
alters ought to.
"Along onto night we gets cooler, an by
second drink time in the evcnin every one
was movin about, an as 1t happen quite
band was in tho Rcd Light, some a-drinkin
an exchangin Of views an some buokin the
various games which was goin wide open
all around. Cherokee Hall was a-sittin
behind his box, nh Faro Nell, who lotted
hoap moro on Cherokee than on any Of
us--socmed like, from littls girl, she'd
give pony for \ sn,ile from Cherokee