The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1896-06-11
GENTLEMAN JIM'S MASCOT.
A n unusual proceeding was going
"a forward in Forty-rod Fred's sa-

heir silver boxes, the crouplers lef1
heir roulette wheels and the gamblers
broke off their games at the poker Ia
oles. Every man crowded around the
par and, strange to say, it was not FOL
/ drink. Old Kanuck was going to de-
liver himself of a speech; but it was his
heme rather than the speech ltsell
which drew the profound OF
.veryone in the saloon.
One of Kanuck's hands Eor the pur-
pose, probably, of emphasizing his re-
marks welded a beer mallet. The 9TH
ed hand rested upon the curly head OF
4 | right-eyed youngster of 4 years, who
sat Oh the bar and persisted in grinning
1t Oklahoma Bill, a cowboy with q
record of two right there in Dickinson,
.our in the Bad Lands, and heaven
only knows how many during the Ok
iahoma rush"
Kanuck cleared his throat impress
sively.
Ladies an gents" he began.
Ladies nothin'..' broke in One-eyed
Billings; none here"
SHlO luUlGS. WILL oh
with dignity, AN 1 say it ag'in. Anyone
take exceptions!'
No one spoke, and Kanuck brought
the peel mallet down On the bar with
q force that made the youngster jump.
No exceptions being taken, hanuck
proceeded:
81 reckon you all know how this Kid
came to Dickinson-father died on the
Blue Mountain stage-nothln to tell
VINO he was-no money in his cloes-kld
not able to spin his WI yarn-conse-
kently, dumped onto this big-hearted
community of Dickinson an specially
Iniun Sam. the half-breed, who took
him in and was 'lowin' to bring him
I'D. That was a year ago. Now WHAT'S
the condition O things? Las night
Sam crossed the divide, done up by no
count Hank andrews an a Colt forty
four. Judge Lynch took care O Hank
this mornin'. but here's the kid. lnJun
Sam owed the doctor in CorkerVllle,
count O. the kid. Somethin Ik fifty
plunkers; he owed Forty-rod Fred a
UdI Dlll VI lWSult hiolV. oh O''S 49,
ends round town t. make up an even
hundr'd. We don't think the kidll
bring so high a price, but the highest
bidder gets him. an if the hundrd dol
lar mark amt reached each creditor OF
Sans realizes accordin'. Now, then,
who's the first bidder? Start the ball,
gents. Nice kid-never heard him cry
in my life. Who gets the first whack?'
Oklahoma Bill, who wanted the
youngster about as badly as he wanted
a white elephant. counted his money
and put in a bid of $3.50.
"Raise We three an a half" said One
eyed Billings.
Oklahoma Bill promptly unbuckled
his pistol-belt and laid it Oh the bar.
Cost me forty in Heleny," he re-
marked, defantly: eff tit GO here at
twenty, I'll see Billings an go him ten
better"
"Going at twenty" cried Kanuck,
f1ourishing his beer mallet; "are you all
done? He's dirt cheap at that. Why,
l wouldn't play it so low down on an
Injun kid as to sell it at that fgger!'
Fifty dollars!'
This bid was made by Gentleman
Jim, the gambler.
Every one looked at him.
What the deuce do you want with a
kid of that caliber:" asked F~orty-rod
Fred.
I'm down on my luck and I want a
mascot"
Hold on a mint" yelled Oklahoma
Bill; I'll borry money enough ter beat
that raise"
He dashed out of the saloon. In a
few minutes he came back and bid $50.
"Seventy-fve," said Gentleman Jim;
I'll have the boy if it takes a thous-
and"
THAT does me-" muttered Bill, as he
buckled on his pistol belt.
Coin, goin', goin'," said Kanuck,
bis beer mallet poised in air; ARE ye
all done? Sold to Gentleman Jim for
seventy-ite."
The beer mallet fell and the deal was
closed.
"Say," whispered Oklahoma Bill as
Gentleman jim left the saloon with the
kid over his arm, "can 1 come down
and play with the leetle duffer 'casion-
allyn
Certainly, Bill-any time"
obliged ter ye,' and Bill balanced
his plug of tobacco on his nose until
the ~youngster got out of sight. = s. =
AS Gentleman Jim crossed the foot
bridge spanning the stream that lay
between Dickinson and his cabin in
Blacksnake Hollow the moonlight euiv-
cred upon the upturned edges Of the
waves like an ever-shifting network Of
gold; and the stars above seemed
caught in the net below. The night
was still ave for the chirping crickets
and the harsher notes of the frogs.
These sounds seemed to awaken a lone
illness in the gamblers breast. He paus-
ed, leaned on the hand-raiI. looking
down into the water. Suddenly he drew
a package from his pocket and dropped
it into the stream. Then he turned and
continued on his way with a frmer
stride while the words NO MORE"
broke from his lips in an undertone.
Opening the door of the cabin in the
Hollow, he found a dim light burning
on the table and a man, smoking, Sit
ting by the bed and watching the Tea
lures of q SleeDing child.