The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-23

me and wanted me to know It,. Ac-
/ cordingly / though the wisest thing for
! me was to stroll back to the front of
the room and treat the bartender.
While we were drinking, another man
came in. He wore no coat, vest or hat.
He was, l think, the handsomest man
l ever saw, though he was slightly
flushed with liquor-not drunk, by any
MEANS but he had evidently been
drinking He was a little above the
medium height, with a symmetrical
FORM magnificent chest and shoulders,
and the easy motion and graceful car
rage of a skilled athlete. He passed
directly to the card room, noddng to
the barkeeper and merely CHANGING at
me, and 1 heard him say:
81 Do you want another in the game!
1.-THE response was pleasant, and he
took a seat. Up to this time 1 had
not been greatly interested, as L SAID,
and / continued talking to the man be
hind the bar, simply because L mad
nothing else to do. The newcomer,
however, was talkative and, as l saw
in a few moments, inclined TO be
surly He seemed to be trying to PICK
quarrel with the stranger, and I'm
gered with some natural curiosity, TO
see if he would succeed. Presently the
explosion came. He lost a Jackpot,
which the stranger won on three tens
. You opened that pot on pair OF
tens he. exclaimed with an oath, and
when we catch any crossroads gambler
playing that kind of a game IN this
town we generally hang 'en, do you
understand
1T was said noisily and furiously,
and I looked in expecting to see
fight. but the stranger spoke as cody
as though the other had been calling
for his draw.
Il did nothing of the sort, sir. 1
came in on a pair of tens, as 1 had
perfect right to do, after the major
opened it, and 1 caught the third ten in
the draw
81 say you opened it, shouted the
newcomer with another oath.
1.-The stranger looked at him with
the most perfect cOmposure and said:
" I appeal to the table. Gentlemen,
did 1 open it?
" No, sir said the old major,
promptly enough. opened it myself.
and dropped out after L was raised
twice Jack shut up The gentleman
is playing all right
But Jack wouldn't shut up. On the
contrary he became more furious.
. This is a hell of a game he
shouted. and leaDed to his feet like a
panther, totally oblivious of the few
chips in front of him. He had lost
nearly all he had bought on coming in.
The stranger never moved, though [
expected to see weapons drawn. He
looked Jack full in the face with
sort of bewilderment on his own face,
and said nothing. Jack stood for a
moment, and while l was wondering
whether the stranger was showing
nerve, or was really bewildered, Jack
turned suddenly and dashed out of the
room.
THE stranger looked around at the
other players, and there was a distinct
draWl in his words as he said:
iS the matter with that
MANI
oh. nothing said Pete carelessly.
You mustn'd mind him. He killed q
man yesterday, and he's been drink
ing a good deal today He's little ex-
cited. but it doesn't mean anything.
-" But why did he rush out so curl
ously?' persisted the stranger.
- Well, I suppose he went out to get
heeled,' said Pete; but you needn't be
disturbed. The boys won't let him
come back
- We'll, perhaps they won't said the
stranger, still drawing his words but
it's just as well to be on the safe side.
If you will excuse me for a few min
utes I'll just step over to the hotel
and get my gun. 1 left it in my
satchel'
Why certainly said the others, |
and he arose, leaving his chips on the
table, and went out of the place. He
I thought it best to say nothing, too,
but you couldn't have dragged me
away just then. suppose every man
likes to see a fight, and I thought there
was a good chance for one. [ don't
drink fast as a rule, but it seemed to
be a good time to treat again, and
when the glasses were emptied I said:
q" Did he really kill a man yester
day?'
. Yes said the bartender indiffer-
emily. There was a fellow tried to get !
funny with him in his saloon next door,
and when Jack ordered him out and he
wouldn't go Jack shot him.
" Wasn't he arrested?' 1 asked
90 No, he wasn't exactly arrested, but
he appeared before the coroner and
told how it was, and the coroner said
he'd have to lay the matter before the
grand jury
q" He wasn't locked up then?" 1 per-
sisted.
" oh, no. You see, Jacks very pop
ular around here, and he's got some
property, too. I don't think the boys
would have liked it much if he'd been
locked up
''While I was meditating on this the
stranger came back, and resuming his
seat at the table, laid mis- pistol along
side his chips, which the others had
not disturbed They dealt him a hand,
and the game. which had ncp been in !
terrupted by his absence, went on as |
before. No one made any remark |
about the pistol or about the man who |
had gone out to get heeled, but the old |
major pulled out q double-barI - ed |
derringer and laid it on the table, and /
I looked to see the others do the same
thing, but they did not. 1 had no doubt, |
however, that they were armed, and |
they were all looking for trouble.
They had not long TO wait. There (
was a sound of voices outside, pres |
emily. and looking cut 1 saw Jack, still |
furious with anger, apparently, break |
ing away from TWO OF three men who |
were evidently trying to detain him, !
hut who had a wholesome respect for |
the revolver he had in his hand [ |
looked around. The major was deal |
ing, and the other players were watch
ing him, apparently, but l was satisfied |
that they had heard the talk outside, |
and were all alert. The bartender was
safe to drop behind his bar when the
shooting began, and I looked for some
place where l should be able to see
and yet not be in range There was a
window in the partition between the
rooms. about u feet TO one side of the
door, and l stepped over there as Jack
came in toward the door
Through this window I saw the
most magnificent display of cool nerve
that ever came under my notice. The
stranger never changed color, nor
moved his chair, but l could see his
h.