The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-06-05
rn the Gaine 10 win.

documents" to that extent.
In the Game to Win.
'This plain, everyday life which we
are now Twin is game, anyhow, Rufe,
and everybody plays it mt way or an
other" says Blew to me oncst upon a
time. eff you don't play somebody, the
next thing you know somebody will
play you. We are all in the game
bornedandbred andbrung up in it-and
the onlyest way under the sun 10 keep
from playin your hand out is to shuck
off your mortal tolls and put ON your
avhite wings and quit this dull old
world.
Now as for me, if 1 didn't know any
more about handlin of the documents
than some people, blamed if 1 wouldn't
tend a night school hand runnin for
ten years to come. And if there is any
points about the game in general which
I haven't already learnt, by the stars
and stripes it vas tore out of the books
before my day and time.
fright now, Rufe, you mought as
well to take out your little note book
and set it down that Blew Scroggins is
in the game to win. You never heard
me make any proud, high-fyin remarks
about the family records of the Scrog-
gins generation of people, and you never
will. So fur as L know, we didn't come
down from the highristocracy of the
first settlers of this great and GROWN
country. On my own hook l raley
don't know for certain whether l ever
had any great-grandfather at all scarce
ly. but l reckon I did. At any rates, I
am willin to leave that question for
time and future history to settle. No
doubts you have heard me claim some
kinnery with a man by the name of
Scroggins which fit plum through three
wars and swum the Potomac river n
cold winter night to beat George Wash
ington in a little game of stud poker.
But we will let that pass, Rufe. Ac-
cordin to the Scriptures all men are
liars off and on, more or less.
"But whilst the Scroggins people are
only plain American citizens-without
any extry frills and fancy trimmings
you mought as well to remember that
there are two places in this country
where no mortal man of my name can
be found-the Poor House and the
Crazy Asylum. And l ann in this game
to, win, Rufe. / never will be good
enough to turn out and preach, nor
smart enough to run for congress, and
it's little more than nothin that 1 have
learnt in books. But by gatlins, / do
know tremendous we'll that with
fiushes barred-four aces will bust the
bank. And l am in the game TO win"
sFOreOrdaIned to Sin and SufRerin.''
DAYS and weeks and months and
year have rolled by and stacked up in
the past since me and Blew rid down the
old Jackson Trail road one mornin
along in the spring of the year and l
heard him talkin with his mouth about
the game of every day life, wherein
he had learnt the documents and would
play to win. And it all come back to
my mind as clear as a bell the other day
when old man Ram Phillips driv by our
house on his return back home from q
"trip over in the River bend. 1 couldn't
keep from thinkin about the time when
old man Ran met Blev in little game
which a handsome young wilder WON
an and 60 acres of swamp land was the
stakes-and how the old man, with &
full hand and three cards up his sleeve
as it were, had to cut the pot and divide
the pile, whilst Blew helt nothin tG
speak of or to bet On.
Everything that goes up must CONS
down, Rufe," says Blew to me out at the
horse rack one night after supper. I'll
this God forsaken country mortal maj
born of woman is foreordained to sir
and sufferin, and from all the signs q
the times it would seem to me like oil
man Ran Phillips will have to stand hi
turn and take his dost."
With that Blew shut one eye slow ami
cautious like and whistled a few stanzai
soft and low. And from that day til
this l have took particular notice tha
a slow wink and a little soft whistL
from Blew Scroggins simply means tina
somebody must suffer, and you mough
as well stand from under.
"You recollect that old man Ran la
got so acres OF bully swamp land whicl
Joins my farm over there on the creek
Rufe," Blev went on tarectly. "Wel
naturally Of course 1 haven't got an.
money. If whisky was goin at fou
bits a barrel / raley couldn't buy enougl
to change a baby's breath. Buff dom
straddle that 60 II Of swOa1p land Il