The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-12-29
a PISTOL AND FOUR QUEENS
1t Took the BOT in Game IL the KIOn-
dixie,

~ ooA thc t4pt IN a CHfhe W the AAtOh
dixie,
Talking about poker games.e said
John G. Northcut. as he sat in the ro-
tunda Of the Palmer House, / saw one
last spring, just before / left Dawson
City, that beat ten twenty, and thir-
ty cent show all to pieces. Koker is
the National game in Dawson. They
play it twenty-four hours a day, and
there's many bag Of nuggets changes
owners was about to say during a
game, but a game never ends there.
Il was in the back room Of the Ell
Dorado saloon one night, and the game
was pretty lively. Seven men were
playing. SIX Of them were miners well
known about the place; the other was
a chap who had just got in from st.
Michaels. In one week he figured in
three shooting scrapes and had won
many an ounce of dust 1t jesa seemed
like he couldn't lose and no matter
how may big hands we're out, this chap
always had the top-notcher.
THE boys were suspicious. and they
watched Powell-that was the name he
said was his. Dick Powell. They
watched him like a hawk, but they
couldn't turn up anything crooked.
There wasn't doubt but what the fell
low fixed the cards every now and then,
but he was the slickest ever, and there
wasn't man in the party who could
spot his work; but they made such in
-sinuating remarks as: If ! had such
great luck I'd expect to get killed over
stack of chips some time
THE game went on for about three
hours after got in the room. when a
little quiet circus happened. Powell
had dealt the cards. | was standing
behind him. looking on. 1t was jack
pct. and the second man opened it, 1t
& TWO boosts before it got to Powell,
but he stayed When it came to the
draw was thunderstruck to see Powell
draw to king and four-spot.
thought he had made mistake in his
hand. and was simply making the best
Of bad stay. All OF the boys took
three cards except Dave Hollingswortn.
and he took two. Powell, of course
took three and you can shoot me for
an Esquimau if he didn't get three
more kings, Everybody seemed to
hook" for there was some of the live
liest betting around that table that I
ever saw. The pace got too swift for
them. however and all dropped out
except Powell and Hollingsworth.
Dave was from somewhere up in the
Butte district-a quiet, inoffensive sort
of a fellow. but good grit and the best
shot you ever saw with revolver.
f'Tnose two kept hammering away at
each other, and everybody was watch
ing them, without saying word You
could see from their faces, though, that
they were kind of plying Hollings-
worth. for from past events they were
confident Powell would gobble the
dough. / never thought anything else
for I'd caught a fash of four kings ear
~ in the engagement.
Finally, Powell showed up a stack
of chips that just about covered every
thing Dave had in front of him.
guess there must have been $500 or $500
in the pile. Dave looked straight at
Powell for some minutes, kind of try
ing to figure nim out, thought he was
going to weaken. and could see Pow
ell raking in the pot.
Finally, Dave drew a long breath
and standing up said: I'm agoin' to
call that Powell, but jest wait min-
ute er two so as kin satisfy myself I
amt nervous.
I'll wait on YOU says Powell.
Dave picked up the five Of spades
that happened to be lying face up on
the table. stepped oyer to the wall,
about twelve feet away. and pinned the
card up about on level with his
shoulder. Then ne walked back to the
table drew six-shooter, and before
anybody realized what was going on
he fired five shots at the card, clipping
out one of the spots with each shot,
clean and pretty as though you'd done
ii with a knife. He laid the gun down
on the table with just the one load left
in it, said:
81 guess / amt very nervous. I've
got four queens.
powell looked at him for second
and then, without giving himself away
a bit, he said. That's good and ne
showed his four kings into the deck.
Powell left Dawson the next day.
and / heard as ! was coming back to
the States in July that he was killed IN
a game at Skaguay. !"