The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-21
POKER, WITH A Dash OF GINGER
BY H. W. PHILLIPS.
Copyright BY H. W. .Phillips.)


Copyright by H W. Phillips.)
Jamaica ginger is excellent for stom-
ach troubles. but it is not good as q
stimulant. 1 know, because have seen
its operations.
You must not sell liquor to the In
dians, consequently the red man casts
about for substitute. A result of this
is that the quantity of Jamaica ginger
and lemon essence sold by the Indian
traders is enormous. One would think
that the red man had nothing but
stomach-ache and that the red woman
made pastry and CONNECTIONS all the
time, but the truth of the matter is
that both these preparations contain
alcohol and the Indian-Or to be pre-
else, the Sioux, for he is the only In
dian l can claim as an intimate &C
quaintance-tosSeS off a few bottles of
either or both, and feels uplifted. AT
least he feels uplifted for while and
then is horribly i'll.
1t takes sturdy constitution to stand
the wear and tear Of ginger as a bev-
erage.
I came by my dislike for ginger drink
ing under table, grasping a siX-foot
Uncapapa Sioux by the legs.
The way,it happened was this: Young
Jack and l took the weekly supply OF
butter from the ranch to the post, set
tied the business, then wandered
around killing time.
We met an old friend, who suggest
ed game of freezeout. He had a
friend, so the four of us turned into
alog cabin, spread a horse blanket on
the table, counted out twenty-five
matches apiece, paid in our 25 cents to
the bank and began quiet game.
We We're having the incest kind of a
time. when the Evil One came to the
doorway and Deeked in. We did not
recognize him as such at the time. The
casual glance showed only big Injun
haggard as 10 face and trifie wild
about the eyes, but otherwise merely
an Iniun.
Gould he set in?"
If he had the necessary money-the
west is a republic.
How much?"
''Cosh--poppy-nop = keese''
1.-TWO dimes and & half).
He fShed out a quarter from his
paint box and threw it on the table
Jack got up and let him pass to the
corner seat-fortunate circumstance
The table thus formed a barricade
shutting him into the corner of the
cabin.
As our new friend dropped heavily
upon his cracker box, his breath filled
the air with Oriental spiciness. In q
minute the place reeked of ginger.
Still, he played his cards handily
enough, holding up one or more fingers
to indicate the extent of his draw.
At last he and / fell foul of each
other in a pot. He bet five chips-I saw
and raised him five. He came back
at me with ten. l thought the matter
over and called. He laid down his
hand and raked in the matches.
/ looked at the cards carefully. There
was nothing but pair of fives! So
dropped my three kings on the blanket
and reached for the matches. In al
instant he had a knife in his hand.
ducked back-it swished by within al
inch of my face.
Then, with a promptitude for which
I cannot sufficiently admire myself,
executed a flank movement. Under the
| table 1 flew and wrapped my arm:
around his long legs-Wrapped 'em tigh
/ shut my eyes and waited.
1t was with me as with a StOker OF
battleship. All about me the wal
ragged and roared. There were thumps
whacks, shrieks, yells and curses; my
/ legs were painfully trodden upon, bu
/ l had my simple duty to perform, anC
/ l did it. In the darkness and gloon
under the table l hung on TO that In
/ jun's legs.
! The table fell over and We rolled OF
the floor-young Jack. the Injun and
while the other two with pieces o
board dealt an excited but imDartia
hammering upon US
We fioundered out Of the door! Heav