Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-03-09
CHAPTER Iv.-CoNrrNUED.
By cHAUNcY G. HoTcHKlSS

One hand was played to the advantage
OF the officer. That was to be expected.
Then another went smoothly enough in be-
BALI of the fox, after which, though with
out moving, 1 looked sharply for the end.
The method was slightly unusual, though
conceived and executed with skill. They
bad each been in the habit of fitting back
on the rear legs of their chairs as they picked
up their hands and conned them. AS the
last card was dealt and the balance of the
pack laid aside, the officer settled himself
backward, while the fellow nearest me did
the same thing but a second later. It was
then the fine play came in. Seeming to lose
his balance, to save himself from fall he
threw out foot which caught beneath the
iiSfiicer's chair, sending that party over on to
the broad of his back and bringing himself
down on the four legs of his seat. With
the rapidity of a skilled villain, l saw him
draw cards from his pocket, throwing thosc
dealt him on to the surplus pack, then
slamming his false hand face down on the
table, he jumped to the assistance of his
companion.
The officer accepted the rough apologies
offered him, and, after busting himself with
bis handkerchief, played out the hand. 1t
fell to his lot to lose, and he paid with O
good grace.
As was usual, the winner proposed part
ing dram and set up loud clamor for the
waiter to fetch bottle of rum, swearing he
would have no more of the like of the wine
he had been drinking, the empty bottle of
which stood betwixt them on the table.
Now had the waiter been Forthcoming, I
would probably have less of tale to tell.
But 'twixt the heat, long hours and the
present lack of custom, he had doubtless
fallen asleep and was deaf to the calls given
him. Anyway, after fruitless bawling by the
winner, the officer took hand in the mat
ter by turning his attention to me, for he
shouted:
Here, We lazy son of a bullock pricker!
step out and find the waiter, and be damned
ITO you'll" at the same time hurting the emp
ty bottle at me.
The glass missile struck me fairly on the
wounded arm, about an inch above where
the negro's knife had entered. For an in
slant it gave me exquisite pain, but the
sling did much to deaden the force of the
blow, though it had naught to do with
iessening the towering anger to which both
words and bottle had brought me- In six
strides I was on them, and upsetting the
card-sharper, chair and all, with my open
palm / dealt the naval man a blow in the
face, lying him backward in the dust where
he had been but short time before.
With this my anger slipped away from
me like breath from polished steel, and I
saw but the comic side of the two sprawling
in the dirt.
Never could I hold heat longer than a
wire Though take it as readily, and had
they been quick to acknowledge the mistake
that had been made, I would have cried
them quits, and even joined them in a
dram.
But it was not so to be. After few sec
onds' bewilderment, the officer scran bled
to his feet, and, pulling his sword from its
scabbard, paused as though to take his
bearings for an onset. He was no more than
% years of age, carrying plenty of the
marks of dissipation on him, and what with
his dust-whitened clothes, his boyish pro-
portions, and his dirty face, he looked, with
his drawn sword, like q ruffied bantam.
! should have been obliged to hurl the
table at him in self-defense (which would
have been i'll for him) had not at that mo-
ment a cavalryman on black charger driven
full tilt into the tavern yard, refining up
close to US.