Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-03-03
A GHOST STORY
Told by a Guide of His Western Ex-
perienCes.
First Meeting in the Gambling He'll and TIL
Subsequent Meeting.

1 won't say but the bulk of the arSu-
ment is on their side" said uncle PHI
Smith in his snug little camp on the
north branch of the Penobscot.' III
not much good at argument, but once
saw a ghost. How do l know IL WAS q
ghost? Well, sir, l shot him tull Oh
holes and he Just faded away. II was
an experience that wound up my Sold
seeking and sent me back up here IN
the Maine woods to guide for a living.
I'm not saying but that I'm pretty COM
Portable up here, specially during the
hunting season, when all you gentle
men come up. but there are times when
things are slow, and l almost wish that
were back in Denver, or wherever the
height of the agitation is just now.
Yes, sir; | was born and brought up
here but when the mining excitement
broke out afresh and dad said it re-
minded him of the days of 40, | made
up nv mind to see some of 1t, even II L
didn't get any gold or silver. | was as
strong as a bull moose in those days,
and | could shoot fast and straight
with any kind of Il gun. We don't use
reyolyers up here, but dad brought one
hack from California, and he taught
me all there was to be learned about it.
Il don't believe that there
was a tougher crowd west Of
the Mississippi than the gang
ran into in Denver when ]
landed with 81 900 in cash, which | had
received for claim. That seems lot
Of money now, but it didn't then when
the mining fever ran high. My part
ner was old Frank Hollis who was shot
down in Texas eight years ago because
he happened to be in the way of gang
that was shooting up the town and he
had no gun with him. He never was
70 careless in the old days. Frank
know every card-sharp and horsethlei
in the West and he put me on to some
valuable points. He admitted that l
could shoot for business. but he said
was too green to go around alone. We
decided to outfit again in Den
Yer. ana after bit Of
rest t. strike cut for some like
" ground that we had heard about.
You've heard of Danforth's gambling
parlors? No? Well. if you had been
within a hundred miles of Denver IN
those days you would have heard OF
them. | can see them now as ffaTh
ana l did the first time | ever entered
them. You see I was a green pack-
voodsman and they made great I'M
preston on me. Danforth had lhe
whole second floor of a pretenuouS
wooden building. y bar ran across one
end of the room. The faro banks We're
III the centre and the poker tables at
he other end screened off by wooden
nartitions about six feet high. Ihe
walls were covered with pictures when
were not quite what they ought - be'
rhough Danforth said that they We're
hfghart. twas said that Dantorth was
second son Of wealthy English family
who had gone West to make his Tor
tune and gone broke. Then he opened
his gambling parlOTs and he ilourlshed.
no sduarer man ever went INTO busl-
ness. He was no milksOp, you under
stand There were Card-Sharpers out IN
that country who would rather face
lynching party than look into Dan
forth's steel-gray eyes. He had shot
more than one man. but never until the
other fellow had tried to get the drop
on him. The coroner's jury always
brought in a verdict of self-defence'
and on several occasions they thanked
him for putting out Of the way bad
man who threatened the good name Of
the community. From these ciTcum-
stances and others DanfJrth had
good reputation
II went there because my partner,
who was curiously opposed to gam
bling. advised me to if | was deter
mined to take a flyer. Danforth's was
flled with the usual crowd when | en-
tered and it was all 50 new to me that
hesitated some time before tryInS my
luck. 1t was hard-lookinS crowd on
the whole. but one face attracted me-.
1t was that of a boy. possibly q years
old, with his hat pulled well down oNer
His eyes He was a stranger, as | as
covered later and Danforth, after ms
fashion. was looking him and me over,
because strangers always bring with
them an element Of uncertainty in
gambling room. You never can tell
how they will take their losses ana
whom they may shoot. ! was ~
chicken, even if I was green in gam
bling. and l guess Danforth sized me
up as able to take care Of myself. lie
sauntered up to the boy, who stood
near me. and said:
This is good place to get out of!
"'What do you mean" asked the
boy, Brace game. eh?'
NO. sir: it is a square game. This
is Danforth's and I'm Danforth. It's
bad business for boys. That's what |
mean
Il overheard this conversation and
it interested me because it bore out all
the reports that | had heard Of Dan
forth's general character.
Needn't worry about me. Dan
forth said the boy. heres my roll,
ana he pulled out 4 wad Of big bills.
and when that's gone I've got more.
don't squeal when I lose. I'm out for
fun. Never you mind me-
"Danforth saw that it was no use
and he walked away.
Funny sort of 4 duck to run a gam
bling hell said the boy 10 me. and when
had replied we continued the CONVEX
Sation. We sat down together at the
faro bank. I didn't know the game. The
boy showed me how to play and by fol-
ner. The game fascinated me. | was Il
+ air poker player, but faro was new.
Several nights later when | dropped in
to Danforth's | met the boy again. He
seemed to be merely killing time. I've
never been a drinking man. as You gen
tlemen may guess. but that night the
hoy and | did drink a lot. We played Il
little faro and again | won, al the time
sitting by the hoy ana talking To him III
the most confidential way. | told him
that my partner and had $1,000 to the