Sunday Washington globe., 1901-12-29

the kcQ Union, because luGIG Wto a suluulb
up at Moll Doyles and all the high flyers
were there bent on making a night Of It..
At midnight Chuck Kennedy let his bar
tender aud his two dealers go, got down off
the lookout, shut up the faro box and the
stud poker deal aud said to the few Piayers
in the room:
Here, fellows 4 you want to play it's
got to be roulette r uorthiug Far as I'm
concerned I'd as lief shut up
Then to Hitchcock, the young English
man, whose play alone had made the night
worth while to the house
Luck again you, ehs How muchr you
out?"
''More than l care to say" murmured
Hitchcock, slipping his pile into his coat
pockets and standing up. Pm hit hard
Chuck, but if you don't mind I'll bet few
on the wheel
Two of the players dropped out aud skunk
out of the lamp-iighted room. A Mexican
tanner, who smelled Of his trade, Connolly
the oue-eyed hack driver, and Hitchcock
were all that sat in at the roulette board.
They bet dollars where the Englishmau bet
tens and Chuck felt sorry for the stranger
Better quit, Hitchcock. - he growled as
he swept another hundred off tine board
and split stack Of whites between Con
molly aud the Mexican. Don't you never
get tired losing I'm tired o. winning
YOUR money"
The flushed, weary eyes Of the foreigner
looked at Kennedys for moment
you can't win forever" he murmured
drowsily. 1--WE got to get even; GOT to.
Hear that, Mr. Kennedy"
The gambler allowed that he wasn't
deaf" smiled sleepily and rolled again.
This time Hitchcock cashed but the Mexi-
can and Connolly lost and quit
They ought to be load up to Moll's,
said the hack driver passing in his little
pile Of chips and got to get busy.
G'night Chuck Gnight, gen 'lemenp'
Aud out he walked while the Mexican
curled up in a chair to watch the game and
Hitchcock built his towers Of ivory on the
red spots He watched with furtive eager
ness the little ball as it whirred and spun
around the moving groove, listened to it
tinkling across the brass divisions, bound
ing in and out as il struck the sloping cen
ter and finally settled-on the black
Kennedy reached for the Engiishmau's
white castles in Spain and swept them into
the drawer The players mouth was
drawn and blue He looked at the Mexican
and then at Kennedy's white nervous
fingers. He glanced about the silent room.
They we're aloner-these three Hitchcock
made no move TO play again.
'All iu2 queried Chuck
I've got another hundred up at the
hotel, drawled the Englishmau. If you'll
just wait till"
Not on your life, blurted the dealer
Pm tired I give you a run for your
money and, as I told you first, faint your
night to win"
But I've lost nearly six thousand, Ken
nedy; I'm entitled to-"
You re entitled to lose sixteen thousand
f you don't know when to quit That's
what. I'm going to bed. It's two O'Clock
Kennedy took his pistol of the edge Of
the table and slipped it into his holster.
He drew a buckskiu bag out Of the drawer
and dropped the bank" and the winnings
into II. 1t was a bad move He should
have put the money away before the pistol.
but Kennedy was sleepy His eyelids were
heavy. but he looked up when he heard the
Mexican grunt aud bawled
Cit, greaser. Go to be.e-ed ?" with a
rising infection.
He saw the Mexicans frightened eyes
fixed on Hitchcock and following thei-
warning fash turned slowly round and
looked quite narrowly into the muzzle Of
the Englshmau's IS six-shOoter.
Drop the bag Kennedy, if you please "
said the broken but deliberate gambler
The bag, fat with his thousands of paper
and gold, chugged on the oicloth top Of the
roulette.
Look out" as he saw Keuuedy's hand
swing slightly backward hold them up,
higher, higher That's IT,"
'I hate to do it, Kennedy, said Hitch.
cock backing slowly toward the door and
holding his artillery level at the dealers
face. Fact is the money wasn't mine
belonged TO sister, sick sister-aud-I
couldn stand"
He was gone In an instant Kennedy
had out his gun and started for the steps
down which he heard Hitchcock bounding
He had reached the hallway be low just as
the Euglishman swung into the saddle
The pony struck with the spurs bounded
away like a catapulL Kennedy could hear
its hoofs smite the hard street as il
stampeded but he could not see for the
glare Of the lamps within had made the
night seem blacker aud denser than ever
He stood in the middle of the wide de-
serted street and fired his pistol at the
clattering hoOf beats but they only went
swifter aud at last fell muAled and dim on
the prairie sand at the edge Of town.
Then Chuck, tricked al his own oft.prac-
ticed gun play, outwitted by a teuderfo0t
who hadn't been In camp two weeks, heard
the cluttering far of music Of Old Moll
.overwor1ed piano, wondered II his glory
would fade when the gang knew" and
wondering, cursed the empty pistol in his
hand, the Mexican who had slunk away
and the Engishman already far out on the
mesa. But there was no help for Il but e
organize pursuit He saddled his own
pony. and at daybreak he had turned ovei
the business" to Sheppard, the faro dealer
and with Pat Hickey, the sheriff, and
Butch Holiday the foreman from Max
wells, was OF across the mesa after Hitch
cock.
Hes maxim fur the railroad said
Hickey as the trio swept away across the
wind-swept tables Of sand. Just like
sneakin' tenderfOOt
Ard sure enough at noon they were rid
ing in his tracks as they led into Iolla.
A..