The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-10

ur some I want likely to let ne
stranger make little O. the fair name of
Arkansas City, even il it did Interfere
some with trade. Besides the game was
likely to be played in my place an 1
always look after the kitty myself. So
l says:
There is poker played in town, some
times, an if you're really heIl-bent on
playin' 1 reckon there's some O. the boys
will accommodate you with game
1t didn't look like a very hard PROPOSE
ton to go against a man that had been
drinkin' like Blenkinsop had, an Wa Mt
as particular as I'd oughter been in MAX
in up the party that night. There was
three or four pretty good players in the
room an l just passed 'em the word an
in a few minutes they was settin' COM
Portable IN the hack room with cards an
chips, maxim up game to suit. There
was some talk of a limit, but Blepldnsop
wouldn't listen to It
CT used to play limit game at
school, he says, with nasty Sheer, but
I left that an marbles behind me when
I growed up
''One or two of 'ern was wiIIfn' to play
sky high but Jake Winterbottom he said
he want feelin' very WELL, an table
stakes was rich enough for him, so table
stakes was fixed, nobody maxim no great
objections to that They flashed up five
hundred apiece. an the play began.
There was six in the game, so that made
three thousand to play for.
well 1t sure did seem sinful the way
that Blenkinsop got away with them five
Arkansas City men. Mind you, 1 ain t
Sayin' he played crooked, even after all
that happened I never say anything
about a man when he amt present that
I wouldn't say to his face, an no man
never ought to make that statement
'thout he's ready to back it up in case
the other Teller takes it up as O. course
he will if he's anything of a man, an
! takin all things into consideration,
don't reckon I'd banker fer a fight with
Blenkinsop. I amt as young as WIS.
.'But. without casting no reflection on
the character of his play, Il must say
| that Blenk1nsop was one O the best deal
| ers that ever got off at Arkansas City.
He were more than a. match for them
five, even if they did understand each
others game better'n Blenkinsop, hein' a
stranger, naturally would
eeIe was crafty, toe, an he never did
no plungin on good hand 'thouten hed
dealt it himself, an 'twan't no good Civ
in him a full house when he hadn't no
means o satisfyin' himself that there
want four of a kind out against him.
Just naturally he didn't get away with
the whole three thousand that night
The boys was cunnin' enough to see they
was up against it, thout droppin' all
they had but he won close onto fifteen
hundred before they saw twas no use.
an one by one reckoned they'd had
enough. Jake Winterbottom he come to
me after the game broke up an spoke
quite nasty. 1 don't reckon I'd ha took
it FIN everybody, but Jake an I was CID
friends.
""Fears to me- he says, that we was
led like lambs to the slaughter, an stead
o. feastfn on this here Blenkinsop, like
we had a right to expect after you pro-
posin' of a game, We was merely seenlin'
to provide him with means for continuin
his earousin'.'
'sFhere. ant no use quarrelin' over
it, so I spoke gentle to WinterbOttom
There's no denyin',' ! says, that he IS
one O. the toughest propositions that
struck Arkansas City for some years.
But this here game L says, will just
naturally whet his appetite an by to
morrow night 1 says, Z think We can
manage to make him see the error o. his
ways
"WeH, O. course, there wa MT no diff
Guilty in gettn' BIenkinsop to play the
next night. He were just hungry for ii,
an when he see that none o. the men
that was in the game the night afora
was shown up, he SFinned pleasant
enough I knowed what he were think
too serious a matter for jokin' an L
didn't feel altogether sure O. the game,
even if the five best players in Arkan-
sas City had gotten together to mGe1
him.
81 might ha' knowed. though, that
there wa II no player on the river Cou
got away with that proposition. 1t t3ek
about four hours, for Blenkinsop was n
man as could play as well with jag a J
he could plumb sober. L don't know but he
could play better that way, but anyway
he was a good one. The boys had him,
t though, an when that game broke. u1
he had dropped his fifteen hundred velvet
an. about four thousand more. IT were
most satisfactory sittin'.
He didn't squeal. Feared like he had
more sense tnan most, even if nc did
keep pourfn' in red liquor most aulaz-
in He didn't get no drunken. FOR yet
he didn't seem to sober up on it, bat the
next night when somebody said some
/ thin about cads ne spoke up just as
frank an open as he lad to me about
his drnkin'
- Pears like amt strong enough f
this crowd. he says, and we couldn't
help lilin' him for the way he talked.
There want no false pride about cim
He says, I started in to get you ali
drunk, an T found you could outdrink
me- / thought 1 could do you up a rck-
er, an ain one, Two, three, six With
the outfit, but there's one thing about
me- I know when I'm outclassed an
don't run in any, race when the haudi-
caps too heavy. But he says, there's
one thing I will do, I've got about two
thousand in my jeans yet an I'll nave a
go at stud poker, table stakes, with any
body IN town.
Wen. now, as a general thing when.
anybody comes to Arkansas City an
talks about stud poker he doesn't rouse
no enthusiasm ] amt sayin' nothin'
against the game as a game. but tain t
the game. It's good trainin' for those as
is studyin' the. reel principles o. draw
poker. an man can pick up a good
many p'ints of a first-class eddicatien
firm studyin' the cards as they come in
stud.
But when 1t comes to reel scientific
play, it stands to reason there amt moth