The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-06-08

always be found, filled UP y check O
the Bank of California for $32cO
signed and walked back to Judg
Jones.
Up to this moment Jones though
Billy was fooling. He was mistaken.
''Ill be this in the pot, the jack
win, aginst your safe and contents,
said Owens.
1T is WE'LL" said Jones, without
smile pulling out big safe key frof
his side pocket aud Shaping it dow
hard on top of Billy's check in the pot
THAT represents my wealth."
All the other players stopped playing
to watch the game. The third turn, Il
the key lay hugging the heck, GU
came the card. Jack WINS he 'leale
called, very white about the gills
Busted by the everlasting jumeins
jingo!" yelled the Texas judge, "hu
damn my eyes, Billy, you are the yer.
man 1 want to win If 1 must lose"
The bank was broke, and until day
light Billy Owens made it lively fol
the boys. The judge closed his game
but within week he struck it rich y
a placer mine and opened up y
game more gorgeous than the rst.
In the days of the early Forty miners
we all carried our lives in our hands
| and it was my usual habit to carry 6
revolver day and night, but as / knew
| everybody, and didn't think I had ar
enemy in the world, I soon laid aside
my weapons. But I had one scare that
nearly cost an innocent mans life and
my own escape from accidental death
| was marvellous.
| A brawny Scotchman, Duga!d Nc
| Pherson by name, came to the mining
country in California and struck It
rich the first year. He was a bold OPP
orator, peaceful sober, and a devil in
carnate when vexed or under the in
fluence.
Forty miles from San Francisco the
old bachelor Mcpherson had a ranch
where the boys loved to sojolrn over
Sunday. 1t was in the center of viz
gin oak forest that the old Scot lived
surrounded by hundred nenchman,
with cellars we'll filled with rare and
costly wines from all over the world.
Presiding over. the old mans home
and mistress of the ranch was span.
ish senorita, fat and over 40 years OLD,
and a miraculous cook. / certainly had
no eyes for the senorita, but after I
had gone back to Frisco, leaving my
friends behind, some of the wass in the
party told the old Scot that had been
using 1.-The whispered speech that low
ers use" in conversation on a May
night on the piazza of the adobe man
sion with his dusky senorita. The
green-eyed passion seized mine host.
This was fun to the boys, but 1t was
like to have been death to the city sur
veyor of San Francisco, which office /
then held. Imagine my feelings #
discomfort and establishment and an
ger when told by one of our party at
my office in the city, and in dead earn
est, that the Scotchman had sent me
word that he meant to put a. bullet hole
in me on sight.
My revolvers were soon hunted UP;
but the nearest gunsmith (this industry
was lively one at that period Of Cali
fornia history found them badly out
of order, and pressed upon me two,
single barrelled pistols with very hair
triggers. Then I felt better I didn't
mean to be killed by the blood minded
Mcpherson without a chance for my
white alley, as the boys say With my
hair-trigger pistols, and in each trous-
ers pocket, l sauntered down town and
into one Of the most gorgeous saloons
In Frisco, for we had no clubs In those
days of 40.
The transition from the barrcora to
The faro room in the rear Of the saloon
t,t,.n fa, IL r 7
play, / was sure to meet th4re many
big men and city officials, al well
known to me. The Scottish chief I
thought, was still up on his own ranch,
)r hunting five-pronged bucks among
he mosquito bushes in the mountains. |
Nevertheless, as l got close ur to one
If the faro tables, I was much interest
ID in the play of a little short, squatty |
lalf-breed French Mexican gambler, |
Who was plunging widely with his gold |
lust all over the thirteen cards on the |
arc layout When I was within six
nches of the half breed / looked up.
There, ten PAGES away on the other side
# the table, towering like another
saul, among the gambling Israe'ites,
tx feet in his boots, stood my mortal
'anced
/ stood still, both hands grasping my
rusty single barrel in my trousers
ockets. Suddenly there was an explo-
ion; a. hundred revolvers were in
family drawn in the gambling room
nd the click in cooking the shooting
'ons drowned the click of the worries
nd the buzz of the roulette wheel.
"Sac-r-r-e dame!" cried the little
alf breed, scattering his handful of
old dust around the room, and max
lg a wild jump he mounted the faro
,be at a bound.
The dealer drew his pistol, and the
alf- breed was very close to the gates
lar of another world as he cavort ed
rangely among the chips, scared out
: his wits. With my left I drew my
,maining pistol and pointed it at the
lrly Scot, Mcpherson. All my life .
as crowded into that moment when
lie sense of danger was calculated to
retch an hour into eternity or eter IL >
into a moment. Mcpherson threw UP
,th hands and shouted my pistol, still
,lding cool head on him
Don't! I'm . fool. T found out the
1tri,, to al