The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-12-02
SAM ALIENS PROWDEHTIAL TREY.
BY DAVID A. CURTIS.

~-~ ~S "AD 80 49, 0A- 49,
that gentleman was wise enough TO see
1t, the u~npleasantness hat had threat
ned was washed out with red liquor.
After the old man Greenhut had served
the round and put away the glasses. hH
walked back to his seat by the window
and remarked that IL was curious what
a difference some pesky little thing
made, sometimes.
l Just because one citizen don't like
the shape OF another citizens pipe" he
said. I've vas nigh havin' battle, muir
der an sudden death right in our
midst, on'y for a bung-starter an a lit
tie common sense. Minds me o the
time 1 seen a Teller pick up a trey o
clubs Off the floor, an save the repu-
tation Of Arkansas City with it. a trey
o clubs amt much Of itself, an it
looked like a sure enough accident
about it's bein' on the floor. bet it were
a dispensatiOn O Providence that give
Sam Allen. that's dead now, the chanst
o maxim use on it, just at the right
minute.
1T were a long time ago. an Arkan-
sas City were just gettin' to be renown-
ed for the brand o poker that was play
ed here. 'Twa'n't as polished a game
as there is here, now, p'rhaps, but 1t
were about the best on the river, an
Sam Allen were one o. the early Din-
neers that played it in a way TO break
the hearts o. them ~avaliu' THrH'nrs
that went around Dustin up communi-
ties.
There was three on 'em got off the
boat here one day and started a game
up to the hotel that IL sted nigh forty
-ht hours. Some o the most sol
men in town a set in an gone broke,
an some O. the others had lost about
all they felt like losin'. so's't these here
buccaneers was about six thousand dol
lars to the good, an the citizens felt
like somethin' had got to be did.
all knowed hat Allen were the
best player in town at that time. but
the trouble vast he was most gently
broke, not havin' no talent for keepin'
none when he had it won. So he
hadn't set in, but he'd been lookin' on,
mighty interested, most . the time they
We're playin'.
Finally there was a committee APP
D'inted to raise a stake for Sam to set
in an see what he cd do. an there was
about two thousand dollars subscribed.
Sam was to have half o what he won.
1t were a big chance, : at everybody re-
allied t the reputation O the commu-
nifty had got for to be maintained #
it were anyways possible.
"WeIl. Sam set in an played along
for two or three hours with mighty
uneven luck. Two or three times he
run his pile up more'n double, an twice
he come near bein' wiped out, but ne
played 'em close an clever, an pulled
up each time. There was several on US
watchin', so there wa'n'nt no great
danger O crooked play, an we hadn't
got none discouraged. when as I said.
Providence took a hand in the game an
put that there trey O clubs right where
'twould be useful.
They was playin' straights.
S~traights want always played in them
days. for they was a new hand, an 4
good many wouldn't stand for 'em. but
they VS. comm in, an O course the
straight flush was just a natural conse-
uuence. but there'd been so few straight
fushes held by anybody that nobody
'peared to recognize what dangerous
Things they was to the other Teller.
well, there'd been a good many
decks O cards used in that there game.
an quite a lot O the old ones had been
thrOwed on the floor where they laid.
scattered round, promisc'ous like, no
body payin' no 'tention to 'em, just nat
urally.
Pears there was a trey O. clubs had
fell just alongside O. Aliens chair, face
up. an he happened 20 see it while he
were playin'. D course, bein' face up,
he couldn't tell what color the back
was. All he knOwed were that twas a
trey O clubs. as I was sayin', an that
didn't seem to make no great impress
sion or him. He told me afterwards all
he was thinkin' about was t he saw a
club On the floor.
Come a Jackpot that was sweeten-
ed up considerably an he was dealin'.
The first man to say, he opened it for
the size of it and both the others come
in. so when it come round to Allen, It
cost him about sixty dollars to get in
to a pot that was nigh two hundred
and forty strong already. o. course.
that were considerable of a temptation.
an when he looked at his hand and
found he held four little clubs. he
| nhinnn1 in hio civ&U ILL., - T;f%fo -1or
There hadn't been no raise, so he
couldn't f@ger on what anybody had.
but he had the last say in the draw, o
course, an he seen what the others
drawed afore he took his one card.
:, THE Denec took two, just naturally
indicatin' threes in his hand. The next
man took three and the third man one.
When Allen looked at his draw, he seen
he'd caught a diamond.
He were too good q player to make
any signs afore it come his turn so he
sOt still. The opener he bet a chip, an
the next mar laid down. He hadn't bet
tered his pair. Then tn next man
raised it a hundred, an Allen were just
goin' to throw his and in the discard
when he happened to think about that
trev o clubs, lynn mex to his foot. an
quick as a flash he changed his mind.
''Reachin' out like he were goin' to
count out some chips, he fumbled 'em
hlHu o d"hNfTu. an hnOCheC over q
stack. so's't three Or our on 'em fell
| on the floor. Just naturally that give
him a chanst o reachin' down to pick
'em up, which he did, cussinn' at hisself,
sort O provoked like, for bein' so clum-
sy, an he managed to pick up that
card without bein' seen.
1T were some of a risk, Of course,
but Sam were very handy with his fin
gers, IN when he Strengthened up in
his chair, he had six cards. but one O.
'em was up his sleeve, an it an the
trey O. -lubs neither. All s he realized
was t he had a flush, an a flush were
: big enough to call a hundred dollar bet
on. So he just come in.
} That brought it up to the opener
again. an he boosted 1t a couple a
hundred. The next man RELY ad
tours, but 'twa'n't no part o his play
to drive Sam out, so he made good an
] didn't raise. o. course, Sam hadn't nc
means O judgin' what either on EN-
j had 'ceptin' the opener'd likely had
E threes all the time. an his ush beiu
] a small one. was a kin O. doubtful pro.