The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-12-02

4 SeeIIlIHS LTlHS may prove 10 De-
A game Of poker in which righteous
ness triumphed-
Copyright, 1902, by Robert Howard
RUsselI.)
Arkansas City was SUFFERING in 1882,
from the worst Of the spring floods that
the oldest ~inhabitant could remember.
From every direction freshets Of unpre-
cedented volume came all at one time. 50
that the water rose to the very summit
Of the leyee, and even washed over the
top. The upper Mississippi, the Mis-
souri,, and the Ohio rivers, instead OF
bringing down the winter aCcumula-
tions separately, had emptied them all
togethc- IN the lower river, so that Cal
70 he. Jecome an island. and the flood
had oxen over the Missouri banks
and inundated the St. Francis valley.
That great basin. formed by the earth
quake OF 1872, when the ground sank
some fourteen feet throughout several
n was q raging sea, and the lit
tie St. Francis river. striving to do its
duty as an outlet. met with nothing but
encouragement, since it's own mouth
vas ehoked up by the waters in the
Mississippi below.
Added TO all this aqueous plethora
va " @NS "a AA NAA~
tributaries of the Arkansas river, and
Arkansas City, near the mouth of thet
stream, had nowhere to look for relief.
That portion Of the town which was
built almost on the level OF the levee,
was only partially submerged, but the
country back of it was entirely under
water. The result was a congestion of
the population in the comparatively few
houses that were still habitabIe. and al
most a total suspension of business
o. tside OF the buying and selling of
food and drink. One of the main in
dustries Of the place, however. was the
purveying of liquor at retail, end tn"
trade in this was rather stimulated than
depressed, so that there was less real
suffering than might have been eX-
Dected.
By far the most popular of the many
saloons on the main street was the one
kept by old man Greenhut, and the most
of the skiffs and RATS on which people
went from house to house. were tied UP
at his door more frequently than any
where else. The old man himself was
bv no means dOWncast by reason of the
situation though he watched as closely
as any of his ~neighbors. day by day,
for some abatement Uf the food"
"'Pears like it must ha' been some
such place as this" he said one evening
as he sat looking out of his favorite
window. that the Psalmist of Israel
IIOSl hd HdN III mn "IOI IL civ
There's water, water everywhere, an
none on it's fit to drink I don't know
as there's nothin' quite so ~discouragin'
as"
At this momen q pistol shot inter
ru~ted his discourse, and the group of
half a dozen men who were listening to
him, noticed that he mOVed his head
slightly. as if he were trying to dis
suade a mosquito from aliGhting on his
nose.
Ordinarily the unexpected discharge
of a ofstol nearby will attract the I'M
di ided attention of those who hear it.
ever in Arkansas City, but in this case,
the old mans listeners all saw that he
had been hit by the bullet, and instead
of turning to see who had fired they
watched him more intently than before.
some of them starting to their feet
with the evident desire to help him if
he required help.
Apparently. however, he did not. A
look of 4rprise came on his face. and
he slowly raised his right hand and felt
of his cheek. across which a shallow
furrow appeared. lingering this A mo-
ment. he found that no serious damage
had been done, but on looking at his
fingers. he saw that they were stained
with blood. A tremendous scuffe. that
had started as soon as the shot was
fired, was in progress near the door OF
the saloon. but before turning around.
the old man drew from his vest pocket
a tiny mirrow, the size of a silver dol
lar, and looked at his cheek carefully.
After satisfying himself that his in
fury was really trivial. he rose to his
feet with the most surprising agility.
considering his previous d"elinerateneSS
and Selling a bung-starter from behfnd
the bar, became Immediately the central
figure in the Scuff1e. By this time
everybody in the room was lending a
hand in one way or another. and every
body was trying to pick up a revolver
that lay or the floor under the feet OF
the struggling crowd.
Clearing his way by knocking three
Or four men down with the bung-starI-
er. the old man put his foot on the
weapon and then said: Now. boys
quit your devilin' an tell me n all
this is about. Who fired that gun?
81 did" said Joe BaSsett. He was
purple with rage, and was struggling
vainly to free himself from three or
four men who held him with a hrm'
but a friendly grip. F.
Il did" he shouted. IAN if / can sit
that gun agin I'll kill the"
You'll kill nothin' in this here
house" interrupted the cid man, stern
Iy. I'm surprised at We, Joe. You
know well enough 1 don't allow no %uT
play on the premises. II you want -
do any KILN, you've got 20 go outdoors
I've told you that afore. More special
Iy if you're coin 20 shoot like Il tender
foot. You came Iamn near huTTIn me
Just now. n if you bad. "a ma 81 n
you a thunderin' good li2kin'. I've :
notion to lick you anynoW Tor slCCiih
so careless"
We'll. / didn't go fer . hit You
Greenhut, an I'm powerful sorry !
did" said Bassett. considerably abaSh-
ed. Il wouldn't ha' done it if some I1i'
hadn't knocked the gun out o my hand
He's the feller for you to lick II you
don't want me to kill him. There's nc
tellin' what mischief lie mought ha
did"
1t was evident that Mr.. Bassett was
not entirely sober, n the old man. Ter
ceiving this, suffered his own wrath Il
die away rapidly. 1t was by way ot eN
postulation, rather than niger, that ht
spoke next. Who was you thinl;in
you was shootin' at anyhow" he asked
IT want shottin' at nobody" sait
Bassett, but / aIays told Winterbot
tom I I didn't like the shape o that OLE
pipe he smokes, n I thought it wer'
about time to get shut of it. I'd ha dit