The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-23

come. as was sayin' he'd al'ays travel
the river.
He'd al'avs stake the Creole Belle that |
was workin' on, them days, an go as TAR as
we went, which was Memphis, an then he'd
take some other boat the rest o. the way.
an then wait for NJ at Memphis on III" way
home. He didn't useter have much TO saw
To nobody on the boat just set around
on deck an looked at the river. an smoked
a little. but come TO know him tol'ablr we'll,
FIN his Gattin' me to bring n tOddy to hlS
room every night. He never took but one
an he wouldn't drink that al TN" bar count
o ben' a preacher, | reckon, but h" wanted
il reg lar an il had to be just right like l
knowed how 10 make it,
'1wa'n't often I he'd spend any time
in the saloon. an when he did he never
ulster seem 10 take no interest in the card
games hat was mostly al'ayS goin on every
night. SO | Were Just naturally good
deal took. back when ! sea him watchin
q big game one ni6ht, as eager as any o
the others that WIS lOokin' on, an they
was several besides him, for Il were game
TO interest anybody that know anything
about stud poker.
THAT was what they was playin' an
there was six Of 'em in the game. They
was all high rollers. too, for th"y was plnyn'
with ;en-dolar gold pieces for chips. There
want no bet less'n ten, an good many
was well up in the hundreds.
| 1t were the usual sort o game, ther"
| nein' two professionals in Il an the others
| beiu' rank suckers, hut 'twa'nt nobody :
| business to interfere 'thouten the cap n
o. the boat seed fit. an there want many
| capns them days a. had any great obJ'c-
| tinns to a gentleman amusin' hisself any
| way he liked on board the boats.
| Them two gamblers Farrelv an Quinn
| their names was. come FIN Vicksburg, an
| they was counted two o the best on me
| river at that time. They was dandiess
like most o. the first class professionals
| an never had no trouble gettin into game
bein' slick takers an behavin' thelrsrlve,
| al'ays like gent lemen, least WAYS as lonP
| as there wa MT no disturbance in the game
| THE others was all young fellows
| heer'd they was college men goin North
as a good many young men did them day.
for n college education. whom they haC
| money enough, an there want no question
| but what these bloods had money. 1hnN
was all drinkin' wine, an just naturally
the more they drinked the easier they wa
for Farrely an Quinn.
"One o these boys--they want sea crn
morc'n boys-was II good lookin' youn'
chap they called LEstrange, that seemed
TO be sort o. ring-leader among EN-
He played a good game, too.
This here Couturier, a. | was, sayin
was lookn' on, mighty Interested Tor
no call to speak, o course, M he WASH
, playln'. H. stood behind LEstrange, az
. FIN wher, he stood reckon he coul
maybe see what card L'Estrange ha
, buried, n good bit o. the time.
"Bimeby L'Estrange begin to lose; gum
called him on big blur when he had wv
, aces shown an Quinn had two pair, al
, | then Farrelly made him lay down on
possible straight when all Farreliy ha
shown was u pair O. Fights. 'Pcare
: like he were losin' confidence, an losii
= money at the same time.
, Come a time when 1t looked Ike might
good place for L'Estrange TO lay, dowr
an I'm free to say that I'd ha' done /
( specially when Quinn put up five hundred
= which he did. But LEStrange. he hes
z tated little an then put his five hundre
in the pot, ~
a., "Farrelly seen he was beat, but he raise
u IL a thousand, an II were plain they W;
3 goin' to run the cross-cut. Quinn, !
= didn't say nothin'. but he put up two tho'
q | sand
-LEstrange looked at the pot, an the
he looked at his wad He had nigh ~
thousand left. an it were table stakes.
o they couldn't raise no more II he Gale
but he were just goin to turn his car
down when Mr.. Couturier spoke upi
- Call him. was all he said, butte W
20 so still in the saloon, an his voice "
4 so deep an strong that 1t Sounds II
d a gun, an everybody jumped,
u sLEstrange looked round to zee W