The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-04-27
Resident of Mojave Tells How
Gambler Was Skinned.
BY OLD TIME COWBOY
Interesting Story of Tin Horn
Life in West.

that he was cinch Individual" said
Ira 8furdock who used to conduct eatine
houses at various points aiong the line
of the Santa Fe IN my day out that
way Of ALojaave Kern county, Cal. was
not exactly what you would call bad
town. but most Of the ombreys anchored
there is. passing through had had hack
or so at tho settlements where quick gun
plays were ordinary events as whole
house line UPS at the bars, and never
saw the tim when the AIojave gang
would stand for any great amount of
foolishness.
Barney Kes ting didn't know this when
he got along with his layout in the fall
Of 81 He hadn't an idea Of the chance
he was taking in trying to give Nojave
the piouy end If it.
..lfe began on that line right from the
jump He showed the boys that he had
e bank roll Of $4,000 pat, and told them
10 come along His faro box was one
of those Chicag o-made contraptions that
enables the desa CT TO do about every old
shing except plz casino with himself
in sliding the car ds out ana his roulette
whecl was anothe hot piece of nlechan-
ism that permitted him to Joggle the mar
ole into any old no Ie ne wanted it TO drop
.sn by the employIn,ent Of a little foot work.
wen. from the moment that this lead
pipe man uttered his first All set" he
went right after e'gerything in the way
OF currency that AIojave possessed. They
didn't say much about it on the first
night that Keating opened up and start
ed after it with butterfly net. but they
scratched their heads a lot and looked
each other over a-ulentyS out OF the cor
-ners Of their eyes.
How'd you make out?" I asked one
of the boys on the morning after Keat-
sng opened up.
$3.50 he replied quietly. giving me
y characteTistcalIy conservative answer.
Il lost TWO hundred and q half quite
sudden"
other boys do anything" asked
him
Nothing. 'cept plug Keatinss game
along a lot he replied rather hesitaung-
" They all lose ont as il in a hurry to
get TO bed before midnight
Nice game. that said ]. Lucky game
too. Did II 4ooll all right
.-He pushed his vaquero hat back.
scratched his head refecdvely. rolled a
cigarette. and y-ouchsabad no reply, Men
out there learn not 10 express any posi-
1ivc convictions untn they know they're
right
.Keating's hadn't been tipped of about
the state of public opinion. and he was
in fine feather the second evening over
the initial killing he han made and in an
ticipation Of other ones TO follow. About
u O'Clock when most of the men around
The table were about in, 'Honk Curtis.
AIosave's boss freighter. and a pretty wei
to do man strolled ia. lie bought $3.50
worth of yellows-they were all worth
$3.50 apiece-aad started in to play bank.
"TIonk played bank an the way from the
Columbia to the BIO Grande and he
know how Heating began to devote
himself almost exclusively to sweeping
those yellow checks of Curtis into his
rack. and the expression and surprise
that mounted to Honks red countenance
when he began TO see that he wasn't
picking more than one or two winners
10 the deal he would have been funny
ST the face had belonged to any other
snan-but there wasn't anything funny
about Honk's personality.
This don't nachully pear 10 be my
night remarked Curtis. pushing his chair
back when his $3.50 worth of yellows had
been passed over to Keating's side with
only "A few rebates in the whole play
'AIebby, III measure up some better on
picking the marble. and he got UP and
walkef over 10 the roulette wheel.
Heating asked the other men stin at
she faro to suspend operations for a
space until he tossed the pea around bit
Tor Hoak. and they an inclined their
heads without saving anything. How it
happened that Heating didn't take notice
of the ominous quietness Of the bunch
Is too many for me.
Curtis bought another $3.50 worth of
yenows wherewith TO find out If there
was going to be anything doing on his
style OF wheel play. He found out from
the falling of the mouchoir thar there (
was going TO be nothing doing whatever /
keaune's arranged wheel might pust as
1ittingly have been a Wen dug on the 4
premises for The reception OF Honl1's 4
money ana long before he had got to the +
bottom eff his roulette stack Honk knew 1
IT.
Curtis put his last pair OF yenows on |
= number while we an stood about /
Matching TO see If Heating was going
10 get diplomatic and give him kind OF /
"a show at aH for his white alley. Keat- 4
3ne wasn't The plea slid into a I--.e on /
The other side of the wheel. and Heating |
with a bland and an INSCRIPTIONS grin.
hoed in the hnal brave of lie yellow
Ehips
When Heating looked up 49, yeposit-
ing The checks in the rack he found him
helf gazing into TIE barrels Of a pair
IL very steaduy-hsid forty-G--- Keat-