Morris tribune., 1903-03-21

tell you to this day, Seth and Dar
played there for five days and fol
five nights, a-seesawing and a-see.
saving, but each as stubborn as the
other and determined not to give in
They hadn't touched the meals WE
took up to 'em, and they hadn't slept
,, either. You may say it's impossible,
but just go to Indian Gulch, and
J you can prove it. The two men
were like skeletons, and Seth was SO
weak that he could not deal the
cards and swear at the same time.
con the evening of the fifth day
some Of us boys met at Ryan's and
decided in the interest of humanity
to interfere and make Seth and Dan
quit until they got into condition.
But, sho, when we went up in the
morning they were both stretched
out on the floor dead-yc stree,
dead. Each had five ca Il his
hand, and Seth was clu- zig his
last $50 as if he had just been call
ing Dan when he rolled over.
"'And he'd "a won, too' howled
Ryan as he looked at the hands.
Then Ryan wanted the match de-
clared in favor of Seth, but the boys
wouldn't have it. Bets were de-
clared off and the game called a
draw. Seth and Dan had used up
sixty-seven packs of cards, and their
golden chips were worn as smooth
as glass.
owe buried 'em side by side that
day, but now comes the strangest
part of the whole thing, and to
show you what stubborn critters
they were-that night there was a
light in tie room where they had
been playing, and as sure as I'm
here there sat Dan and Seth as nat
ural as life, a-fipping their cards
and tossing their chips by the light
Of the ghostly candle. Maybe they
didn't have that whole hotel to
themselves! Sho, 1 guess they did!
Nobody d go nigh it. Hansen went
around crying almost and saying
he didn't see why two stubborn ga
loots couldn't stay where they we're
planted instead Of coming to haunt
an honest mans house and ruin his
business. But nothing seemed to
interfere with the game. Every
night for week Seth and Dan sat
up playing, while the whole Gulch
gazed at the light in the window and
shivered and snapped ghost stories.
At last Ryan one night said he had
a mind to see how the game stood,
and he climbed up to peep in the
window. Just as he did SO we saw
a flash Of light shoot across the
room, and three minutes afterward
Hansen's place was in blaze.
''Ryan said that as he looked in
the window Seth had caught Dan
cheating and had thrown the candle
at him. The place was burned to
the ground, and Indian Gulch felt |
relieved to think that the ghosts
were gone"
81 should say so,'' gasped one of
the auditors.
'FBut sho as Pm here, gentlemen,
there was a blush blaze seen around
the ashes of the burned building |
the very next night, and there Seth
and Dan, looking as if they were
made Of chalk, were observed sitting
on a pile of rocks that had been
Hansen's chimney Tipping their
cards as lively as ever.
'"This was too much, and Indian
Gulch was scared in good earnest.
But some Of us got together and de-
,ided that Seth and Dan must go.
We dug 'em up and carted 'em five
niles up a canyon and there buried
EN-. We never saw them again in
indian Gulch, but soon afterward
some prospectors came down from
he hills and said that they had
seen two ghosts sitting under a tree
md playing. But, sho, gentlemen,
where are you going"
The shriveled old miner from Ne
vada turned as he followed the 9th
rs in their hasty exit.
"I did think" he said, "you'd
lave the decency to let them two
,usses rest in their graves, but if
rou're going to yank 'em all over
he country, why, go it alone" And
he Mariposa man was left alone.
'FWell, sho, I'm burned" mutter-
d the narrator of Seth Cox's ad-
-entures. ''Reckon III go back to
he Gulch tomorrow, where the
olks are sociable and mannerly."-
70 N Ero noicoO Coll |