The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-05

WaS'nOt 10 De Suspected Oh ctOVhSA AShAAhi u
! which, OF ITSELF was matter OF no Small
J importance. There was, nevertheless, no
relaxation In the vigilance with which they
watched one another
I On the contrary, as the play grew heavier
, tho suspicion with which each man looked
! at his neighbor seemed to grow more keen
4 There were not many deals in which as much
money changed hands as Winterbottom
had won on his four deuces when he had
| the luck TO catch a pat full against him.
but the average of the hands was tolerably
| large, and as there was wholesome s,ls-
! picion of bluffs prevalent there were rather
more calls than was usual among such close
! players as the six.
Fortune varied, but though the Mem
/ phis men were hard hit several times,
they managed to hold their own fairly
| well, until after some hours or play they
were perhaps four or five thousand TO the
| good, counting their two piles az one
! But no one Of the Arkansas City players had
been forced out of the game except Plum
| kit, who had gone broke on an unrortn-
nate succession Of hands eliminating
with an ace-high flush against queen
| full that Turner made in two-card draw
/ He retired with as good grace as he could
muster, and joined the circl" of onlookars
who sat, hour after hour, almost rs much
| Interested as the players themselves III the
game.
Among these onlooknrs, none was NOR"
! keenly observant than Old Man Green
, hut himself, who passed in and out from
behind the bar, bringing the drinks or a
! fresh deck Of cards whenever they were
| called for, and personally attending TO the
| replenishing Of the two small lamps which,
, in addition TO the large one that hung over
the card table furnished all the light in the
! saloon. He lost none of the interesting
| features OF tho game, however, and as
! he saw the two strangers gradually getting
the best OF the struggle his anxiety grew
more and more intense.
"'Pears to me-" he muttered to himself
| more than once, "like there was pre- ssin
| need for some merciful interposition o
! Providence, 'thouten it is that some calam-
ity is comm on. The boys amt dom
| themselves justice. or else these hero two
Memphis sports is better'n l reckoned."
Joe Barrett seemed to be Of similar
mind, and az he was at all times prone
! to haste in his words and acts. there seemed
to be growing probability of something
intervening. Three or four times he swore
| violently when he lost, as he did more ire
quently as the game went on and presently
the climax came.
1t was Turner's deal and jackpot. There
| had been some sweetening. so that there
was SIS in the centre of the table when
Winterbottom opened it for $25, the three
men before him having rnssed. 1t locked
as If Wintorbottom and the dealer
would have II cut between them, the other
three not having openers, so Turner had
no hesitation in raising, which he did, ex-
pecting the others to drop.
1t so happened, however, that Bassett
had the king, queen, jack ard ten of spades,
and the temptation to draw. with the chance
of filing straight. n flush, or even royal
flush, was too great for him to resist. He
therefore threw in his fifty, leaving him
with no more than two hundred In his roll,
and waited for Winterbottom to speak.
The latter could hardly stay out with aces
up I'm his hand and certainly was not strong
enough to raise back, SO he simply made
good
In the draw eao h man took card, Turner
having three fives and holding kicker
because of the apparent certainty that
threes were enough to win, barring the
| chances of the draw
WinteIbottom had not bettered, SO he
bet white chip. Turner trailed without
looking at his draw, putting it up to Bassett
to raise if he had t"'tered. 1t was rather
curious play and g. ly to be explained by
| a fear OF the two one-card draws against
him.
1t happened that Bassett had caught
a small spade, and he threw his roll in the
pot Winterbottom laid down, and Turner
looked at his draw. He had made five
| full on queens, and called, seeing that
Bassett was all in.
At this Bassett lost control of himself
entirely, ard swore with great oath that
the deal was crooked
Beyond that word no game was ever
PLAYED in Arkansas City without en- inter-
Jude at the least and Bloodgood and Turner
both knew it. The shot that was fired at
Bassett missed it's mark because some one
| behind Turner knocked his pistol arm
up at the moment he pulled the trigger, but
it crashed through the big lamp, eNtinguish-
ing the light.
AT the moment of Bassett's speaking,
Old Man Greenhut sprang for the bar and
| seized his bungstarter, but he had not
fairly lifted it before the big light was out.
BY what must be considered a curious coin
cidence, he swung the bungstarter around
80 clumsly that one of the two remaining
lights was knocked of the bar. And In
another moment the only remaining lamp
had been smashed also, SO that the room
was In darkness.
Two or three more shots rang out, almost
on the instant. Then came hush, and
then the sound of a furious struggle. fol-
lowed by a shrek Of agony and horrible
gasping noise. Then silence again.
Presently several men struck matches
and the lights reappeared, but there WAS
no more fighting Bloodgood had been
shot dead. and Turner was stabbed down
through the throat They looked at him
closely, but he, too. was dead
Beats all" said Old Man Greenhut, when
they had come to a realization Of all that
had happened at sure is amaZin' how
fellers that comes here to do up Arkansas
City, meets with accidents almost invariable.
Either they loses their money glar, in
the course o the game, or else they takes
their lives in their hands, like these two
misguided critters, an plays crooked,
KNOWN what's liable to happen. Pears
like they hain't none on EN- got good sense