The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-07
THE SEQUEL OF
/ A POKER GAME.
Continued Story of the Days on the
Mississippi Whoa Gamblers Were
Free With Their Pistols.

City OF NatCheZ. Most every DOdy tnat
travelled the river long enough to remem-
Der how twas s long ago s that, has said
the same thing. I've said 1t myself good
many times, so faint no novelty. But
there is things that crops up now an again,
that kind O. brings 1t up fresh an sets
man thinkin' like.
There were shootin' scrape on the boat
on'y about week ago, that sized up about
Of a height with most o such doins now
adays 'Twa'n't ony about such a sort
of fight as two boys has over game o
marbles. il both on EN- is anyways high
tempered, but it was serious enough for
some galoot that come on board at Vicks-
burg, to write half column into his
paper about il, an start the police lookin'
into it.
"Shucks' thing like that wouldn't
ha' been thought no more OF in the old days
n IL some felerd dropped his hat over
board. One man shot another one through
the arm, an he bled consid able. They
said he'd ha' died If there hadn't been a
doctor aboard, n | don't know but he
mcught, but there was doctor, an he got
tied up correct an quick. an they say he'll
Be- all right in month or SO If blood p'isonin'
don't set in.
An they locked the other Teller up. an
they say he's goin' TO be sent to the pene-
Tertiary. The fellerthat got shot had called
him a cheat too, in a poker game; but
pears like that amt thought noth:n' of,
now. Time vast man just had to shoot
when thing like that was said to him.
"More'n that, il q man was shot an not
killed, he didn't tell no st cries to the news
papers about it, nor he didn't go to the
police with no complaints. He Just reck-
oned hisself lucky to get of as easy as he
did. an waited til he got well enough, an
then laid for the other Teller an took his
chances O. gettin' squar'.
Il amt a sayin' that them times was
any better than these. Mebbe they want
% good. l amt no hand to set myself,
en- what / may think, agin the general
sentiment Of the community. ] on'y say
II were different mighty different.
There were n case that | knowed about
a good while ago, that al'ays call to mind
when anybody makes a fuss over little
thing like | was speakin' Of 1t were a
rattln' good fight while it lasted. an it
lasted eight year. An there was four men
killed, let alone two or three that got hurt
accidental afore it were settled.
1t were a gambler named Frank Allen
that started the whole thing. Leastways.
he was in it at the start There was another
man in it. too, like there always has to be
two TO make fight but he wasn't in it no
more, on'y Just at the beginnin', for Allen
drawed first.
1.-THE other man was named Hicks.
disremember his first name. but he were
planter. I'm some where's up the Missouri
that had come down the river on pleasure
trip. being some of sport. an was goin'
home on tho old Creole Belle, that run. them
days, as far north az st. Louis.
ALLEN were gambler, a regular profess
sional; an one that stood high among his
thouten he were up against some other pro-
fessional that p aged crooked. More n
that. he wa mt no hand to fight, they said
an hadn't never been knowed to pull a gun
afore the time him an Hicks met up,
everythin'. Pears like Aliens time had
come when him an Hicks was playin'
poker on the Creole Belle.
Il was workin' on her then, an watched
the game for half an hour while things was
PLAYER all right. an he had the money 10
back his game, but Allen had the science.
an jest naturally he was gottin' hold O the
money.
a call as ever seen. They was playin' stud
an there want no limit on
First Allen got an eight spot shown
an Hicks got an ace. Hicks bet five dollars
an Allen stayed. Then Hicks got queen
Hicks bet ten, an Allen raised him
twenty, shown that he had pair or else
was bluffin', an thought likely Hicks d
drop. but instead O. that he come back with
fifty mere, maxim it look like he'd got a
pair.
Right then was when Id ha' dropped
II I'd been in Aliens place, but he didn't
Hicks had been blufin' considerable afore
that. an l reckon Allen sized him up for
he'd never seen the fifty but he wasn't
no such fool as to rise again, seein' that II
Hicks really had a pair O. big ones, he'd
come back again.
Well the next turn each on EN- got a
jack, an Hicks, bein' high man, bet hun
dred. o. course it didn't look like the
jack was any particular good to neither. on
EN-, and the chances was the same as they
had been afore. so, just naturally, Allen seen
the hundred He wasn't no better hxed
to raise, n he had been. an q long s he
hadn't laid down afore. 'twan't likely I he
would then.
"On the last turn. Hicks caught ten spot,
an Allen a deuce, an Hicks's shown cards
was all clubs. o. course that made all sorts
o. possibilities for Hicks's hand.
He might a had big pair or straight
or a flush or even royal flush. An the
most that Allen could have was the pair O.
skies or Fights that it looked like he had
at the beginnin'.
1T were great openin' for blum II Hicks
didn't have nothin' and o course II he
had anything at all, more EN- ace high,
he had Allen beat to a FRAGILE. As l was
sayin: he had money an he had nerve, an
he showed both, for he plunked q thousand
dollars in the pot an all he had was ace high.
o. course we didn't know II then, but it came
out when Allen called.
He did Il monstrous quiet like, but he
didn't hesitate a minute Feared he'd
sized Hicks for a bluff from the start, an
little thing like thousand dollar bet
wasn't goin' to make him weaken. Any
way, he called, an took the pot, for he
had two Fights, like he'd just as good az
told Hicks afore, an Hicks had deuce O.
d's-on~ds ',-,-ted.
We'll, h.,xs t.~,k i like a little man
an on'y just laughed when he seen he was
o,itplayed An there want no more sign
o. trouble between 'em nor there is atweer
young couple that's gettin' spliced. while
the preacher Ia sayin the words.
Il went back to the bar soon after. an
afore l come back into the saloon: Hick,
was dead. Allen had shot him through
the heart, but as Hicks had his own CUR
in his hand it looked like fair fight.
Nobody ever knowed what started the
muss, cI'y I'm what Allen said. for there
wasn't nobody nearby when thew fit &c