The sun., 1903-06-28

We'll, tile next man, he seen that he
want in it, an he dropped An then
| Mathews, seein' there want no cal! for
him to play no further. lie dropped. An
the other Teller he says:
-Id like to play you for million on
this hand. but seen as amt got the money.
I'il call you for my pile An he dug up
about $500 more an showed down straight
flush nine high.
a sure enough accident but Cotton showed
| a king high straight flush an raked the
Just naturally there was considerable
| excitement You don't sec a straight
| flush beaten every day. an them days II
were almost unheard Of, for they hadn't
been playin straights long. an the s,raight
| flush were a brand new hand.
But there want nothin' said for
minute or 40. The feller that was busted
o course got up I'm the table an the deck
passed over to Cotton.
while he was shuflin the cards, an
afore anybody else had spoke, on account
of the excitement. Denton spoke up, very
quiet like. an drawlin' out his words very
| distinct.
Pears like our friend that was dealin'
| come near maxim powerful bad mis-
| take that time he said an when they
heard it everybody drawed back ready to
| scatter.
-Such remark as that, them days.
meant fight, an everybody, know ed it;
| Mathews were as quick az .hc next, an
| he rose up on his feet, pullin' his gun as
| he rose. but Cotton says, just as cool as
| Denton:
Put up your gun. Mathews he says;
| ! know what this means, an ~ settle IT,
An he turned on Denton with his bowie IN
his hand.
when he turned, he seen that Denton
| had his knife out. an more'n that, he'd
khrowed of his coat an twisted it round
his left arm. They used to do that when
two knife fighters At, usn' the left arm to
| parry an the coat to save the arm II
they could,
| -Well, you could see how them two had
ractised, for Cotton was just rs quick
as Dent on an afore they come. together he
| had his coat on an on his left arm, too.
| An then they faced.
| "The rest on us knowed well enough
what was comm, an there want a man
| in the crowd that wouldn't ha' faced a
locomotive as quick as he'd gone between
'em. 1t would ha'. meant sure death. 80
We just stood round an watched.
Mathews hadn't put his gun in his pocket
an II looked like he We're standn' by TO
take a shot at Denton in case he got the
beat of the fight, but there was two or three
that saw it, an, ! heard one say: ,fair play.
watched. put away his gun.
-The two was well matched bein' about
| the same weight an age. an you cd see
| there WAS Goin' 10 bo fight to tho death.
'Peared like they'd nursed their hate so
long they was eager TO get at each other.
but there want no great hurry about H..
neither.
"They feinted at each other for while.
crclin' round an round like two game
cocks will sometimes afore they make a
rush, an then Cotton made a quick side
step an struck fair for Denton's neck. He
come near gettin' there, too, for Denton's
left arm on'y just got up in time to turn
his shoulder.
.He never winched though. an didn't
try no quick blow back but just KEEP crclin'
| an fentn.' 'Twa'n't but a few seconds,
though. afore he jumped to the left an
struck for Colton's right arm, but Cotton
caught that blow with his own knife an
the steel rang like a shot an the sparks
| flew. but neither on EN- WAS hurt that time.
THE next time il was different. Cotton
struck for the heart. an Denton throwed
his left arm up Just in time to catch the
| blow an managed some way to catch the
knife as well in fold OF his coat
1T was only an instant afore Cotton
wrenched 1t loose, but that instant were
| enough. Denton throwed hissef forward,
SOS he stood almost against Coltons
| body an stabbed him again and again in
the left side.
ANY one O. the cuts was enough TO kill
! him. but while Denton's knife was goin
Cotton got his loose and brought it down
| square into Dentons throat, no when we
went o pick EN- upthey was both dead.
1T was great fight, an heap more
seen. But knife fghtin' Is always that"
\