The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-18
iOLD MAN GREENHUT
~ is DISAPPOINTED.
But Like a Skilful Genesal He
Turns What Looked Lake
Defeat Into Victory.

behind his bar with much more Vlgor anu
speed than might have been expected OF
a man OF his size and apparent age. As ne
started, he spat in the palm OF his right
hand, and as he stepped he grasped a
bungstarter that lay conveniently at haho'
Raising this bungstarter aloft as he ran
around the end Of the bar, he shook II IN
the air with a gesture which might have
been construed as threatening, or misnt
have been intended simply as test OF the
weight and condition Of the implement
II can hardly be said that the half dozen
men who had stood in his way as he moved
toward the centre Of the room scattered
ut his approach. They were already scat
tering when he started, and though none
OF them moved with so much celebrity as
he did, none stood still long enough to
bar his way.
Wholly uninterrupted, therefore, he con-
tinued along toward the middle Of the room,
where a man stood with his back toward
the bar, facing four other men. who were
huddled together by the wall, casting eager
elances toward the doors end windows, :
but making no motion toward them. In
fact, they made no motion at ali, but STOOD
with their hands up in the air.
The man who stood in the middle OF the
room was a stranger in Arkansas City, but
he had been there for three or four days.
and the citizens had learned something
about him. His name was Dave Harding,
and he had a revolver in each band.
He did not turn his head when he heard
Greenhut approaching, but when the OLD
man got within some ten feet OF him. ne
threw his left hand up in the air, and revers-
ing the position Of the revolver In 1t, pointed
the weapon directly over his own shoulder
and remarked:
Il kin shoot torable straight backards
| with my left hand.
Old man Greenhut stopped as suddenly
as he had started, and though he still shook
the bungstarter holding 1t aloft as before,
he shook il with different sort Of motion.
1t almost seemed as II the shake betokened'
| irresolution.
Pausing moment. he stepped backward
| behind the bar and laid the bungstarter
down. Then, crouching to position from
which he could drop into total disappear
ance with a minimum Of effort, he ex-'
claimed:
you was maxim some sort OF remark
n minute ago, Mr.. Harding, but reckon
/ didn't quite hear it right. Pears like
there must be some misunderstanding.
What was it you was sayin'?'
Il said I'd been cheated outer more'n
$500 at draw poker here last night, an
them four men got it. I want exactly
heeled then, an didn't reckon on lettin
'em get the drop on me. Now I've come
back for it, an I've got the drop on them.
Pears like you was right about that
last" said old man Greenhut. "but that
| al,.or,,atton ~ ia n fOl'ahla
serious charge. Stands to reason t Joe
Bassett an Jake Winterbot--'
IF that two hundred an forty dollars
amt laid on this table right here inside o
half minute, there'll be shootin' did, said
the stranger. AN rye got knife in my
boot, il there's anybody loft round when
them two guns is empty
We'll, said old man Greenhut, with
sigh, there amt no use to argue with a
unreasonable man that has the drop. III
put up the money. r7ithern see the town
disgraced by shootin' scrape.'
Count it out, here, quick said the
stranger, and accordingly Greenhut went
| to the table and counted out twelve twenty
1, dollar bills.
Putting his left hand pistol in his belt,
4 the stranger picked up the money, and
kecy ing his other gun still trained, he
backed swiftly out OF the saloon without
word and walked Up the street.
/ Nothing was said for some minutes by
! the five men who remained, but their looks
, were eloquent Greenhut had gone be.
hind the bar again and picked up the bung-
starter. Looking at 1t eorrowfully ne
poised It, shook it, struck a couple OF gentle
taps with 1t on the bar and laid 1t down
with a deep sigh
There Is great advantages about bung.
starter" he said, at length, AN then again
there's disadvantages. A man en- reach
further with II nor he can with a knife
'thouten he throws knives, an that amt
no good way, 'thouten he's been eddi-
Gated good an abundant in THROWN Of
'em. Then again faint so all fred sudder
as a gun Is.
As a general thing. it's big advantage
to a man sometimes to be sudden II 80 bt
he's goin' to be into fight. But. then
again. there Is times when it's good for t.
have just minute for reflection.
IF was to have had a gun handy jus
now, when that zap I'm up the river wa
maxim disturbar ce, an II was to HAY {
let fly at him with that, same as was
thinkin' o. dom with the tungstarter, wee
"a had CORY corp on the floor, with nj
end Of a muss to wash up, an all the fus
an bother an expense Of inquest alter
wards, to say nothin Of a subscription t.
bury the corp. The bar receipts wouldn'
a covered the outlay. an the trouble
"a fell on me.
''Pears like two forty was tol'able goo<
price tpay for a little peace an quiet In thu
house, but 'twan't no total loss, takin
things all in all So, reckon t'want alto
gether unmixed calamity t should ha
paused just a mone nt to reflect, which
wouldn't "a been no ways likely to "a did
II I'd KEEP a gun back here, stead OF I
bungstarter
But the thing that's give mo real pail
in this little matter is t you fellers sh't
"a did me up the way you did bikin' tn
kitty last night You know very well tn
kitty gets half when there's a sucker In tn
game.
How d. you reckon I'm goin' to 81
recompensed f'r the strain you put on m
conscience every tine you take In var
like that ~ play crooked poker In my hous
',hontan oita hnlfp Moran than what a