The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-07-11

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lions suspicious had relaxed some
| what, bat carefully avoided making
advances They had all been very
/ silent the first part of the day. but the
excitement had abated somewhat,
| though their purpose was unchanged
and it, was evident that they were
ready for some relaxation.
q was not surprised, therefore,
| when one mau--they called him Scot
| ty-~proposed a. game of poker. I
have the cards he said, and we can
set light enough from the fire, by
| putting on more wood
I One of us'll have to stand guard
then. said Eaton. I don't propose to
have this party taken by surprise
But the others laughed at him.
Who's going to raid this outfit?
| they asked. Even il it's Daggett, him
sell hes not going to ride into a
camp q five men that's hunting him
1T was the first time. had heard Il
name mentioned. but I had heard
| enough OF this DagGctt 10 know that
II orr party should catch him with
their horses he would be less likely
| Texas to get away alive. Likewise.
knew that it WIS a serious matter
| even to be suspected OF being a pal
OF his And for this reason | felt
| that l was ia no condition to play good
| poker.
| ''Scotty. however and a man nam
ed Hutton. urged the game. and Eaton
consented TO play when the fifth man,
| Potter, said that he would stand
guard.
I'm broke, anyhow, and can't play.
ne said with a laugh. So d blanket
was doubled and spread on the ground
and the fire was built up. and we start
| ed the game.
IN looking: back al that situation
| have sometimes wondered how | could
| play poke: at all under the circ.ln-
stances. Then | was with four men.
no one OF whom had ever seen me I'M
til the night before. and three Of whom
had declared suspicion that I was
in league with horse thief whom
they We're hunting with the evident in
tentiCn OF hanging him as soon as they
should catch him. in case OF any IN
suspicious to them it was quite within
the bounds OF possibility that they
would hang me. too. l knew enough
Of the procedure under lynch law TO
understand that
II am bound to say that no one else
in the party seemed to be the least
disturbed. 1t is true that they stood
in no peril. and could not be expected
to look at things just as I did. but no
one seemed to have any ili-feelins to-
ward me.
we played in a matter Of fact way,
as if the cards were all we had to in
terest us. We used coin for chips
and the ante was ten call a quarter:
but there was no limit set, and |
found within a few minutes that i'm
portant money was likely to change
hands.
The first stable bet that was
made was when had three kings in
my hand and had opened dollar
jackpot for dollar, sitting next to
the dealer, who was Eaton. Scotty
sat next and came i'll. Hutton raised
it s. and Eaton dropped.
That brought it back to me and |
raised it 50. Scotty studied a long
time, but finally trailed and Hutton
came back at me with $40 more. |
didn't exactly lose confidence. even
a that, but l thought to myself that
he might have a pat hand. SO ] made
good and Scotty threw down his cards
with some little heat.
ON the draw | took two cards and
Hutton took one. That didn't fool me,
for reasoned that he wouldn't have
played two pairs the way he had play
ed. SO l bet him $40. To my consid-
cradle surprise he raised be 500. 1t
looked like three of kind or a bluff;
but ! have a wholesome prejudice
against raising a one-card draw, so
called AS I suspected he had threes, |
but they were queens, SO my kings |
were no larger than | needed
1T surprised me to see how little
Hutton and the others seemed to think
Of the size OF the bet he had lost | |
had several hundred dollars with him,
but l confess that the loss of a hun |
dred in a single hand-and he had |
lost more than S13O-wOuld have |
seemed serious to me. I was not ac-