The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-12
from the Chicago News.

r
 nT HE worst buffer ever ran h(CD across was out west" related
 the soap salesman "I was pro- mitigating the Household Magician, fam fly and toilet, through New Mexico, and I don't mind saying that I seemed to be supplying long-felt want-in places, that is.
 Tt was my first trip out and I had made up my mind as far as possible to conform to the customs of the country, so when I got off at Albuquerque and found a game known as poker running wide open in one of the hotels there I didn't try to manifest any disapprovaL although the game was played with cards. I sat in.
 q played with varying fortune for over an hour, by which time I was perhaps $20 ahead of the game, fact 1 attribute largely to the circumstance of my eyes being open and my hand pretty closely shut Not that I had any suspicious of the men I was playing with. My vis-a- AAC0~f long mustache, a gruff voice and a devil-may -care expression. He was deco rated with one large gun, which protruded from his hip pocket in a manner that seemed to indicate that if the contingency arose t would be added to the five cards to make an otherwise weak hand win.
 Tt doesn't make any difference about their looks, though. You want me to get to the point. Therefore I will say that by and by there strolled into the room a young tow-headed Englishman, whose ac- quaintance I had made on the train. can't say I had got chummy with him be- cause he seemed somewhat reserved and low-ten peratured, but he admitted he was seeing the country just for beans,' and his outfit seemed to corroborate the statement He had his man with him, doncherknow. No doubt about his re- spectability. I soon quit him. We were scarcely what you might call congenial.
 Well, he came in and stood and watched the game with something that almost amounted to interest. Just about that time I got a pair of kings in the deal. My long -mustached friend with the hooked nose was distributing the paste boards. When he looked at his own hand l noticed a gleam of joy in his eye, but naturally I didn't allow any gleams to influence me. I discarded and drew three-another king and a pair of hines. The Chink took three cards, too, the greaser one and Hooknose, with a little ostentation, played the role of the orig inal 'stand-patter.'
 ''Well, the greaser bet five chips. l was tempted to raise him; but I thought 1t might be as well to wait and see if Hook nose raised the bet ten. The greaser came up to the scratch and then l-Wei' it doesn't matter about all that. Ihe greaser weakened first and dropped out and then the Chink threw down his hand. The raises had been small up to then, but now Hooknose came at me fierce, and I began to perspire freely.
 ..It had once occurred to me that I had a cinch with that bunch of kings, but felt doubtful about the aces now. Still rallied had the bulk of the chips and aooknose was down to his last little stack. I hestated a fraction of second and then dumped my entire pile into the pot. It was my little all Could he cover it?
 T saw that he couldn't and I was wait ing for him to invite me to take the pot when he turned to the Englshman who was behind him. and displayed his cards covertly 'Pardner,' he said, would you lend me fifty with that hand as seeur ity?
 "The Engishman looked at the hand and smiled, With pleasure he says, and went down for his wad and counted out five tens. Hooknose pushed enough to cover my raise over and added the re- mainder of his blue stack. It made a raise of ten. I smiled painfully and said it was good and Hooknose promptly raked in the pot and handed the Englishman back his fifty.
 we went out together, the Englishman