Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1905-11-29
with jet black hair and VIII sksrs COM


SLOUGH hat, arose from card table.
quaintance, he said:
"Bahtendah, give me a 6rlnk Of
whisky" and he also laid down a ten
dollar bill
Having set out the glass and bottle
OF whisky, the bartender (who, of
course, was in the play said:
Gentlemen, l can't change both Of
these ten-dollar bills"
Il want my bill changed anyhow"
my acquaintance said.
The big fellow who had the south
ern dialect said: Now. see yher, bah
tendah, l must have ma bin changed,
suah. Heah, you gentlemen, take.
drink with me, SO l kin get the
change; so sab, you put youah money
away"
No. no. insisted my acquaintance;
Il shall do nothing of the kind; we
can pay for our own drinks"
Wal then" said the southerner,
I'll shake you the dice t. see who
pays for the drinks
My new acquaintance agreed, and
as he shook the box and tcrned it
over with the dice under it he said
to the southerner: "Ill bet YOU ten
dollars that l can guess neare- to the
number of spots on top and bottom
than you can"
"All right" came the quick reply,
and bringing out a big roll of bills he
murmured: GOSH 'Spect III suuan-
der all the money l got fer them cat
tie afore 1 get out of this blamed
town.
When the money was put up my
friend whispered to me: "You are in
with this
The box was r1ised and my acquain-
lance, of course, had won
The cattle dealer said: "By Col;
you win this tine, suah. Jes' wait till
git seegar and II try that ag'in."
He took pl cnty of time, during
which my friend showed me that the
fellow was "greeny' and didn't I'M
derstand that man couldn't throw
over certain number. Handing me
the ten-dollar BILL he said: Il know
If | had lost you would have stood for
half of it, so half Of this is yours"
The moment they had begun their
of the very Oldest, known as Top
and Bottom" 1t was a game that had
been played all over the west IS years
before by two men named Stoneburner
and MunsOn. and while I had never
met either of these grafters. l had
heard of them.
knowing well that my friends par
ticular reason for dividing with me
was to see how much money l had,
| took pains to show my roll, consist
ing OF a bunch of money, and after
handing him a five, 1 placed the ten
with the rest, then carelessly showed
it into my pocket. The cattleman,
having purchased and lighted his ci-
gar, returned to the bar.
My friend said: DO you want any
more of this, Stranger"
WAL" he replied, I'D kim a like
to win back that ten dollars, anyhow"
Then said my friend, well again
bet you that l can guess nearer than
you can the number of spots on top
and bottom. My friend and l have
plenty Of time and we'll bet you once
| more"
OF course that remark, plenty of
time" was tip to the cattleman. as
he quickly comprehended that the
sucker had plenty of money and to
offer to bet accordingly.
After toying with the dice a moment
he placed them back into the box
oil
supposed to know nothing abOuD and,
turning the box over, he said:
Chow much do you want to bet now
that you can guess them nearer than
l CAM"
III bet you anywhere from $500 to
$780," replied the stranger, that there
are not more than "a"
Turning to me, my friend whispered:
Il showed you that it's impossible to-
turn less than %. How much shall
we bet him? Let's bet him a couple
| of hundred? I'll put up all have"
l began laughing very heartily, as
though l had heard something very
funny. This old game amuses me-"
l said, "and l have been wondering
if you fellows would make your last
joint for the money the same as
poor old Stoneburner used to joint
when he and Munson worked top and
bottom together"
Turning to my Mexican slipper
friend with look OF disgust. the
southern cattle dealer said: Wal,
you certainly have steered an easy
mark up against me this time, haven't
you?" And then, addressing me:
Did you know Stoneburner and Mum
SOM"
Yes" 1 replied, land Kelley, and
Burley and Steward and Haynes, the
Three Card Monte gang. l have met
nearly all Of them
The ''steerer" then told me that as
l wore SLOUGH hat, he had sized me
up for a western stock raiser. or posi-