The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-09

gest hand of the morning game, but
there want no word said.
There want no proof of crooked
play in the fact that Conoley had dealt
a pat full out against tours in his own
hand, but them fellers knowed one an
other pretty well and there want moth
ing strange in their being suspicious
like
There were some close watching done
the next time the deal came to Conoley,
and as hard luck had it there were
three pat hands out. Ayers
wasn't in it, but LIE Couer had a flush,
Davis had a straight and Conoley
caught small full. They played a
straight in the west as long ago as the
early mining days, and it were the rule
then that straights were only
counted when understood beforehand.
There were some pretty stiff betting,
and Conoley cleaned up about four hun
dred on the hand. Just about this time,
though 1 amt saying as there was
anything crooked, Goddard spoke up
pretty nasty like and said:
." Tt appears to me that you are get
ting pretty d-n good and strong on that
deal
"Conoley showed pretty quick
whether he were fighter. There
want nobody as knowed whether he
were cheating or not, but before Cod
gun pointed square under his nose,
and what he said were this:
I allows as how you'n swallow
them words and chaw EN- uD.' an
Conoley's voice had just the softest
purr as one ever heard when he
stroked ? cat there right away before
warm logwood fire An I wants to
tell you quick that you beg my par
don or I blow Their top of yo' head
Off
1T didn't seem like he would do it.
for Goddard hadn't really charged
him with cheating, though his con-
versaton were sure insulting, and an
insult in them days was worse than a
blow any time in the week Goddard
were pretty mad, and bein' without
fear he undertook to jaw back I dis
remember what twas he said. but he
began to say something ugly, and
Conoley pulled the trigger before God
dard had stopped talking his little
piece.
Goddard fell over dead an the
next minute Ayers and Conoley were
blazing away at each other Though
they was near enough to each other
in the cab not to be able to miss their
aim they did miss. I reckon the
spoiled their aim. They fired seven
or eight shots from their guns before
either of them fell, and when they did
go down both of them were dead
There were terrible excitement 1t
were done so quick that there wa Mt
no chance for any one but LIE Couer to
interfere if anybody had really wanted
to. After it was all over we was just
driving into the Ruby Cross Trail and
a few of the citizens dropped in on
US at the stage to view the remains
The only man who was not a bit ex-
cited was LIE Couer. He had sat still
through all the fracas, looking on, but
not making a move, and when 1t were
ali over he up and said in his WO-
manish, soft manner:
90 Well, that seems to break up TINS
game O. poker completely. If 70 gen
tlemen cares to accept my OFFER VIII
vo' do me the courtesy to line up at
the bar acrost the street and have one
on me?
THE gentlemen lined up
fBut there was one thing I noticed,
said old Bill Graves with a tactful
smile. that when LIE COuer got up
from the makeshift table in the stage
and they were cleaning up the litter
there war no money whatever lying
around loose. There had been good
deal while the play went on, but no
I'm ever l1nowed what become of it.
had my ideas, but I amt ever said
nothing about EN-
and there was one thing that this
fracas with the shoot irons learned
me: When gamblers got into such
games. with no sucker holding hand,
fhev'd always agree among themselves
that thev'd play a fair, straight game.
The brae Ilseter be that when gam
bIer gave his word to play square he
aid IT. I amt never took no stock in
that" said the veteran stage driver IN
conclusion.