The daily Alaskan., 1905-10-10
De ReUo
 GG)iIlian7 Barney
LOrigInaLl

At a table made of rough boards fixed between two trees, on seats of the same construction, sat a party of miners at the national game, poker. The coolest man at the table was sleek looking person of about forty, and the most agtated was a young fellow scarcely twenty-one, with light hair and blue eyes. He had been los Ing heavily, nearly all his losses pass Ing Into the pile of the sleek man.
 A ministerial looking man approach cd the table and invited the players to stop their unholy game and join in re Nglous exercises he was to conduct in a grove up on the hillside. The gam blers paid no attention to the Invita- tton, and the parSOn, making a virtue of necessity, stood looking on at the game.
 A woman-she was not more than nineteen-Came hurryjng toward the table, leaned anXiously over the blue eyed fellow and whispered something In his ear. His reply brought tears to her eyes. From thls time she watched his little pile of chips dwindle and the pile before the sleek man grow.
 Sonny" said the parson, you aint up to that. Let me work the rest O your pile for you"
 Every one at the table looked aston lshed. The youngstcr glanced up at the speaker and was about to proceed iu the management of his own affairs when the woman took hand in the argument and persuaded him to lntrust them to the parS0n. The surprise at the turn affairs had taken was not un- mixed with contempt at the Idea of a parson attempting to buck against reg uIars at the game. Without noticing 1t he took a seat behind the young mans chips, representing some ten or twelve dollars, and began to play.
 It was noticeable that all the large hands were played when the sleek man dealt At such times the parson kept out. He would bet occasionally, and the pile before him slowly increas- ed. The sleek man watched him for a time, then made up his mind that he would make an easy prey.
 It was the sleek mans turn to deal. There was a jack pot to be opened, and 1t was opened with big bet. Both the parson and the sleek man came in. When the parsOn looked at his hand he started. Everybody knew that he had a remarkable hand or was preparing for a bluff. The sleek man knew what cards he held, for he had given him those be wanted him to have. The parson before betting laid his hand face down on the table and said:
 Gents, this we're game is not for one O my persuasion. l wants y to un- derstand that I plays for this boy and his wife, who cant afford to lose. l got hand that ought to help him out that is, If none O you have got big ger one. Suppose we take off the limit
 After this voluntary information ev- cry one passed out except the sleek man, who made no objection to rais' ing the limit, and the pile in the center of the table grew rapidly. Something seemed to be wrong with the button that held the parsons back right hand suspender, for he was absentmindedly hitching at 1t. When he and hls Op- ponent were tired of raising each other the sleek man called" Throwing his hand on the table face up, the parson called -Four jacks" at the same time taking his right hand away from toy ing with his suspender button and with 1t a six shooter, which he thrust under the nose of the sleek man. Fixing his steel gray eye on his opponent. he con- tlnued:
 Tt ain't usual for two hands of four of a kind to happen In the same game, and 1t would be very unusual for two in the four highest hands that can be held to fall in the same deal. If you got four aces or kings or queens l wouldn't recommend you to turn your cards over, for If you got one of them three hands I shall consider 1t my duty in maintainin' a fair game to shoot"
 As the parson spoke he drew the pile on the table toward him and told the young woman to gather 1t in. She scraped it Into her apron and made oil with 1t as fast as she could run.
 "I don't play cards and bullets at the same time" said the sleek man, especially when l hain't been given no time to draw. But I'll go up on the hill with you, and if you'll play q fair game with guns we'll settle 1t that-a- way. I didn't reckon on a parson playin' the two games at OnCet Who air v anyway"
 'T was Bill Barney before I saw the error of my ways and got converted. Now I'm the Rev. William Barney, at your service"
 A scarcely perceptlble shudder pass ed over the sleek man. "Very we'll" he said; ''Pn fight you on the hill, and I'll be there tomorrow morning at the rise O the sun."
 With that he rose from his seat and walked away, the parson keeping an eye on him till he was out of sight. Every one present knew that he had gone for good. Bill Barney before his conversion had been the worst man in the territory to tackle, and no one had
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