The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-07-08
THE OF
BILL BASCOM.
Driven by the Spur Of Necessity
He Develops His Poker Game.

Beats ali, . said old man Greenhut, -how
monstrous spry a man II be sometimes
when the spur O. necessity lie drove in firm
into the flank O. timidity. Pears like he'll
fling prudence over his shoulder an 60
snortin' an %plungin' down the road hellity
split. There Ia times he goes into the
ditch O. disaster an there's other times
he fetches up into the p~astur's O. prosperity.
You'll see it now an again in a good game
o. poker
The old man was standing behind his
bar as he talked in the little dingy saloon
that had been the scene of 80 many excit-
ing incidents in Arkansas City, and seated
on the benches and ohairs around the room
were halt a dozen Of the habitues Of the
place, somewhat rough in appearance, but
tried and true men every one when 1t came
to unfolding the reputation OF Arkansas
City in a fight or a game Of draw poker.
They all listened attentively, but Green
hut, instead OF continuing his parable,
stood looking out Of the open door. smoking
placidly, seemingly buried in meditation.
Presently Jake winterbottom spoke.
Pears like this here man you was tellin'
about must "a played a tol'able curious
game o. poker with a spur drove into his
flank an him a cavortin' hell to breakfast
I'm a ditch to a pastur'. l sh'd reckon
draw poker'd be tol'able tumultuous 18th
all them stunts throwed in"
Old man Greenhut Ak ed his gaze on his
presumptuous critic. Gradually. as he
looked, q rich purple color spread itself
over his ~oountenance and his whole person
swelled visibly till an explosion seemed
imminent. Just az he reached the bursting
point, however, he opened his mouth and
spoke, thus relieving Une pressure: f..
There was many fools on earth in them
days the Good Book tells about, when
Moses an Jacob an John the Baptist an
some Others was doin' their best with a
stif, naked an rebellious generation, but
I reckon them prophets didn't have o.
much trouble az I do tryin' to beat some
sense into a lot o. wooden heads. More'n
likely it'd take a thousand years to make
you understand what a figger o. speech is,
an when you onoe seen 1t you'd want to
write Il down on q slate an add II up, 4
you knowed how to add.
If you was to study on It fr about six
months mebbe you'd see / was talkin' about
what q man'l do when he's drove to It.
sometimes he'll win q wad, IN sometimes
he'll rush down O steep place into the mud,
along 18th all the rest o. the swine.
There a q Teller I knowed some years
ago, name O. Bill Basoom, I was q oil psintin'
O. what I'm tellin' you. Bill were q husky
citizen tn all the marks OF q man about
him till q peaked little woman name o.
Sykes marked him out for q likely husband,
bein' rs she hadn't any, an Get out for to
rope him in.
'Bill want intendln' nothin' in the wayo'
matrimony, bein' as he had q cabin Of his
own. He want more n thirty Year old,
then, good lookin' IN spry, q n wonderful
good natured. Wouldn't fight, nohow,
IL he cd get out Of Il, honorable. but danger
Gus when he was pushed hard. He didn't
drink none to speak Of. seein' he was bar
tender up to the hotel. but outside Of his
" place he took his liquor like q man.