Omaha daily bee., 1906-05-06

quite a lot about the game Of draw and he
got $50 OF go each from four or 1--WE OF the
shoshones without much exertion or bother
Then he fell in with Burning Tree, a
shoshone chief with face as hard as
an Easter island lava statue. Although
the sure-thing corporal didn't find It ont
till afterward. this Burning Tree buck
had picked up most Of his inside knowi-
edge OF the game of draw in Washington.
on a couple OF protracted visits that he
made TO the capital town for the adjust
ment Of some shoshone claims against
the government.
When a wOOden-faced man becomes a
really proficient player of draw poker, as
Burning Tree sure was, he's a pretty
good proposition to sheer on from, but the
sure-thing corporal OF our outfit who was
vain. wasn't able to credit an Indian with
any more than enough sense TO roll him
self in blanket and send the squaws out
after frewood and drinking water. Any
how, the corporal was ratified over the
way the rookie had broken It OF In him.
and ratified with him meant greedy. He
didn't find II out TIL it was all over that
Burning Tree since his return from his
last visit to Washington had become
the most miraculous, not to say magical.
dealers of personally conducted poker hands
that ever ohucked a papoose under the
chin.
Burning Tree knew all about the sure
thing corporal and for that reason he
permitted the soldier man to win heftily
from him on two nights IN succession. He
not only fed the corporal the coin on these
two nights running, but exhibited such
opaque stupidity at the draw game that
the corporal could hardly keep from squeak
ing in his pure glee over the good thing
he'd struck. The games took place in
Burning Trees wickiup. the best on the
reservation, and by pure chance happened
to be the only outsider present at the
final session between the corporal and the
Indian.
Pride Before the Fail.
the corporal, being away out in front
from the previous two nights play, was
so cock sure Of what was going to come
off at every stage Of the game that he
quickly inaugurated the blufing gag. 1t
worked fine at that, Burning Tree APP
pearing to lay down his genuinely worth
while hands out Of pure fear of the sure
thinger.
Finally came the moment when the
jack pot that the Shoshone had opened on
his own deal. and here he struck his FIRST
snag. Burning Tree nursed him along
and let him get in very deep. 1t looked
pretty good to the corporal at that, for
the Shoshone had drawn three cards,
while the soldier had his two pairs all
the time. The sure-thinger, doping IL out
that the Indian would sure lay down
pretty soon, kept on raising It with S25
and $50 bets, until there was about $500
in the pot. Then the Shoshone, not caring
to scare his man completely out of the
game, called and spread out his queen
full. The sergeant jammed his kings UP
into the deck with a nervous bunch Of
cuss words To ease the corporal along
little. Burning Tree allowed him to win
about 800 back on the next few hands.
Then the shoshone settled back on his
launches to play real poker.
Burning Tree dealt the jack pot that
wound up the game. The Shoshone was
one of those poker players that make the
people they're playing with nervous by
covering the whole deck up with their
hands while rifiiing the cards.
"'shufie 'em on the blanket said the
ratified and sore corporal when the In
dian began to rif1e the deck. in this way
between his legs.
Burning Tree made no reply, but gave
the cards an ostentatfous stunning on the
blanket,
Il wasSin such a position that-I could
see that the corporal had caught a pat
ace full ngtens. The sure-thinger gazed
at his handywith a languid kind of inter-
est. seemingly. and looked to be about to
chuck Il into the middle and pass 1t up
he wasn't any poor actor in doing stunts
like this, either-when he changed his
mind and opened the pot for skinny
little IS.
Poor LO stayed.
"The impression he sought 10 throw out
on the Indian was that he was kind o.
doubtful about the value of the hand.
The Shoshone studied his cards for a
long tune. and. finally, he heaved a IS
gold piece into the pot with the air OF
an Indian who believes he is making n
fool Of himself. The corporal stood pat
with the airy manner of a man deliber-
ately blufing for the pure fun of the
thing. The Shoshone looked exceedingly
concerned. and threw one of his cards
into the discard with the hasty. hopeless
jerk of somebody bobbing to straight
or flush. For the first time since they
had been playing the Indians counte-
nance took on an expression of chagrined
disgust when he picked up the card no
had dealt himself, and the corporal
watching the Indian intently, looked as
II he felt afraid he wasn't going to GO.
much out of that ace full.
well nifty anyhow said the sure
thinger. in a bluffy tone.
''The shoshone gazed at him with the
stolid. injured expression Of a man ana a
red brother OF whom a gross advantage is
being taken. Then his teeth clicked and
his Jaws set with an expression that was
meant to convey, and did convey. the idea
that he didn't intend to be bluffed right
along. Carefully coming his hand. the
5hoshone raised 1t hundred. Pc for the
sure-thinger, this. He felt It a oinch that
the Indian was fiustered and ratified.
Five hundred more, Burning said the
sure-thinger. reaching inside his blouse and
hauling out his reserve bag OF yellow coin.
Burning Tree now looked nothing short
OF pitiful. He dropped his cards face down
on the blanket and gaEed smack into the
corporals eyes for fully a minute Then
he gave a short whistle and inside OF half
a minute another Indian Talking Crow