The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-07
THE STRANGER WHO
l. TACKLED GREENHUT'S
Had Easy Going Tai He Forgot His
Principles" and Wa
Caught.

Stands to reason said old man Green
hut, "as how there amt nobody goln' 10
git on in this here world 'thouten he's
got proper stren'th o. mind. An II a man
can't git on in this world, how's he 'xpect
to prosper in the next2 I've knowed men
as had a fair start In life, evr'y ohAnst O.
getEin' rich an respectable, peter out, an
die, 'onswept, onhonored an onhung.'
as the Good Book says, just cause they
hadn't the stren'th o. mind to stick to draw
poker. Got led away, they did, an took
to playin' faro an roulette an sichlike,
till they wa'n't no bstter'n gamblers.
Trouble with peoples idees o. life Ia they
don't understand draw poker, poker, a. I
al'ays said, havin' been gave to mankind
by a all-wise an beneficial Providence
fer to teach 'em wisdom an morals. An
the reason l was sayin' all this 10 Z there's
a man comm round here tonight for to
see il he en- find a game.
Il reckon there amt no moro dangerous
player anywheres up N down the river
n this same man, his name bein' jock Upte-
grove. i knowed him years g In Little
ROCK. afore he learned his p'fession, an
he were powerful keen then, with a better
understanding O. reel life nor most o. tho
lawyers Z coca into politics. He played
considerable poker them days, bein' o
amachure o. talent, but he told me last time
/ seen hint he was thinkin' O. takin' IL up
serious. Politics. he says. is a good game,
but 1t takes too long to get to a showdown,
an draw poker is quicker. o. course,
when you do rak a pot In politics you get
somepin' wuth while he says, but you
en- win a farm at poker while you're gettin'
ready for to stack the cards in politics.
Il heer'd later t he'd did as he said, an
his reppytation's been CROWN steady
ever since he took to the boats. Beauty
o. his game I'm what 1 hear pears to lie
In him playin' al'ays on principle. Pears
he's made a study o. the game, havin' the
advantage o. bein' a lawyer first of, an
he's come TO a understanding of il as IL on'y
TO be had I'm a first class edioation. You
uns'll do well TO play close Z you feel like
tacklin' him. Mebbe you won't care about
gettin' up no game. l reckon somebody's
liable for to come along some day tn be
too many fr the local talent, even in Ar
kansas City. Things like that has been
did. Mebbe it's him"
By this time the old mans hearers were
gazing at him in open eyed and open
mouthed asto nishment. For a time no
one spoke. 1t seemed they were waiting
for him to continue, but he, appearing 70
be oblivious OF the sensation he had caused,
selected a large, fat, black cigar from a
freshly opened box, and lighted 1t carefully
in absolute silence.
When he had it well aglow he walked
around TO his favorite chair, and putting
his feet on the window sill smoked placidly,
still silent.
They shook their heads gravely at one
another. San Pearsall dropped his pipe.
At length Jake Winterbot ito m spoke quaver-
ngly. B you a-sayin', Greenhut," he
asked, -as we didn't better play no more
poker?"
Not 'xactly, said the old man. What
l had in mind was t the brand o. draw
poker as has been played here lately don't
pear to be none too alarmin' brilliant, an
some day you uns is liable for to be con-
sid'able tore up when o amt lookin'.
Likely TO be him as anybody"
Joe Bassett rose to his feet and gasped.
Then he took of his hat and threw it vio-
lently on the floor. Then he stamped on
it with his heel. Then he took his pipe
from his pocket and threw il out OF the
window, entirely demolishing q large pane
of glass by doing 80.
These unusual acts, which were watched
with surprise by the others, seemed TO re-
store his self-oontrol in part, and he was
soon able to speak.
i've stood a heap I'm you, G~reenhut,'
he said. -bein' as you was a old man., but
I'll be hornswaRgled Z /"
But at this moment the door opened
and a tall, handsome stranger entered the
room. Old man Greenhut greeted him cor
daily without paying the slightest attention
/ was just sayin' to the boys az you was
liable for to drop in lookin' f'r trouble, an
they lowed I o felt ekl to tacklin' a
sure enough game, such as is played in
Arkansas City, mebb they mought set in
Well" said Mr.. Uptegrove, pleasantly.
Il don't mind taking their money, provided.
Of course, that everybody takes a drink
with me first"
An amiable hostility being thus estab-
lished, a six handed game was soon in
progress in the back room. Greenhut,
as he came back TO his bar after supplying
the cards and chips, chuckled and muttered
to him self. IL reckon they're wound up
proper, an, the boys IL play the game O.
their lives, bein' as I've drove the CAD into
EN- the way | did. Pears like the kitty
to-night'd make good fr that forty Upte-
grove did me out OF in that Little Rock
game"
The event soon proved that he was right.
The stranger first inquired what the game
was, and being informed that il was table
stakes, expressed his satisfaction, at the
same time laying q small wad Of one hundred
dollar bills alon gside his chips.
At this the others began to dig. Pearsall
produced a fat roll OF fves and tens which
he put on the table without counting. Blais-
dell did likewise with a similar roll and
Bassett explored first one pocket and then
another until he had found about 800
which ne declared in, saying that IL he
should lose he reckoned he could get more
without difficulty. But Jake Winterbot-