The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-24
the same thing, an Billy Feather scooped
the pot without a showdown.
Drew One Card.


Drew One Card.
''There couldn't be nothin' much palmer
but there couldn't be nothin' did short of
a fight on general principles, an the Ten
nessee yaps didn't pear to be quite ready
to start 1t. There didn't nothin' happen
on Turner's deal nor Scottys t was
worth telin', but when Billy Feather
dealt 'em it happened there was four
stayers an somepin' like forty dollars in
the pot afore the draw Then when he
came to serve the draw he gave hissef
one card an he took it often the bottom
o. the deck.
81 don't know who else seen him. but
I seen him plain enough, an so did Cap'n
Foss. 'Twa'n't up to me to say nothin',
but l was just beginning to think whetff-
err any o. them Tennessee yaps d take 1t
up or not bein as they must a saw
what was did, when Cap'n Foss butted in.
He says, sharp an cool: This yere
game stops now. An he laid his hand
on the table an leans for'ard SOS t he
looked Billy Feather square in the face,
about six inches away.
/ BILLY never flinched. He spoke as cool
as the old man did sayin': What for?
Can't a party o gentlemen enjoy them
| selves here 'thouten outsiders miXfn' in?
Yes, gentlemen can, says Foss, but
! this game stops cause this is my boat,
an / won't stand for no such dealin as
! yours
| WELL says Billy, calm as a hot even
| in, L amt no fool. like fight as well
as anybody. but l amt goin' to get muir
| dered FIR shootin' the cap'n o the boat.
| If | was to get a show at you, man to
man thouten either of us havin' no
| weepins, I'd kick seven kinds o tar outen
1 your carcass, I'm seven different spots,
but don't p'pose to tackle the hull crew.
II reckon he must "a knowed consid =
| able about the capn for to talk thataway,
! for the old mand ruther fight nor eat,
, an didn't reckon nobody cd lick him,
weepins or no weepins. He just straight
ened up an pulled his two guns outen his
pocket an throwed 'em on the table an
he says. Now put down your guns an
| I'll throw you overheard.
| mo, that wa MT the time Billy Feather
made the splash | was tellin on. Cap'n
Foss'd IA did what he said. all right,
but it turned out different. Billy Feather
stood up, sort o smilin'. an laid his gun
on the table sayin, don't pack but
one Then he sort o. crouched like a cat
| fr a instant an riz right up in the air
like he was flynn. He must "A jumped
four feet high straight up. an by the
! time he was that fur FIN the floor he let
out with his left hind foot an took the
cap'n on the pint o. the jaw, knockin'
him galley west an sprawlin.
! 1--WE hadn't none on us never saw such
| fightin' as that afore, an we was all
| kind o. stunned FIR a instant, but when
! Billy Feather rushed onto the cap'n an
, started for to kick tar. like he said, we
| woke up. The mate made grab TT
| Billy's foot just as he raised it up be-
i hind for to kick. He was lucky enough
! to catch it, an bein' some strong hisself
| he histed on 1t till Billy's other foot
! come often the floor an he Topped.
! Then there was about four of us on
| top of him. grabbin' f'r different parts
| of him. 'Twa'nt much easier to hold him
nor to grip eel. but we managed il
| somehow by the time Capn Foss come
! to- We was ready enough to chuck him
| in the river If the old man had spoke
| but he didn't give us the word.
| He got up and shook hisself for a
minute, like he was dizzy an he looked
| at Billy Feather awhile. like he was
some dubersome. Then he says. You're
! q good deal of man, an you've showed
| me trick I never seen afore. Well cal
it square this time. but you get off al
the next landin an you don't play cards
on my boat again
| well. we all lets go o Billy Feather
| when the capn give the word. an he
Just grins, an says. All right, cap'n.
reckon there's other boats on the river
sides the Prairie Belle An he goes
ashore at Helena. still GRIMM
II didn't see no more o Billy Feather
| for two or three year, him keepin' offer
the boat like ] said, but one night M
come aboard at New Orleans, the capr
bein' asleep an the clerk new man
Billey took q stateroom and went to bed
I reckon he must "a been tofable drunk