The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-08
last WHIST GAME
l. AT FROZEN DOG.
The Camp Stopped Playing When
Williams Held Thirteen Trumps
but Took Only One Trick.

SaN JSSf
said the rough looking old fellow who had
been invited to make the fourth ma a.
the table on the smoker. Learned TO play
ten years ago at Frozen Dog. Most folks
seems to think that nothin' but poker goes
In mimi camps, but whist sholy did have
Frozen Dog goin' for a spell.
at come on by reason Of the fact that
there was about three fellows in the camp
that could just reach over an take a mans
stack Of chips-pretty n~ear"-playdn' poker,
an az they were all kinder short tempered
fellows nobody hankered after declinin'
to permit them to sit into a game.
"Well, amoosements has kinder sagged
down to checkers an such like safe PROPOSE
tons, when a person by the name Of Will
Jams blows into camp. He's a real fresh
cut kind OF blossom that's come West to
make his fortune. He finds the long even
ings sorter hanging heavy on his hands,
so he comes into the Red Light one even
ing an inquiries, perlite like, II there's
three gents will join him at whist.
swell, there amt any OF the boys ever
heard Of this here whist layout. but they
was all plumb willin' to learn, an this Will
Jams party gets real enthusiastic; says
he'll give lessons to the crowd, an that
we can organize a whist club, an starts
right in with the lessons.
well, the boys caught on right away.
Of course, and pretty soon there was some
real good players in the camp. There
was two or three games goin' on at the Red
Light every evening, and everything went
fine till one Of those boys that used to he
40 lucky at poker suggests that just to make
the game sorter interestin' like that
he's got $40 sayin' that he an his pardner
will win the next game.
"Now it happens that his pardner was
another one of the poker luck boys, an ]
saw right off that they had figgered it down
that they just as soon win on Whist as poker.
They were both good players, all right,
and / shook my head at Jim Wendsell that
was one of the fellows playin' against them.
So Jim lowed that he didn't know as he
wanted to bet.
ooh says the fellow, of course II you're
scared of losing'-and shrugged his Shout
ders an started to deal the cards.
THAT got Jim's blood up, and he slapped
q ten dollar gold piece down on the table.
The fellow put another with it, and soon
he was putting them both in his pocket.
THAT was the beginnin' Of a second
cleanin' out Of the camps pockets, an
some of the boys thought that the best
thing to do would be to give those real
good players notice to hit the trail, but,
as l said, they were powerful short
pered fellows an there would be r 10
be several funerals, so we finally ,tCided
to try some other plan.
Just about this time Frisco ''""'
drifted quietly into camp. He wd4j evil
IDENTIFY not seekin' recognition, so l didn't
let on that l knew him while any OF the
boys we're around, but soon as I could ]
herded him of an explained the situation.
Now this here Frisco Charlie was about
the best all around card sharp I ever saw
in my life. Only trouble was he was quick
tempered.
THAT was why he wasn't carin' to be
recognized. Pal of his didn't take in the
signals in a big game, an it cost Charlie
his pile. Pulled his gun and soon after
left town. leaving that pal to be buried
at the publio's expense,
well, l put Charlie wise on the situation,
an he says:
Got any one who is a good player
as good as any of the gang?'
Nobody but the chap that first brought
the game in here l says. He's a good
player, best in camp, but he's a green
horn
oh, that's all right, we can fix it up
Charlie says.
$50 the camp scraped together all they
had left in the way of dust-I havin' guar
anteed Charlie as a card player from Card
town. We got together about ten thousand
dollars an arranged for a series Of seven
games-Charlie and Williams against the
two best players of the gang.
This Williams chap said he wouldn't
play for money, so it was agreed that Charlie
should take the gangs money if they won
it, an the camps money would come back
TO the boys who had subscribed it. That
meant ten thousand to Charlie. Won see.
Il was satisfied about everything but
Charles temper, an l cautioned this
Williams chap not to get him mad if he
could help it, an / likewise told Charlie he
would have to hold in.
We'll, that series Of games started, an
l never saw such playin'! There was TO he
seven games, seven points TO the game.
The first game went to Charlie and
Williams, the les to the others, an so on,
back an forth, till they stood three an
three. You could have heard the tickin'
of a watch in the Red Light when they
started the seventh game.
There didn't seem to be anything 10
choose in the playin' Of either team, and
the luck was as,onishingly even. In this
game first one and then the other would
make a point, till it s.ood six an six.
Everybody in the place was ready 10
yell with excitement except this fellow
Williams. He didn't have any money up,
an wasn't concerned except just to win
for the sake of winning, The sweat was
standin' out on Frisco Charles forehead,
IN l knew he was keyed up pretty high.
well, they dealt the cards. ] was
standin' behind Charlie an got a glimpse
of his hand. There wasn't a trump In II,
an nothin' else much but two aces. | saw
Williamson give a start when he looked at
his hand.
1T was Cha rlie's lead an he played an
ace. The next mar played a seven, an
then Williams, without even looking al the
card, played a trump.
The fourth card fell on the table with a
noise like a board in the silence, and Williams
reached out to gather in the trick, but he
never touched it. Charles gun had spit
across the table an Charlie himself had
$4,000 kh-o,rb tho ,onro,t utplIu. all