The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-05-06

- y cuHlaa aluHg
This hpfs's Gr,tln' clo.e m 20 = Lac n
aehtln' tall . sahi Jss haaa~tt, sas' n aost
e. N the gentleman I'm ~ me ssats
aint pieasef With ths oifnais n Arkansas
Cty he'll a0d mo fiver open ~ navigation,
aN' mehhe ~ wont fnd v aerssalfy ~
NaH ~ M bost ~ ilHf
1Uh, don't know sstf P~ab~iy, drswi.
ina Ma woris am more aasYsvatnaiy,
hH Jake wiutSfbo,tom ir'Sfvenei I'M
patiently
fechonei this herr sn,eriainmsn, sss
ishi Df H. ~ y aane ~ draw poksr.' No
sati 'sH' n ~, I'm fesdy ~ ~, In n
ita aoin' w he n ieisat IN sSeieiy ~ ffher
~ of IN ~" woosis ~ li~en 10 the sfsas
gfpein'
fherr wsa = iHile more desultofy ,als
but ~ tho others Nbre feully ~ Winter
bottoms opihiuu they wefs soon s~atei
~ ne table Nv tho back foom. rearsaI
having, ]cufioisly enoush. appeared In
The ft1fi lttsf o. The nfeiiminafir4 rsrs
teina di-cisaci
THESE were siruple. Tho Ran,e sas tahIs
stak~a and e,ch nan took t5Oo 10 begin II
was nu'is~thlo that iva ~ thrrc n me
players lor~enei their garments . ifihs
about tho Waisiline a. N ~ facilitate matters
IN Case ~ sudden act lon becoming neces-
sary. hut wintsrhotiom vas not ma n
thcae
lie vas IN old fashioned man and al.
ways carried u double bnrrellcd dcrringer
In the pocket at zach sidc ~ bia waistcoal
A seemingly irrelevant particular was that
he dealt cards loft handed
Peabody snt NJ his Ieft and Bassett neat.
with Foster as his len hand neighbor.
Pearsali and Blai-lell had thu neIt seats.
making a sir handed game
Winterbottom dealt and Peabody anted
q dollar, calling two, but a. nobody stayed
the game really hogan with a .i2 jack.
II was taken by Blaisdell with no stayers,
and "a he showed down three kings ~
openers another Jackpot was called for.
This was sweetened, a dollar at a time,
on the next two deals, making a total Of
S3i on the table when Pearsall took the deck.
There was no evidence Of any special skill
In his dealing, for although Bassett opened
II Foster raised him, and ms no one else came
In he took the pot. Bassett showing down
q pair Of queens as openers and refusing
to see the raise.
The next round was ~uneventful, but when
II came 10 Pearsall's deal again there was o
slight tightening Of his lips which Bassett
did not fail to observe. II was a jackpot
OF SIS. and Blaisdell passed. So did the
others, till II came to Foster, who opened
for the size Of the pot.
Pearsall stayed, but the others dropped
until IL came to Bassett, and he stayed,
thus closing the pot with $72 on the table.
On the draw each Of the three men took
one card, and Foster threw In q white chip.
Pearsall trailed, and Bassett showed 500
into the pot. Foster looked at him a mo
ment and then said:
Il drop, and I'll bet any man at the table
500 l can tell what the next man will do
and 500 more I can tell what hand Mr.
Bassett raised on"
There was a pause. Then Winterbottom
said:
What sort O. talk 10 that?'
This Sort said Foster, putting two
piles Of chips aside, each containing 500.
Money talks. don't it2 There's mine"
Well play this hand out first said Bas-
sett grimly. "Mebbe I might take on one O.
them bets when we get through. It's your
play, Pearsall.'
Pearsall dropped and Foster pulled back
one Of his two piles.
Sorry I couldn't get a bet on that he
said, "but before I show my openers I'll
bet the other hundred I can tell what Mr..
Bassett's hand is"
There was no answer for a moment, then
Bassett remarked, as he pulled In the pot.
Il reckon we mought az well play poker.
It's up to you to show your hand, boin' az
you was the opener
That's right" said Foster, "but first,
do I get a bet2"
g He looked around the table. but Jaw no
answering CLEAN in any face, 90 he pulled
back his other hundred and showed four
tens as his openers.
"Bassett has a straight fush,' he said,
and O. course I couldn't call. It makes one
think mighty clear, though. 'Tain't no
ways difficult to see how Arkansas City gets
q Reputation fr playin' poker when they
fetches in strangers to deal fr EN-"
This was fighting talk for fair. and there
was a Simultaneous reaching for weapons
by the entire party. 1t was apparent In
an instant, though. that Foster and Pea.
body had each covered two Of the other
men and that the home talent would GER
tainly suffer II matters proceeded any
further, 80 there came still another pause
in the proceedings.
Pears like there amt no use a-spillin'
blood in the house. said old man Greenhut
from the doorway. "More'n that, there's
a house rule ag'in it. II you gents 10 a.
goin' to wrangle over you cards. pears
like the best thing is to cash in an quit
'thouten q waste O. good ammynition.
You all ON fight it out on the levee II it
suits, but l amt goin' to have no scrappin'
in here 'thouten it's really necessary"
Il think the old man is right, " said Pea
body. Pears like this amt nothin' but
a preliminary squimmish, nohow, an I'd
ruther fight in the open. More'n that. I'd
ruther cash in first
you'll get the fight all right, = said Bas-
set, but he, too, remembered the value
of his chips, and they all cashed in and
passed out the doorway.
There was considerable shooting outside
in the next few minutes. but old man
Greenhut did notebook out. He was sitting
by his stove, saying to himself:
Pears like poker amt what twas, here
in Arkansas City"