The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-26
New York SUM-

4
ing a few passengers had gone on up
the river. footing a loud farewell, as
steamboats, do on the Mississippi river.
For fully half an hour after her de-
parture old man Greenhut sat in his
saloon with the group of his friends
| who were to be found there almost ev-
cry evening and waited patiently for
something-just what it was did not
appear. What little was said from time
| to time indicated nothing special, but
| there seemed to be a curious air of ex-
pectancy which was manifested though
not expressed by all of them.
Finally Jake Winterbottom said: AZ
reckon Joe didn't come on that boat"
Hit sure is queer" said old man
Greenhut. I'D "a thunk Joe Bassett
d a. came here straight, but there
amt no tellin'. You en- rely on him
every time, 'thouten he's drinked too
much, an then you can't rely on moth
in. He may be drinkin'."
II don't reckon" replied Winterbot-
tom. Joe en- drink all night when he
sets his mind to it, but I never knowed
him to turn aside FIR nothin' when he
gets after a man like he set out after
Pizen Riley. More like Riley herd
he was comm an left Vicksburg. If
he did Joe's liable for TO go to New
Orleans or further if there's any way
FIR man to go furtherer n that"
well mebbe, mebbe," said old man
Greenhut, "but then again faint like
Joe for to not get his man into the
place where he goes for to get him.
Pears like there's more into this n
We uns rightly knows"
Just then the door opened and Sandy
Hooper came in. Sandy was travel
ing man who came often to Greenhuts
for a little game, but who refused on
principle to lose more than $50 at a sit
ting Being a persistent person, fully
persuaded that he could make up his
losses in time, he had fully established
his footing as a welcome visitor, and
old man Greenhut and his friends
greeted him cordially.
THE Good Book says as how a pitch
err as gets toted to the well too often
is liable for to get broke" said the
old man when somebody asked him
about Sandy Hooper one day, IAN it's
torable sure for to be thataway with
a man as goes up ag'in scientific
game o. poker regular; but this here
Hooper is tolable good while he lasts.
Mebbe a hen that'Il lay one egg day
is better'n one that'd lay a hull settin'
to oncet an then quit"
On this occasion, however, there was
no Immediate thought of poker. Did
old man as the liquid refreShment or
dered by Hooper was being enjoyed by
the party.
yep" said Sandy. Got aboard at
Vicksburg."
"See anything O. Joe Bassett on
board?" inquired Greenhut, anxiously.
mot on board, 1 didn't; but / seen
him in Vicksburg. Looked a heap like
there'd be things a-diddin' somewheres
round there if he was to find some
body he 'peared to be lookin' for. I'd
"a stayed over boat to look on If I'd
had time. Feared like he was plumb
redheaded. Teller d been dodgin' of
him two days an two nights, an Joe
was nigh wore out, but while we was
talkin' 81 eters come up an told Joe
he was over to Bud Mathers' joint. an
Joe loosened his two guns an started
over. There was cOnsid able shootin'
over thataway just as the boat pulled
out, but O. course we uns didn't know
nothin'. What took him to Vicksburg,
anyhow? Bein' sheriff in Arkansas
don't give him no pull outen the state"
That's right" said old man Green
hut, IAN / reckon nothin' but a sacred
duty'd take Joe Bassett outen Arkan-
sas, not while he's sheriff, an that's
as long as he's alive. But me bein'
justice o. til peace issued a warrant
for Pizen Riley, alive OF dead, to be
brung afore me fer trial, an / give It
to Joe to serve. o. course, Joe seen
his duty. an I reckon he's doin' of it.
On'y thing I see about it t looks queer
is him takin' so long. We was lookin'
fer him back on the Natchez sure.
Pizen Riley must be sure slick to dodge
Joe FIR two days an nights. them be-
in in the same town"
whats this here PiZen Riley did?"
demanded Sandy Hooper. 'I never
hear tell of him afore as RICH as 7 en-
remember. Pears like 1t must be
somepin' serious"
Il sh'd call 1T Serious" said old man
Greenhut. Amy man as comes into
Arkansas City single-handed an gath
ers up large wad O. local capital in
chips, an has 'em cashed at the muz-
zle of a six-shooter, an leaves town
hootin' his intentions o. spreadin' re-
ports injurious to tn reputation Of
Arkansas City-any man like that amt
safe to have goin' round. There amt
no c'munity safe while he's alive"
Il reckon" says Sandy Hooper de-
risively, ''as how II you was to turn
over an lay on the other side a spell
mebbe you mought dream some diff
trent 1 amt no Arkansas City man
myself, but been her enough to know
I no IudIl diIl UaDle Ter 10 DO all that
not an leave town. What's the good
o tryin' to kid me? Get down to
cases."
Fright you are. in a way" said old
man Greenhut, not i'll pleased at the
others indirect compliment to the COM
munity. There amt no man doin'
no such stunts as he done an walkin'
away alive, not if he's just on'y a man
an not nothin' more. But this here
PiZen Riley he sure is somepin' more"
'Whatcher mean?" asked Hooper.
Il dunno" said the old man frankly
1.-THE niggers tell Z his mother was a
voodoo priestess an his father was
somepin' o. the nature of a rattlesnake,
but l don't take no stock In that. All
S I know is t he lost his right eye
when he were a youngster long o. some
scuffle, an his left eye is a gimblet.
When he looks at you it bores in an
you kind o. wiggle like. Pears they
know him toIable well up in the
Ozarks. an there won't nobody up there
play poker with him no more
''Bein' as he couldn't make Twin
round home he took to travelin' the
river a year or SO gone, an we uns d
been a-hearfn' of him consid able
count o. tn wonderful plays he made
an the way he cd back up a bluff
just by fiashin' that gimblet eye o.
his'n Feared there cOuldn't nobodv