The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-05-20

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drove me out with guns. Old .[ph was
q hangin round. too, waitin' FIR orders,
an @ course, sayin' nothif'. Then : c
was passengers loolxin' on, Ike there
mostly was. Mebbe there was twenty
of US. all told, in the saloon.
Hit come Stantons deal, bein' Da-
Wis ante, with Elphinstone settin' next.
Griggs next an Matthews last. 1 ed
see he was lookin' sharp, but / never
looked to see him grab the deck when
Stanton laid it down an start to run
1t over. Quick as he was, though, FL
phinstone an Stanton was as sudden.
/ Stanton had his knife out, but Mat
/ thews grabbed his wrist an Elphin-
stone pulled a gun. He was gettin' up
FIN his chair at the same time. an
would "a fired the same instant, on'y
old Eph sort o stumbled ag'in the
chair, somehow, an sent ii ag'in his
knees.
The gun went off an hit nobody.
Then Matthews, givin' Stanton a
shove that sent him ag'in the wall,
turned on Elphinstone an there was a
mixup.
Instead O. twenty. there was fifty
in the saloon. Cap'n Foss. o course.
was there quick, an was just comm
between Elphinstone an Matthews
when there was Woman's scream FIN
one o the staterOom doors.
There stood old Mrs. Verdery just
sinkin' to the floor in a faint, on'y Z
Miss Mabel had caught her. an her
with her big brown eyes lookin' calm
an curious at the crowd.
Roy Matthews seen it, too, an leav
in go o Elphinstone, he stood up
straight an handsome, takin' off his
hat
well, that was ali there was to
l9r. 10 1afr n n
course, the cap'n wouldn't have DO
more fghtin' in the saloon. Pears,
though, Z Roy Matthews was consid'
able struck with Miss Mabel an he got
the cap'n to introduce him to the old
lady next day. I don't want 'em to
think wrong o me- he says to the
cap'n, an likely they might long O
what they've seen O. me tonight
90 course. 1 don't know what hap
pened, but l took notice t Roy Mat
thews didn't go ashore when he came
to his usual landin'. but KEEP right on
up to Memphis, an was loolIin' after
the ladies' when they got off the boat.
An, o. course, old Eph had got off at
Helena.
"'Twa'n't long after that-inside OF
a few weeks. anyway. t the same five
was on the same boat together. Pears
Elphinstone had been up as far as st.
Louis, an was on his way back, h9v-
in lost Stanton Somewheres. The la
dies had made their visit an was on
their way home again. How twas I
Roy Matthews got tired O Memphis
just that time / cans say. An the
judge sent old Eph down the river
again on some law business, so he was
holdin' down his old job as a waiter
on this trip
1.-THE cap'n want none too well
pleased when he seen ElphinstOne come
aboard at Memphis, an he gives me
orders to watch him. If he was to set
INTO q game. / was to report, quick. ]
reckoned he wouldn't have the front to
play on the Belle but he did.
They was a party o four set down
when nigh everybody had gone to bed,
an began playin'. Elphinstone being
one on 'em, an two men that knowed
Roy Matthews bein' at the table. with
another crossroads tinhorn t peared to
be pals with Elphinstone- / was pikin'
off f'r the cap'n when Roy Matthews
hisself come in. Just nachully | belt
up minute, to see what d happen.
"One O his friends at the table sings
out to him to join 'em. We want a
fifth hand he says, an Matthews
walks ur to the table. slow an easy.
Then he sees Elphinstone, an he
says. very quiet. No, Jack. l amt
playin' no more poker. I'm goin' to be
married. If / was playin' l wouldn't
play with that man. an ] wouldn't
counsel you to, neither An he pint
ed at Elphinstone.
1.-The gambler turned as white as
milk. but he says, just as quiet as Mat
thews, I p'sume you'll give me salts
faction II was the days of the code.
But Roy Matthews smiled an he
says, I on'y fight with gentlemen. l
can't meet you"
Then Elphinstone got whittier yet.
an he says, so you're a coward as
we'll as a liar? An Matthews, he
quiet, I reckon I'll break my rule for
onct, an give you a meetin'. I'll have
to kill you FIR them words
CO. course I'd ought for to gone for
the cap'n right then, but 1 were young,
an you couldn't "a drove me out. Old
Eph was list'nin', too, but bein' a mig
ger he knOwed he couldn't speak, so
they made arrangements FIR to meet
on the lower deck Immediately.
Il follered an forgettin' all about
the cap'n an never noticin' t old Eph
was missin'. The party scattered
goin' different ways, but all meetin'
on the lower deck in about ten min
utes The two took their places, ten
steps apart, with their guns in their
hands
Troy Matthews friend was 10 give
the word. one. two. three, fire.. an
he'd just said, Ready, one, two,
three when Roy Matthews dropped
his gun on the deck an takin' off his
hat stood salutin
"Old Eph had gone to the ladies'
ststeroom an had told 'em somethin'
dredn d happened to Marse Roy. He
offended he didn't know what I was
but he got 'em TO come with him, an
they arrove just as I said. When Miss
Mabel seen what was happnin' she
just said OH an rushed into Roy Mat
thews' arms.
''It come nigh bein' bad rush FIR
her, for Elphinstone was wild. The
word to fire want spoke but just
when it would "a been Elphinstone
fired.
"He was a dead shot an there
want no doubt but he'd "a got his
man if the mate o. the boat hadn't
been as quick as q cat He come up
just in time to knock the gun up. Then
bein' some hasty. sides bein' a mon
strous powerful man. he picked EIphin-
stone up in his hands an heaved him
overheard.