The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-15

Old man Greenhut polished glass tumblera
industriOusly. Then they looked at ono
another, as men might o who had seen a
Then FdRets leaned feebly against tho
bar aud said: I'm sorry. pardner, N
how YOU didn't break that a loeele more
gentle. NV family doctor aIayS told mo
a. a great shock was liable Tor TO give nno
heart disease IL IL was took Sudden. BCin'
"a 1 feel weak mo an my friends III 20 co
| the back part o. the o an set down a
spell till We think it over
SSurp." said the old man Hospitality.
sHelD Yourself to a bench" Then turning
his attention to Bassett and his RrieOds no
Joined in their conversation. =
The three outsiders hunted the bench
| promptly and sat down close together.
| For a few moments they seemed staggered
with the sense OF being ostraCised. Then
they began talking in undertones:
This here Ia a new one,' said the n
eyed man, ~but IL sure Ia a trap. Them
yaps there wouldn't let us get out alive II
we was 70 start thouten a game
How II we was 10 start. thenP' suggested
Whiskers.
mot on your IiFe.' said Fidgsts. we
uns "a better start the game Hike the odd
man said. Some on EN- u butt in aiOre
long an then IL we don't like the way they
frame H. up we ON pull out.
This seemed good 20 the others and they
called on old man Greenhut for cards and
chips and went into the back room. where
they were speedily engaged in a strenuous
Presently Jim Blaisdell entered ths bar
room and they heard him ask, "Anythin'
diddin'P" And Greenhut answered. Yes.
there's a game in the back room" Then
BLaisdell came in,
He had hardly taken has seat at the table
after a little preliminary conversation
when Jake interbottom and Sam PearsalI
followed him into the room. shutting the
door carefully after them, 30 that the o0n-
versation outside was no longer audible.
IL was perhaps well chat this was 90. for
while the newcomers we're negotiating for
seats old man Greenhut, chuckling AFRO
gantly, said to Bassett: The Good Book
says as how any place where there's car
rion there's crows only he pronounced
carrion in the peculiar Southern fashion
hat defies spelling. Il reckon no added,
"as how therem DO some tol'able dry picked
bones some soon In ~yOnder.s
Bassett nodded grsvely; -More'n likely
he said. hen refilling his glass he said.
Here's hopin' there won't be no rkans
City bones picked"
afTain't likely" said the old man easlly.
mot with Blaisdell an Jake Winterbottom
both into the game. But what's satin
you, Joe? Know anythin' about these
here yaps?"
@On'V one on EN-. : said the Sheriff. They
tell me that one eyed man has sweep h hull
valley above here like a flood inside OF a
wear past, an he's wOrkin' his way down
1 W IVA NNAo us AON1 A"N VIZ
plete job. Pears the other two n his
heelers, but s~fiOaciOus like q stroke o
liRhtnin' when u comes to backin' him up.
I been drinkin' some cOpioua for co play
tonight, but l reckon Ill hang round
tnl the games over. ease Of dispute
Wont do no HARM said Greenhut
| thouRhtfully, "a he glanced at tho end Of
the bar TO SEQ that his bungstaTter was
in its prOpe place.
came out to the bar and asked Grsonhut
for $500. IL want u Thousand to go ON with. y
he explained. -bein' a. it's table stakes an
we all began with h q much. But I've
only got $500 in my jeans
What's wrong. Jake?" asked the old man
as he counted ont the money.
Dunno" said Winterbottom briefly.
-Mebbe it's nOthin', but that one eyed man
sure is a holy terror. He just held -four
sces on Rlaisdells deal
We'll. four aces en- be beat. said the
| old man.
sYss. it kin. but l didn't Ill my straight
flush
@An' Jim was dealin'." exclaimed Green
hut ~incredulOusly.
Well" said Winterbottom. Il reckon
Jim done his best. but the one eyed man
is settln' on his right"
hut.
"Nothin's been did yet admitted Win
terbOttOm. You cant say nOthin' when
you hain't saw nOthin'. not thouten it's
ON gen'l principles. We're kind o. holdin'
ready for that" And he went back into
the poker room, leaving Greenhut aud Bas-
sett looking thOughtfully AZ each other.
Meantime the players had reached that
pitch OF excitement AZ which n word. or
sven a look OF gesture. was liable TO pro-
woke an outbreak. IN game. from the
time the six sat in. had been the fierce,
merciless struggle only TO be Seen among
the best players, and each succeeding con-
test had Intensified the strain. Yet though
no man really dreaded the crash no one
was anxious TO bring u about without a
plausible pretext.
When il came the pre,ext was not lack
ing. WinterbOttom had played along with
his SECOND thousand till thar was sadly
diminished, and he noticed with grim dis
satisfaction that Pesrsall and Blaisdell were
both losing steadily. SO he spoke DELHI
erately and with due ceremony.
i hahn no objections" he said, looking
! AZ FidRets, -to the gentleman twistin' On
his chair. reckon the chairm Outiast the
seat Of his breaches il he keeps on. But
we uns in Arkansas City don't reckon it's
parh 'mentary nor no part o poker Tor TO
work the sign language acrost the table
with your ears m your elbows an your
nose. Pears like It ID be more regular like
IL he'd sci more ~stilier.-
Long before he had finished the others
were looking for Fidgets to shoot and every
mans hand was at his hip pocket. BIT he
said, quietly, lis that all you've GOT TO
say And when NinterbOttOm said Yes
! he continued. I'VE uns was reck min on
a rough house when we came. an KNOWN
somepin' o the character o. the crowd
l come p'pared. KNOWN we'd he did up
anyhow. case Of n difficulty. | put a pound
an a half O. dynamite in my pocket. II
there's a man in the room draws I'll slam
H. on the hoOr." And he drew forth a large
black stick that certainly looked like dyna-
mite.
Winterbottom and his two friends looked
at him aghast for a single moment. Then
they rushed from the room. unashamed
of their panic.
The other three looked nj one another
gravely. Then. deliberately pocketing all
the money there was on the table, they
walked close together out through the bar
room to the street, no man interfering, for
Fidgets still held the stick in his hand.
When they had gone half way to the hotel
he said. Il reckon that there thing amt
no EOoo no more" and he cast il from him.
IL fell heavily by the wayside, and nothing
happened.