The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-22

@Rsmember, I'm tAlkin' about some forty
wears ago, afOr0 the hull science o. poker
had been discovered. There's a heap o
things Z pears ordinary enough now what
want understood them days.
But even them four had their own pet
superstitiOns. Doc Wilso had a notion N
how IT, helped his play conaid'ablo FOR to
watch a stranger for \ spell an make out
what p'tic'lar habits he had An that's
what he tried on Buck HilO.
II amt a-sayin' = Buck HilO seen what
he was doin', an set ont deliberate for
90 fool him. Maybe he did an maybe he
didn't. but what I do say was = that little
saved OF strsngeTLhe Want RELY no
| stunts IT. that table n I 6ver seen afore
nor since into n poker game.
First on. he come in on Bill Haskins's
| ante. an stayed when PattibOne boosted
an Doc seen tho raise. an bnl raised again.
That sure looked like he had sOmeDin' an
they couldn't quite see why he didn't raise
his own self II he had enough 10 stay on.
Anyway. they Thought they'd find out
so PettibOne raised again. an Doc dropped
an Bill bOOsted II OnCet again.
Then his HilO he Seen the double raise,
an made il ten more to play. maxim nigh
$40 what he'd put in the pot hisself, so there
was nigh $3.50 on the able thouten Dick
Pratt havin' put up a chip.
" Feared like hat was tOl'able AtiR. bat
! the other two had tOl'able good cards an
they both stayed. Then on the draw each
I ON 'em took two cards. an HilO chucked
a hundred dollar bill in the pot thOuten
turnin' his cards over. Pettibone studied a
long time. but finally he says:
"'MOre'n likely your threes il big ones,
but 1 feel like I'd just got 10 see You an
he puts up his hundred.
Bill Haskins he 'peared 10 think want
much use f'r him to call, bein' a. PettibOne
had did II Already, q he folded an IL vas
70 10 Buck HilO TO show down his cards.
Well. he didn't have a blame thing.
Feared he'd drawed to three clubs m
hadn't even caught a pair. An the funny
thing was he p'tended to be as mad as blszes
count o his bluf not goin' through.
Looks like o une don't understand
this here game none too we'll he says. very
irritable. I don't sec what call YOU had
to see my bet on three sevens. An they
all laughed good natITed, but he 'peared
TO be in dead earnest.
We'll. he KEEP on doin' fool stunts. u
sure did look TO be a shame for 10 take his
money!, on'y he put ON airs like he knowed
he was dom" an put up a argument
on his hand every time h was beat that d
make you want TO manhandle HIM..
Il rec'lect one time he ned q nee full, an
somebody bet Ave dollars an he called.
Then he laid down flush cause twas such
a little one. he said. Wouldn't play il.
Just naturally they had him trimmed o.
an hour, an he said he was broke. Said II
tOl'able bitter. too. an cussed his luck. az
he called IL, sOmepin' Scan'lOus.
They didn't ION or EN- make him no
answer. but Doe Winslow he counted out
the SI5 what they'd took on fr a kitty
an showed il over to Buck HilO 'ihOuten a
word. He was fair sstonished, or anyway
he lei on he was, en- he says:
whats this? You 'uns amt OHerin' me
no charity. he We? I'm spot enough TO
nay what lose an not put up no hoIler
Then Bill Haskins he says; You hold
your hossee. stranger. We don't ofer no
insults TO nobody. more specially 10 no such
thoroughbred as you pear TO he.
This here money IL a kitty we take out
fr the loser. It's q sort o consolation pot.
an it's took al'ays, under the house rules
An he winked at the others not TO saw
nothin', which they didn't, bein' ~ they all
felt a sort o. likin' fr the pore Teller, an q
sort o. Ditv fr his poker playin'.
so Buck HilO he chippered up a bit, an
he says: oh, sure. IL that's the custom. an
there amt no charity into IL. there amt
no reason fr me not takin' it. But it's my
money. il it|
THEW told hin twas.
AMI kin do h l blame please with it,
@Thev told him he could.
Well. them says Buck HilO, pulin' up
10 the table again, III act into this game
fr Q few minutes
THAT come 30 sudden an unexpected
that some on EN- laughed an some Cussed,
an they didn't know 'xRctly what to do,
but IL struck 'em as a rood Joke enough
TO 90 on with. On'y Bill Haskins he says:
You know, stranger. there won't be
no kitty f'r the loser this time.
Sure, / know that said Buck Hilo,
an they begin playin' again.
I'm free 10 saw T. l didn't see no more
had breaks into the little sawed Oh's game.
He PLAYED closs 10 his chest an didn't put
uD a chip mors'n the regular ante till II como
his deal.
Spaarad ike thore was acme GOOD hands
ont then. f'r by the time IL came to him It
look ten dollars to plav. an everybody
was in. on'y O. course Dick Pratt, what
was the are. he still had a say.
Well. Buck Hilo put no his hull pile an
everybody STAYED. 'Twa'n't such a much
to bet on a tolable good hand in the kind
o. game they'd bee Dlayin'.
After the draw there was quite some
bettin' on the aide. but Buck HiIo was all
in an a a show f'r his money. When
full an scooped in s75.
~ don't lust remember the different hands
that vas PLAYED after that, but l do kDo
that Buck Hilo cashed in 81. 700 and odd
inside Of an hour. an then said he had cold
feet. He was mOnstrOus DOIIte an thanked
'em for the pleasure he'd had a~-plavin' with
EN-. but he 'peared to be considerable sOt
sgin playin' anv lon1er. an they didn't
AAA no way o. maxim him. 80 he went on TO
the tavern 10 bed.
NluNl q DFNI hlNu uObN hNAl u
when Buck HilO role ND in front o. Doc
Wilson's place on his hoss az smilin' an
cbinUer = YOU please.
"'MOrnin'. Rentlemen.' he sal !. fr there
was quite a bunch OF 'em bv the door talkin'
about the Rame. 'MOrnin'.' he says. I
thought mebbe I'd better tell you uns afore
leave Greenville az how I'd heerd o. your
little game and the SIS expense money
YOU lows to strangers Z amt wanted round
town.
"'Bein' a. il looked like Il was no to me to
show Won uns what a man en- reelv do when
he knows how 10 handle the cards. I thought
I'D take a vbirl with YOU. | hal more'n
81. 900 in NV wad sfOre I set in. hut I knowed
I wouldn't need more'n SIS. GOod-by,
gentlemen. Better luck next time
An Buck Hilo cantered away down the
road on that bav hoss o. his'n lauQhin' At
to sDlit. but there was chunks o. gloom an
sadness interspersA1 alOGR the highway
hat didn't get washed away fr consid'able
many weeks"