The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-23

with Inem caTds ike they was cnunkb o
cordwood. Pears he had to wet his thumb
TO get EN- OF n the deck one to onoet, but
when he got 'em of Riley and Murray both
| 'peared some struck with their hands.
1t was Murray's ante. an he'd put up
two bits call a half. like they'd ben dom,
an Riley com, in. Jabetrailed, an Murray
made good an raised it a half. Then
Riley raised 1t a dollar, an Jabe trailed
again, 30 Murray h'irted II a dollar, an
Riley came back at him once more.
Then Jabe looked at his hand careful
an asst that fool question about whether
q flush beat a straight, a n they told him
1t did. 50 he trailed again, an Murray said
he wouldn't fool no longer but he'd make
it ten more to play. an Riley said ten
more n that d suit him, an Jabe looked
scared. but put up his twenty, an they
whipsawed him two or three times more,
till finally he said he reckoned he'd better
put his hull wad in an save time, an they
Murray had a king full an Riley had
four mines. an Jabe looked at 'em with his
eyes bulgin' out. like he was scared wuss'n
ever. an he showed down ( IN the four to
the eight in spades.
Reason l asst whether a flush beat a
straight he says, was cause this here
hand, as nigh as I en- fRger, is a straight
an a flush, both. an l didn't know which
to call it. Pears like it ought fer 70 be
some better N a ordinary flush, How
well. just nachully, they was some took
back an Murray throwed his cards away,
but Riley 'peared TO think he ed bluff it
through, so he begin TO say, We'll. O. course,
you know fours III beat a fush'-but
Jabe laughed at him. easy an pleasant
like, an he says Don't you gentlemen
know a player when meet up with
him? You can't learn me nothin' about
this here game. but l en- give you some
p'ints IL you need 'em. l don't want your
- t,Naf a. mt my nxrn anE
but I do want to make friends. l on be
mighty useful to YOU uns II YOU want me fr
a side partner. S'posin' we all has a drink
an talks il over
well. they was both sensible men enoug h.
bein' Professionals. an they seen they'd been
done. but thew seen, too. as Jabe was right
about him bein' usefuA, an they struck up
a partnership right on the sDot what lasted
nigh three year an was mighty profitable
to 'em all. They do say as the three on 'em
cleaned up nigh fifty thousand apiece in
the three year.
But that want all. 1t sure was a heap
for to take a man like Jabe Heminwav
was an turn him into a respeotable citizen
with $50. 900 in the bank. an that's what
draw poker sure done. But IL done more'n
that. 1t learned him self-resrect an give
him habits O. lookin' out an doin' things
t wouldn't "a ben looked for FIN such
as him.
He never got over his habit O. sayin'
Z the DOTQ q woe, eVen II Ter ne got
to p'vidin' for hisself, an one day Murray
heer'd him say it; He laughed a little,
IN he says: Well, don't know, Jahe.
Mebbe the Lord won't p'vide every time.
'Tain't likely He's goin' TO p'vide YOU with
a six-shooter just the minute the other
Teller draws on you. The best way is n
p'vide yourself with one. an then you'll
nave it when you van it
well, Jabe seen the sense o. that. an
when he'd thought about it a srell he bought
hisself a gun. an practised with it till they
said he cd draw quicker an shoot
straighter'n any other man on the boats.
Draw poker had learned him for to be
careful an to do things right when he
lone 'em at all.
so, I'm the time he left the niger an
struck out for hisself. there van nobody
cd never say nothin' ag'in Jabe Heminwav.
There was one or two started to say I he
played crooked, but thew tried to draw
when thew said il, an Jabe drawed first,
so they didn't never finish what they was
savin'. an nobody else ever repeated it.
Goes to show what I've al'avs said;
Draw poker is the most upliftin' moral
influence they is"