The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-15
DILUTED OUT TIE
POKER CROWD.
The One Eyed Man Proves Too
Much for the ArkaS pas
City Talent.

II uhANhB , AhY W@y sVN
that Arkansas City gang" said the man
with the bristling heard, I'm p'parod, fr
one, to AXE my life in my hands"
Wouldn't do no manner o. good.
Whiskers,' said the one eyed man. When
you stack up ag'in that lang you want
20 take your life in y'r teeth an boep yr
hands "A nigh y'r hip pockets AZ you can
Bat there's On'y two ways far to go up
ag'in them outlaws you wa aA~entiOnin''
-Slposin' you tell us what them two is'
One Eye, said the fidReV man.
We'll, I reckon mat every good player
m Aha rivor haa tsaod ono way" said One
Eve. sYou 10 j. the old mans saloon alone,
or YOU take Jour pal, an you buy chips,
aame'a v,L would into a straight game
4znuu~S gentlemen, or among dead straight
@pots, an you play YOU dam'dest. Then
you either lose out, which most usual you
does, OF just az % win out some dis
turbance, OF some low Town trick. or some
accident like. IL bring on a rough house,
an you reckon you're lucky to get away
alive. Oh. yesgI've tried il. Most every
bod ON the boats has tried it-Once. There
10 nem that's been twice, but twice 10 the
limit"
Pears like faint interestin' 10 no
G~rstextent listenin' to no such proposition
40 that exclaimed Whiskers in deep dis
gust. If t'other way amt no more reason
able n that mebbe you mOught save
strainin' yourself, an we en- play mumble
tspeg better'n to spend time %listenin'.'
; ooh, let him talk" said the fidgety
man. II can't put out no bigger foolish
ness. What is t'other way. One Eye?"
We'll. t'other way. as l was reck min"
said the man who was explaining, would
be for to stay abo'd the boat. an not 60
aaho' at Arkansas City at all. There amt
Dothin' there but the poker game. anyhow.
an pears like there was Some sense keepin'
outside O. that. But 1 reckon maybe you
n don't care for that neither. Pears like
you was sot on tacklin' that gang"
The man with the whiskers grunted
n the idgety man stepped TO the rail
n spat in the water.
~Oh. very well" said the one eyed man.
closely ~Observant Of his companions. III
you RELY feel that way I'm with you.
On'y there's a few things to DO greed to
forehand an stuck to later. Fur as
poker goes amt lone skeered but what
We uns. playin' together like we has played
fr q year. on hold our own ag'in any com-
binRtion this side o. the big sulphur furnace.
o n can't count ON ma fr no fancy
No0Ahu . hON hA OiNNiAllNll y pldNt, Dcitl hH 1
q cay look one way to Oncet, an I amt
tskin' nc chances in that crowd. But my
n lamp is good enough to read any little
signals as may be scratched onto the back
OF a card, an it's good enough to see deaf
an dumb talk such as we uns has worked
out fr Ourselfs. Whiskers here is good
for what dealin' may he required. an Fid-
xets had ought fr 20 be able TO keep track o
What aiOnaba fha AnAOnu IN thrnvyins aCrOaf
the table. So / reckon IL w uns gets into a
six handed game with the same number o
Greenhut's pirates we'd Oughter stand a
even chance. That's cOnsiderin' the matter
just as a game o. poker.
But / was sayin' as how there's cOnsid'-
able more'n poker to be took account ~.
Them s~washbucklers amt nOyays con-
~scientiOus ag'in trav lin outside the rules
o. the game. A little thing like THROWN
YOU outen the window an retainin' Of
your chips to the same time is as regular
az hOldin' a full ag'in a flush. An, case Oft
argument, tn old man hisself is liable fer to
butt in with a bungstaTter.
That's why I say three on us had ought
for to go together Z we're gOin' at all. The
chillun useter say. ones none. two's some.
but three's a hundred an l reckon there's
a heap into il. We three had ought for 10
no able to stand OF a powerful heap q
hghtin' men il We knows aforehand h
VEN up against an goes p'paTed. Ans
1 has 70 say is-if it's talk, talk last. but II
it's shoot, shoot first. If you uns Is agreed
we'll 10. II you amt, IdOn't GO"
The other two were agreed. and said
40 with undue emphasis. Moreover they
registered sundry vows to the effect that
in any bad, buccaneer men in and about
odd man Greenhut's saloon should under
take to get the beat of them in any illegiti-
mate manner whatsoever they would
speedily be dead buccaneer men. And the
one eyed man listened approvinRly.
Than "a the boat about 70 unaLa n
landing at Arkansas City, they prepared
10 90 ashore. And being well and com-
pIetely furnished with firearms. and lRyiahly
supplied with money, they lost no time
on their way to Greenhut's saloon.
As IL happened the old man was behind
the bar when they entered, and was in the
RCt OF setting forth a round Of refreshments
J for some five or six persons. the same
having been called for by the Sheriff Of the
county, me Joe Bassett. As the three
outsiders came in, they paused. having an
apT earance OF difidence. rs IL realizing they
had hit Upon an awkward moment.
Come right in " said Bassett, heartily.
sYOu uns IL right in time. We uns IL gOin'
tn LIQUOR. an Id he pleased g have you
line the crowd"
THAT sure is handsome o. you." said
the fdgety man before his companions
had time TO ~ eak. "but bein' "a we uns is
some in the way o. bein' a multitude. r ears
like II d he better Tr us To kind o. hang
4 hack fr a minute, an wait fr our turn to
shout. Kind o. Crowdin' mOUrners. amt 10,
fr TO ring in three strangers to Oncet?"
Baasett's manner changed suddenly and
ominOusly. 81 hahn p'tickler fond o count
in" he said, IAN ] hain't took notice o.
how many they is in your crowd. Pears
like Il d Oughter he easy enough, though,
10 lick any three men Z won't liquor when
A gentleman asks EN-" And he advanced
threateningiy toward the fidgety man and
amote powerfully toward the point Of his
jaw.
The blow would Unuuestionably have
landed but for a lightnin glike manOeuvre
Of the one eyed man, who kicked Fidgets
suddenly in the back of the knee, doubling
mis- leg 80 that he fell in q heap.
simultaneously Whiskers said, You'll
have TO excuse our friend, pard. He's
on'y Just graduated I'm Sunday school an
he amt no "a strong On etiquette. He
} means well, though, an he'll get right up
an take his LIQUOR with the rest Of us, ovid
in you'll be Kind enough not TO kill him
f'r q few minutes"
well, that's reasonable" said Basaett,
rs one who made a great concession. II
reckon a man can't be blamed fr what he
don't know. il he means right"
Old man Greenhut. who had been looking
ON in%ouriously while this happened, then
sal mn three more glasses md the cOmnany