The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-02
THE ROBUSTNESS OF
! KNOWING TOO MUCH
Old Man GreenhGt Proves His
TheorieS Aboot Draw
Poker.

Sm Wuelo thSy ."Vht h0fSt hhoN h0thhH
no mo-.
~ kaowed a man. name o. Rathbun,
over In GieSn county. some years ago, Z
made out he knoWed all about mules,
4 says to him one day. / says: 'Rathbun,
you sure do 60 too fur l says, when you
claim fer TO know IL all, special In reference
70 mules. which In ordained by q all-wise
Providence for TO upset Whatever you'Se
a-reck' min on. don't make no difference
what It's
But he wouldn't listen. He says. Come
round to my stable, Greenhut. I've got a
mule there I / want 10 show you. bought
him fr almost nothin', beln' as he's got a
bad name. He won't kick. but he's bit
three nlggers nigh fatal, an they say he
can't be KEEP tied up. When l seen him
l knowed what the trouble was, 30 ! bought
him. an he's as gentle as q kitten now 7
I've took care OF him fr q week. There IL
mules I has to be licked like blazes, an
there Is them Z shouldn't be beat. Some
hain't no onderstandin' an some you en-
reason with. Now they'd made a mistake
with this one, an beat him when he wanted
10 be coaxed, 40, bein' some high sperTited,
he nachully bit. He's playful, too, q n /
amt sure but what some o. the bitin' was
ulChLI ] u JOhCs oubb CDLio IOuhu -
Zee what a change I've made into him In q
week
We'll, l went with him, but while We
was on the W, = l tried to teach him somepin.
This yere mule may be trained, all right
l says, but he's q mule. He's liable for
to do somepin' you amt lookin' for
but Rathbun wouldn't listen. he
capered along to the stable, like he was
- - L. 49, - Ll,- Nl--ka~A ~ x~A
with him, some interested. When he opened
the door that mule stood munchin' his
barley, contented as you please, in his stall,
but he looked round, kind O. laughin' like,
when Rathbun stepped In. Then, mighty
sudden, 'thoughten a word o. warnin', he
reached out his Cd hind leg, fore Rathbun
had got nigher'n about eight foot I'm the
stall, an give him q rap side O. the head
I sent him all in a heap ag'in the side o.
the barn. He never moved, an when I
got to him he were stone dead
Joe Baesett was not the only listener,
though he was, perhaps, the most interested,
since It was told as q sort Of reprimand
for a declaration that the big Sheriff lad
boastfully made that mo zap I'm up st.
Francis way cd come to town an raise
ructions, not while I'm round"
Inasmuch as old man Greenhut was an
avowed admirer Of Bassett's proves, it
had been q little surprising to the others
to hear the rebuke, and Jake W~interbottom,
Sam Pearsall, Jim Blaisdell and Pete Kenney
had also listened in some surprise, and, 1t
must be said, with an air Of not being thor
ouRhly convinced.
Jake Wi~nterbottom spoke first. Il don't
sees you're TRIUMPH in or followerin' suit,
G%reenhut,' he said; Fur as this ,yere
Rathbun Is c'ncerned, pears like he didn't
Z he didn't reckons mules leg TO be more'n !
eight feet long. More'n that, faint GER
tain but what the mule meant for 70 be
playful. Pears like your story don't
prove nothin, but 3 fur ISL Joe 6 sed1oS able 3S. to
amt no argument COMM
There was a general muTmur OF approval, |
though M one felt called on TO add TO Winter
bottom's remarks, and old man Greenhut
another. Seeing that. thu, all appeared
TO be Of one mind, he shoe. mis- head slowly
and somewhat sadly.
Going to his favorite chair by the window,
he put his feet on the sill and smoked for
a long time In silence. Then he said, Minds
me O. Dave Dutton. There want no
more promisin' %youngster in Mississippi,
on'y he had the same failin' as some has,
o. howin' too much, an 1t kind O. spilled
him some.
had no cali ff'r fsrmipp, an 6ein' some
~prejudiced about liquor, he decided to
take up cards, 90 / says 70 him how y was
some risky; course it's good business
Jays, Y IT'S follered right, but there's a
he only laughs, Trouble with EN- he
says, they don't know the game, I'm
goln' to study poker he says, till l know
10 oil thara aintl m ailph thin an pRftint 1
sAn' / Gays, Dave, that's ~bAsphemious.
The good Lord never intended for q man
to know all about draw poker. You may
you will, but you can't. never learn II ALL
But he on'y laughed ag'in. an he says,
Il reckon I ON do It.. An he praotised on
his n%eighbors round Greenville TIL he
parts. Then he took to the 6osts.-
Then the old mar turned his attention
again TO his cigar and annexed 90 long in
that Joe Bassett at length aid i'm
patiently: We'll. what happened himi
al Rid th hs a BoHs sO . ST aidn' he' WHAT'S
IL hain't never heer'd,' said old man
Greenhut. "He was dom we'll the last I
knowed. O. course he'll be come up with
some time
liquor he said. 'Ive got to have some
pin to take the taste o. this outer my
There was a procession to the bar and the
liquor was produced at the Sherihs ex-
pense. As the last man was pouring IL
into his glass the door opened and a good
middle aged man stepped in and
looked around inquiringly. Joe Bassett.
seeing that he was a stranger, said heartily:
sWe uns was just taldn' q drink. Won't
you line US? Pleased to ave you
aThanks,' said the stranger. Il don't
care II l do and then after that round
had been disposed OF he proved his knowl-
edge Of the ~etiquette governing the COCA
sion.
BY the time the second round was put
away old man Greenhut'e face cleared up.
He had been Watching the stranger with
q look Of perpleIity, but suddenly be said:
81 reckon I've saw you afore. stranger.
Pears to me like you come rom Greene
county. Mississippi, m your names Dave
Dutton."
The stranger said he was right. After a
little conversation he remembered Green
hut and expressed his pleasure at making
the acquaintance Of the Others present,
After the acquaintanoeship had been
qualified with two or three additional Gba-
tons Jake Winterbottom said. Likely
=. ;.t, r.i..onL nome Ihan II taLn 49,, o. n ,aon