The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-17
(Chicago Inter ocean,

Chicago Inter OCEAN,
oh. l don't know" said Mr. Owen
! Pepper. and the captain turned on him
with eyes ablaze with fury.
You able, emery, contemplate
loWdown, no count. slabsided shrimp
he shouted, 80 two bits I'd knock you
wuthless head plum often yo' shoulders
an feed 1T to the furnace TO a pine
Knot. It's Tat enough to burn good. "
And he danced up and down, brand
lshlng his arms aloft.
oh. l don't know" said Mr.. Owen
Pepper, fishing around in his trousers
pockets and bringing out a silver
quarter. There's your two bits. cap'n
II you think it's wuth that much,'' and
| he held out the coin with a good ma
tured smile that was entirely out of
keeping with the gravity of the situa-
! ton.
The Belle of the Bayous was just ap-
| preaching the Arkansas City landing
and Captain Wilkins had had much to
try his patience since his boat had left
| Vicksburg.
For one thing there was a notable
| falling off from the number of passen-
! gers he usually carried, and he was
unable to explain this TO himself in
| any way excepting that he had lately
relaxed the severity of his rule
/
| Being a lover of the game himself. h.
had believed that the popular preju-
dice against poker on the boats cane
| from the crooked play that had been
! prevalent for a long time
When, therefore. he discovered as he
believed he did some few months pre-
viously man of high principle and
great skill at cards in the person of
Mr.. John Blaisdell of Arkansas City,
I h. ElNW l.
game on his boat. provided Blaisdell
sat in to see that it was straight. So
far as he could see, his theory was
correct, but the passenger traffic of his
boat had certainly fallen off. Altogeth-
er Captain Wilkins was far from being
equally disposed when he stepped into
the saloon a little after midnight ana
found a game of poker in progress,
with Mr. Owen Pepper a highly inter-
ested spectator
Pepper Couldn't Afford the Game.
Mr.. Pepper seldom played, though he
enjoyed the game greatly. He frankly
said that he could not afford it except
at long intervals.
1t was a game for full-grown men
that Captain Wilkins found Tall
stacks of chips stood in front of each
of the six players. and beside the
bills. with a considerable showing of
gold coin. Altogether the money in
sight was not far short of $4,000, and
they We're playing table stakes.
Jim Biaisdell was one of the players,
and the pile in front of him indicated
that he was doing rather more than
holding his own; yet,if he had, no dis
credit on the Arkansas City game, of
which he was notable exponent for
h. l,l H., ~
Roy Gilchrist, who sat on his left, was
a Mississippi planter who was noted
for reckless and lucky play. His al
most unlimited command of money and
his prOdigal use of it on occasions
made him a forceful player, even if his
judgment was not always reliable.
Buck Mathews was another swash-
buckler at play. He was at all times
liable to bet his pile but enough was
known of his methods to make it al
most certain that he believed in his
hand when he backed it.
Martin and Miller were of the ordin-
airy variety of river gamblers. Cool,
resOurceful and bold. they were ready
at any stage of the game for any trick
they could play with a chance of safe
ty, and We're always prepared for an
appeal to arms should one be made.
The sixth man at the table was the
One-eyed man. whose name no one
knew, but who was known from La
Crosse to New Orleans as the peer of
any player on the river. Tradition said
he had lost his other eye at the card
table, but whether his own crooked
play or the other mans had led to the
ARRAY no one pretended to say. In
deed, no one had ever charged him
with unfair play. All they said was
that he was unusually successful
Party Was Noteworthy.
1t was truly a noteworthy party. and
it was no ordinary game they played.
Jim Blaisdell recognized that from the
beginning. and although he felt lim-
self worthy match for. any or all the
l-Other players. he realized the necessity
for extra caution.
AS none of the others had played In
the Arkansas City game they knew
nothing TO him excepting by reputa-
ton What they had heard vaguely Of
his marvellous skill in handling cards
they were disposed to regard as exag-
geration. Mr.. owen Pepper might
perhaps, have told them things but he
was not playing and he was too well
versed i'm the etiquette of the game to
volunteer any remarks
The first notable play in the game
came when Gilchrist had dealt, and
when. therefore, no suspicion could
attach to the deal. Martin had put up
the ante. which was a dollar Later
on, as the play got higher, they made
it five call ten.
Baisdell sitting next, looked at two
Of his cards and put up his 81, so they
sized him up as coming i'm on a pair,
probably not less than jacks.
The one-eyed man said nothing, but
put in red chip. standing for 50. He