The sun., 1908-07-26
il RKANSAS CITY
"A LOSES IN A DUEL
Frcezeout Won by Matches on the
Eve of Greater Things. N


feler Herod. what the Good Book tells
about Pears he had considerable large
notions o what had oughter be did to other
folks. an he sure did thin out the surplus
,nppyation o the Holy Land heap. Come
q time, though, when he was gettin' on In
wears, I he seen they was too many for him.
iPearei like tho more on EN- he slow an
slaughtered, tho more there was left an he
got some discouraged like. SOS t he says to
friend c hisn. as how he wished the hull
bin Of 'em had on'y one neck, 80 q he cd
eit = good swipe at II with his bowie knife.
rStans to reason II he d had q bungstarter.
an d knowed how to use It skilful, he'd
Inferred that. an I'm with him. II the hull
human race had just ono nut onto 1t. an
cd git thin reach I'd fetch it just one good
swat f'r luck. Might be corsid'able much
harm did adoin' of II. but there'd be he'll
Ioarin' lot O. foolishness put stop to right
sudden"
1t may be accepted as mild statement OF
the fact that the old mans hearers, who
we're tho usual frequenters OF his saloon
on tho Arkansas City levee. were surprised.
There had been no immediate happening
to arouse his wrath. but on the contrary
the entire company had been eating tobacco
10 sociable silence.
His friends looked at one another won-
deringly and waited for time. thinking
that he might go on with an explanation
Of some Sort but he laIsed into sulien
silence and chewed his cigar savagely
-Mebbe that m0ught do some good,'
said Joe Bassett at length. but looks TO
me like IL ID do consid able mischief too.
been some sanguinary my own self some
times when was het up over somepin'.
but don't call to mind no such powerful
hankerin f'r universal murder. Pears
like somepin' must ha' happened you
no To this the old man made no response,
but continued to eat the inner end of his
cigar till the fire grew dangerously near
his lips. when he lighted fresh one and
'How IL you was to let on what's eatin'
you, Greenbut," ventured Jake Winter
bottom after a time 4Mebbe you'd feel
better an take considerable of strain ofr'h
the rest Of US
After another long pause the old man
spoke again. though grudginSly. 'Mebbe.s
he admitted. i was oonsid'able moro en-
phatic n reely meant. but it's enough to
make a white mans blood bile in his bones
for to see the best part Of his life plumb
wasted an watch the world a-prancin' by.
ign rant an needless like it mostly is, not
givin' hoot FIR them that's toilin' ON b'hak
on 'em. Like as not they'd turn again
an grind ye like the swine In the Good
Il don't call to mind seein' Of you toilin'
no great, recent, said Jim Blaisdell. lightly.
Nor hadn t heer'd d nothin' about the best
part o. your life bein wasted. Locks 70 me
-lhat's itl' exclaimed old man Greenhut.
with great bitterness. "The Scripter tells
how there amt no benefactor o. the human
race what's without profit, 'ceptin' into his
own country an among them that knows
my talents to teilin' mank ind tn advan-
tages o. draw poker an backin' the game.
l been shown how it's the greatest eddi-
cational influence an the best mejum f'r
to develop character what's known to poor
itf II a man was to be rewarded 'oordin'
70 the value of his work the hull poppyla-
tion Q the Mississippi Valley d be crowdin'
into that there back room an, buyin' ohips.
was a sucker into the game. It d make
ANYBODY weary o. well doin'.'
-Some dscouragin,' said Jake Winter
bottom, calmly. but f'n what hear there's
f,r T to break into the back room soon.
'1aint' altogether certain as how they
IN suckers. though. Some on EN- Is
toi'able slick players, an r. amt none on
EN- WS 5SoTsys sy Sssggardy with h,S gun gun ar.
Il amt sure said Winterbottom, abut
they tell me t big Ike Bemberger. t runs
faro bank in Matches, with a poker game
on the side. has been hearin' consid'able
more n he relished concernin' tn Arkansas
City crowd, meanin' us. an hes been get
tin a gang together what he reckons is
qualified for 70 clean us out. Looks like
your labors Is bein' reco nized some.
II Ike Bamberger's ben gettin' q gang
together l reckon we uns Is got nights
work cut out. He amt no slouch his own
self an any man t he picks out is liable for
to be good un. Howsomever. reckon
weaken. Didn't hear who these here buo-
cancers is. did ye?.
NO but Sam Whitaker was tellin how
the one eyed man had been seen round
Natchez consid able recent
Thereupon Joe Bassett gave a violent
twist to the conversation, intimating with
profane emphasis that the one eyed man
might perhaps come to Arkansas City. but
he never would go away alive.
was soon dispelied, for the next boat up
the river brought a messenger from Bam-
berger to old man Greenhut with COM
munity challenge OF the kind that was
common enough in the days when the boats
were, the only means of communication
and local pride was passion.
hamburger says that he reckons it's
time for TO call your blun,' said Sandy
Butts, the messenger, after he had invited
the house to tho bar, In strict accord with
the etiquette Of ths occasion. I'VE uns is |
been hearin' overmuch o'ncernin' the
brand o poker what's played here an we !
m some curious to know what sort OF q
game tbs. There's some says you play |
olable good poker n some Gays you |
CANT play ag in none but suckers.
We'll said old man Greenhut coolly.
you en- tell Bamberger I he ON find out |
II hisself any time he's a mind 10 set In.
There's some that's come here with right |
smart Of a reppytation as slick players.
but mostly they went away without II. |
Likewise without wad Tol'able nigh |
all on EN- in suckers here. But how about |
it: We uns hain't never heerd nothin' O.
no poker bein' played In Natchez There's |
been sort Of a notion round here that you |
uns hain't never learned the game
There's some on us ben studyin' OF |
1t nights" retorted Sandy Butts with q |
grin. We was reok min how II some o.
your good players ID come down TO Natchez
with thousand apiece or 10 We uns cd
teach you uns somepinT. Ramberger says
he'll stand the boat fare back
That's somepin' like what the coon said
To the wildcat, bein' some ignorant. like
coons is" observed old man 0reenhut.
But the wildcat he says he Amt special