The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-06
0LD MAN GREENHUT
~. CALLS A BLUFF
Nitroslycerine No Longer a Win
ming Hand In His Poker
Game.

r-ver packet in her day. three mer
whose general appearance indicated theil
,l..ing beyond any reasonable doubt
Dandies in dress, cool, keen. resourceful
even desperate In character. to judge
from their bearing and a certain intensi,y
Of expression, no traveller who was fa.
miliar with the river at that time would
have hesitated to pronounce them al
card players by profession.
1t was evident enough that they were
discontented. Any who knew the circum-
stances would not have wondered. Two
planters who were known as enthusi,
astic poker players and who never played
for small money were sitting in the saloon
Of the boat playing old sledge with each
other for a dollar a point. while the three
professionals, their most artful advances
having been ignored. were forced to see
one of the choicest opportunities Of the
season pass without the possibility OF
making their play.
After a long silence, during which the
three smoked viciously. looking at one
another with u~nconcealed suspicion. one
threw the stump OF his cigar into the
river and exclaimed:
Il reckon there amt no call for we uns
10 blame each other. Looks like we was
all did up alike. More'n likely we uns al
took this boat count o Charlie Packer an
bill Hemstead bein' abo'd. I did"
The two others nodded gravely. and he
continued: - ~
, Then what in blazes are we up against
here's the two best suckers on the river
playin' mumble-te-peg together an
nothin' diddin' f'r VS.. How come these
here two amt playin' poker like they
al'sys has?'
One Of the two whom he addressed
shook his head slowly and said. Il pass
but the other, a n eyed man, said:
That's easy. Don't you uns know where
them two is goin'?'
Then when the others shook their heads
in some surprise the one eyed man con
tinued: They both on 'em done paid
passage to Arkansas City
arkansas City, exclaimed one of the
others in a bewildered way; but the
other said:
Ohio! They'm reck'n'in' or settin' in
With old man Greenhut's gang then"
The one eyed man said: Sure
Then he sat for a time, apparently
unmoved and Indifferent. while the two
other men cursed bitterly. At length one
Of these. who was known as Bill Harvey
on the boats, though his name in New
Orleans was different, exclaimed:
This here's gone too fur! reckon
there amt nothin' to say IL a man run
a poker game to suit hisself into his own
place, but when he gifts in%terferin'
with legitimate business on the boats
somepin has got to be did,
The one eyed man said; WHAT
'well," said Harvey, Il reckon that
Greenhut gang amt the on'y poker players
on earth. l amt sayin' banker to
tackle 'em alone, but ! reckon il three
Of US set in together an play together
we'd oughter do en-
I'm with you said Dave Darling,
whose reputation for skill and courage
~as equal TO Harvey's. but the one eyed
man vas silent.
what do you say;- the others asked
him. after a pause.
Il reckon I'll pass he answered.
slowly. Il been up against that gang
two or three times, an I amt nc hawg.
I amt sayin' it can't be did. but I'm handi-
capped. Wouldn't be let set in 'thouten
| sh'd kill two or three OIL 'em first, an
there's easier tun on the river. I'd
sooner tackle some o them first
1t was noticeable that Darling and
Harvey offered no criticism On what might
have been looked on as cowardice in a
desperado less well known than the ono
eyed man. but presently Darling said:
Il reckon tn amt no call f'r nobody
20 say nothin' " you feel like you'd had
enough, but pears like that amt no
reason why Harvey an me shouldn't
stack up ag'in these here pirates. Likely
they amt no more'n human
Il reckon that's right said the one
aged man but ! sh'd size EN- up f'r
somepin like the strongest team { ever
seep play together.
There's one on 'em they calls Jim
Blaisdell what sure is the slickest dealer
I know. an the three buccaneers what
plays with him don't pear to need no
signals. Looks like they know every
time just what's up to EN-.
odd Jake " interbottom ] sh'd size
ND fr the most reliable player in the gang.
but sam Pearsall Is q good un. too. AS
fr Joe Bassett. I don't count him p'tic'lar
dangerou s fur's draw poker goes,
but he's a hawg fr fghtin'. II there's
any chanel O. helpin' the game along by
hreakin' it up Joe Is sure reliable. an
the gang II back him up as steady as they
will B~laisdell.'
Looks like a strong team said Harvey.
but ! reckon me an Darling might tackle
Il at that
You mought,' said the n eyed man.
I've knowed two good players TO get out
alive. an even fetch a wad with EN-. but
II IL comes to a fight. an more'n likely
twill il you win out, tn on'y thing to do
Is to back into a, corner. Il old man
Greenhut oncet gets behind you with his
hungstarter it's all up. You haint no
more chanst O. gettin' out n two drowned
rats in the middle o the river
We'll, | reckon we'll take a whack at
ii ANYWAY" said Darling doggedly, and
Harvey nodded. Desperate chances were
nothing new to either Of them and the
promised peril seemed actually TO allure
rather than TO deter them.
II was a feat ~ daring that they pro.
posed, but measured by the standard OF
their time aud their calling no more IN
usual than the solitary search for adven.
t,,re Of a knight errant OF the days OF
chivalry or the present day plunge OF an
ambitious lamb into the pitfall OF bulls
and bears in Wall Street. The lust OF al.
venture was strong and the lmminent
chance Of a desperate night was eveh moIe
enticing than the remote possibility OF
winning in a we'll nigh hopeless game.
Yet desperate as they were they were
lv No noaa,s Kind and altar some consul