The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-02-28
ben the same Bellyband Bush what you
He Had Family Pride.

" ell Tie Sdtil6 Dolly DdllQ buSll Wlidt SCU
asst about"
He Had Family Pride.
Come to think of it, l reckon 1t must
ben as how Jim Bush hadn't no likin' fr
that there nickname what they give his
third cousin, an him havin' consid able
family pride an settin' greet store by
Abe was likely the cause of a curious
kind O. row t Jim got mixed up into,
what was the finish O. two yaps t was In
the barroom one night an come nigh
bein' the finish O. Jim his own self.
Likely 'twould ha ben his finish, too.
on'y FIR me havin' bungstarter handy
an havin' begun to see even then how
hell roarin' handy it's to have one round
when it's RELY needed.
Jim Bush was as peaceable a feIler as
you'd want to meet S long S there didn't
nobody rile him. but he'd fight like a
wildcat If he was riled, an these here two
yaps I was speal1in' of didn't pear 70
understand him.
They'd ben playin' poker on the boat
with a couple o. Professionals what done
skun EN- tolable close, an ony FIR the
two yaps gettin' sort o. discouraged fore
the game was finished, moren likely
they'd ha' lost their shirts.
After they reelzed what they waS mp
agin they pulled out, not havin' no chips
left to cash in, and comm round to the
bar they begin to blow what they had
left 'Twan't hellova pile FIR poker, but
it done we'll enough FIR a blowout at tho
bar, an bein' as they was torable het up
over the game, they done drinked more n
was RELY healthy FIR 'em. Anyway, 1t
turned out so.
"They was both on 'em sore, natral
enough, bein' as they done lose consid'-
able money. but one on 'em made con-
sid able more of holler n tother did
He cussed his luck vigorous, an used
more queer cuss words nor I'd ever
heerd up to that time so'st was right
interested an kind O. sorry when tother
one snapped him up nasty like.
He'd been takin' his liquor gloomy an
not sayin' nothin' while t'other one talk
ed, but bimeby he broke in violent
Luck nothin,' he says. We didn't
get did up thataway, long O. no luck
he says. Them fellers was sharks, he
says, an we didn't get no fair snow.
That suuint eyed man t set on my right
he saws, was nigh about the slickest
dealer I ever SEEN.
"T'other Teller looked kind o. s'prised,
an he says: Il never took no notice o.
that he says. BE you sure?'
Gloomy Man Was Sure.
AN the gloomy man he says sure he's
sure an tother one says: Why didn'
YOU shoot Z you catched him dealin'
crooked? I didn't see nothin' t called
FIR no action.
I'd ha' shot quick enough If I'd SEEM
says the gloomy Teller I on'y felt It.
But 1 seen enough to tell me t he cd
deal s well s. Bellyband Bush, an he's
knowed all through Mississippi to be the
best they is in his line
Jim was waitin' on 'em, me bein busy
ceanin' up, an listenin' to the two yaps
but seen Jim give a sort O. start when
Bellyband's name was spoke, an he put
his two hands onto the bar an leaned
over like a man will when he's got some
pin p'tio'lar to say, an he says, sort o
| quiet like
My names Bush.
well the gloomy cuss Just looked at
! him FIR a minute like he didn't know
whether he'd gone crazy all of sudden
| or whether he was born that away, an
he KEEP right on talkin'.
"'This here Bellyband Bush.' he says,
| en- deal blindfold an come out with a
straight flush ag'in fours any time he
| wants to- he says. He's the latest man
in the hull state, an they do say he's
| been shot occasional, when some Teller
| it's slickr'n n ordinary gets on to his
way o. playin' but he's so hell roarin' fat
| that the bullet stops afore it gets fur
enough inside o. him for to do no ser Gus
| harm r 'twant FIR that he'd ha' been
dead long ago.
! My names Bush says Jim, speal1in
| up agin, some sharper'n he did first off.
1.-The gloomy cuss looked at him agin,
| some curious, an he says:
Give us another drink There was
| q neighbor O. mine went down to YaZoc
! City a couple O. months ago an set into
a game there with a party O. spots what
! 'peared to be some anxious FIR to put uI
money onto such guards as come their
| way.
Looked like it was dead easy, an my
friends, they started in to playin' some
careful. Seem how the others was bet
tin they reckoned If they stayed out till
| they got somepin they'd likely scoop con-
! sid'able few pots I'm time to time.
reckon they moight ha' did it, too, on'y
| FIR somepin they didn't rightly onder.
stand when they set in
What was that?' says t'other zap
SEEM the gloomy cuss had sort o. come
to a stoppin' place, an want in no hur-
ry to finish his yarn.
Mhep Re1Ivband neaIf