The sun., 1909-06-06

now IluCu Iflb LuiIH uliDl bQOulQ StTka
for Dalton thought he had a much bets
ter scheme. which was to let the sucker
win a lot OF money at first, so that he
would think he had struck an easy thinv
and be willing to bet high.
sThen they could soak him good and
hard and win everything he had After
some talk the three sports agreed to work
1t that way.
sThey got acquainted all right, and no,.
day the four men started up the river m
the Minneola. The first night out thew
just sized up their man, not wanting to
hurry matters.
He was dead stuck on his game of
poker, he knew it all; but the thing
that interested them the most was his
dozen whiskies he flashed this pocket
book on them and 1t looked to have green.
backs enough in II to be worth anywbere
from five hundred to five thousand dollars
and not cont OF Little Rock money.
.Next morning they talked the thing
over and agreed to let the cotton buyer
win about $500 before his luck turned
he could drink and still keep on playing
and to tell him he was the greatest poker
expert they had ever come across Re.
tween his whiskey and his vanity they
calculated to get him going 80 he would
not know how much he had lost until Il
was all over.
Nice combination for Them laughed
the barkeeper. "A man that thinks he
can play poker, has more money than ia
good for him and does not know how
much he can drink! Say, that was pretty
soft for them. eh?'
"You bet 1t was: and they worked il
for all 1t was worth, Those three made
thr silliest raises before the draw, and
never bet on two pairs till the other
fot1Auvo had alloA nrl natlnl
draws without pair in their hand, and ali
that sort Of rot.
-They got 30 interested in showing
the cotton buyer how inferior their game
was TO his that they didn't notice until
they came to buy more chips, that they
had fed him pretty near all Of their
$500 capital, which he kept stuffing into
right there on the table in front of them
during the whole game.
He didn't drink as much as usual at
first, but along about Q O'Clock they
thought it was time to fill him up and
throw the harpoon into him to get some
of that money back. ! calculate they
must have overdone it bit, cause the
more interested in singing 'Rosalie. the
Prairie Flower, than in playing his hand.
He kept passing out and throwing up his
cards and singing louder all the time
until 1t began to look as II he was going
to drop of his chair dead drunk.
Along about 10 o'clock, when tho boat
blew for the landing at Hickman, Ky,
up straight. He said he felt pretty bad
and wanted to lie down for few minutes,
80 Dalton escorted him to his stateroom,
holding him up to keep him from falling
down In the middle Of the cabin. but for.
getting all about the pocketbook. which
was left lying on the table"
He must have been pretty drunk
ventured the barkeeper.
About the time the cotton buyer was
being helped OF with his collar the boat
ground her nose into the bank at Hick-
man, jolting the two fellows that were
still sitting at the poker table. About
the same instant the same idea seemed
to occur to both Of these honorable gentle
men, for they both looked at the pocket
book and then at each other.
Let's beat it, says one OF them and
with that Burton grabbed the pocketbook
and both Of EN- started for the ganglank,
Burton stufing the pocketbook inside his
vest as he went.
-The minute they struck the fresh
night air they remembered that they
had no hats on and Burton told Chap
man to skip along the outer promenade
deck to their stateroom and get EN-, and
he might as well bring their grips too:
He would not meet Dalton and 1t would
not take a second. ,
The moment Chapman disappeared
up the stairs Burton hotfooted 1t for
The gangplank without waiting. for any
hat. He went up the levee in about
.hree jumps and climbed into buggy
hat was waiting to take folks to the hotel.
elling the nigger that he would give him
10 to drive like hell to Wartville, which
vas ten miles away. That pocketbook
lnder his vest felt pretty good to him
when he turned the corner without see
ng any sign Of Chapman coming. down
he gangplank yet.
when Chapman did get down they
vas just pulling up the plank and they
old him his friend was waiting for him
lshore, 90 he jumped for the bank and
he boat pulled out. leaving him there
Without dollar in his clothes but still
perfectly honorable gentleman. hold
ng another mans grip and soft hat.
wonder Dalton didn't come back for
he pocketbook. observed the bar
,eeper when the Colonel paused to SHIFT
lis chew. @He must have remembered
was still on the table"
Dalton want bothering about that
textbook no more'n you are. drswled
he Colonel as he stood up and stretched
imseR. There want nothing in that
but green paper. that cotton
uyer being very clever at sleight OF hand
ricks and having sold prize packages
{ faire for e living. Him and Dalton
ivided UP that 5000 between them 40
DON as the Minneola was fairly out in me
tream and they were sure that nei'her
,hapman nor Burton was aboard.