The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1909-11-30

I
dian was good at fixing the cards,
and could glibly deal out four kings
! to his opponent, thoughtfully retain
ing four aces for his own personal
use, he seemed. somehow, unable to
! buck up against this apparently tipsy
miner. Apache luck seemed decided
| ~ on the wane. He lost one hand
! after the other, until, finally, the
American had beside him all OF Wet
! Dogs portable property. The chief
/ had lost all his loose money: then his
| good Government rifle drawn from
the U. S. ration Department., and
then his Colt army and navy revolt
yer; next, the silver watch bearing
the legend ITO my dear Christian
Brother" which had been sent him
by friend Of the last missionary who
had converted him. A final Jackpot
swept away Blue-Jay's saddle and bril-
! die. and then Wet Dog laid down his
cards, glaring wickedly at the SEEM
/ ingly tipsy white man, and at the sun
bonneted white squaw so uncon-
cernedly tightening the cinches of her
saddle. If Wet Dog had been able to
get at his lost rife or revolver, he
would have shot down man and wo-
man where they stood. But as It was,
he could only grit his teeth I'm impo-
tent fury, and mutter that he would
! play no more white mans games. No.
he had enough
Laughing teasingly, the miner
stood up, carelessly picking up the
firearms: well, yes, it is too bad to
win everythin' man has. Still am
good with. the cards. Now, If it was
hawses, it might be different!"
At this, an idea occurred to Wet
| Dog, who was sullenly making to-
ward his ponies; he gave furtive,
comprehensive glance at the white
mans horses Neither Of them. he
judged, could run half a mile with
Blue-Jay. The pinto pony, with its
ewe-neck and woman's saddle, he did
not deign to glance at twice. What
woman" he unused, lever rode any
thing but a cow" Here was his
| chance.
No, no." grunted he. seeing that
the American was saddling up. eve
VIII have pony-running; Apache
! pony, your horse. You not wanting
Yes, yes! Apache horse no sabe run
fast your pony good runner Say,
we have drink; you give Apache chief
| firewater We talk"
The American protested mo, no.
My pony can't run, and your Apache
pony is good 'un."
Wet Dog piled more whisky, and
more gutteral eloquence.
Well" the American said, you're
a real sporty sort, and it is a blanked
shame for you to do all the losin'.
Say, believe Chico we will run lust
one little race. But theh must be
some bettin', just to show theh amt
any frost. see? What (hic) will
Apache put up?"
In his glee at having gotten the
white man drunk and in his certainty
of dead easy thing, Wet Dog boasted
that he would bet everything he had
his racer, Blue-Jay, the bag of tur-
quoises, everything, in fact, against
the Americans three horses and the
belongings he had just won from him
at poker.
liminaries were quickly arranged
the race to be ridden by the two men
on their own ponies; distance. one
mile. to a clump of cottonwoods on
the plain ahead; the start to be given
| by Lily-maid, who was shown how to
fire a revolver, which the American
himself loaded for her With the
white woman obligingly holding the
stakes-in which Wet Dog saw no
risks. inasmuch as Lily-maid held both
revolver and riae-the two men got
their ponies into line, the lesser
squaws, dogs and ponies looking on
stolidly from the background. Then
| all was still; meanwhile Lily-maid
nervously extended the heavy Colt
pulled back the hammer, and gave a
trembling jerk to the trigger.
Click bang, and three horses
leaped forward in binding cloud OF
dust Tense silence reigned for a
moment, then there uprose loud walls
from the squaws. and a second pistol
report. which disconnected Wet Doc
as. croUching low on Blue-Jay's back
he tore alonE for dear life. Until
the pony was well settled, he dared
not look. When he did so. however
judge of the vision that met his dun.
founded eyes
Disappearing in dust, nearly half q
mile ahead. was the ewe-neckcd pinto
f. pony going like streak Of lightning
. while the woman on his back. hei
sun-bonnct vanished. and wig of Ions
yellow curIs dangling from q CLOSELY
/ cropped masculine Uranium. mad,
wild and derisive motions. Steadyinl
the pinto with one hand, with tht
other She waved the Apache's prec
ious bag of dollars and turouoises