The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-09-05
The Sheriff Of Kona
s,ssssss.sss Observation-Disclosures =


! than the average Kanaka. I have seen
him dive in fifteen fathoms, and he
could stay down two minutes He was
an amphibian and a mountaineer He
could climb wherever a goat dared
climb. He was afraid of nothing. He
was on the wrecked Luga, and he swan
thirty miles in thirty-six hours in a
heavy sea. He could fight his way out
through breaking combers that would
batter you and me to jelly. He was
a great, glorious man-god. We went
through the Revolution together. We
were both romantic loyalists. He was
shot twice and sentenced to death.
But he was too great a man for the
Republicans to kill. He laughed at
them. Later, they gave him honor and
made him sheriff of Kona. He was
| simple man, a boy that never grew up.
His was no intricate brain pattern. He
had no twists nor quirks in his mental
processes. He went straight to the
point, and his points were always
simple.
And he was sanguine Never have
1 known so confident d man, NOR man
! so satisfied and happy. He did not ask
anything from life. There was nothing
! left to be desired. For him life had no
arrears. He had been paid in full, cash
down, and in advance What more
] could be possibly desire than that mag
nlficent body, that iron constitution,
that immunity from all ordinary ills.
and that lowly wholesomeness of soul?
Physically he was perfect. He had
never been sick in his life. He did
| not know what headache was. When
/ 7 H.
! me IN wonder, and make me laugh with
his clumsy attempts at sympathy. He
| did not understand such a thing as a
headache. He could not understand.
i Sanguinea No wonder How could he
be otherwise with that tremendous
| vitality and incredible health2
stJust to show you what faith he
had In his glorious star, and, also. what
sanction he had for that faith. He was
a youngster at the time-T had lust
met him-when he went inc a poker
game at Wailuku. There was a big
German in it, Schultz his name was.
and he played a brutal, domineering
game. He had had a run of luck as
well, and he was quite insufferable,
when Lyle Gregory dropped in and
took hand. The very first hand it
was Schultz's blind. Lyle came in. as
well as the others, and Schultz raised
them out-all except Lyle. He did
not like the Germans tone, and he
raised him back. Schultz raised in
turn, and in turn Lyle raised Schultz.
So they went. back and forth. The
stakes were big. And do you know
what Lyte held? A pair of kings and
three little clubs. It wasn't poker.
Lyle WASH t playing poker. He was
playing his optimism. He didn t know
what Schultz held, but he raised and
raised until he made Schultz squeal,
and Schultz held three aces ali the
time. Think of it! A man with pair
Of kings compelling three aces to see
before the drawi
FWeh. Schultz called for two cards
, Another German was dealing, Schultz 3
) friend at that. Lyle knew then that
! he was up against three of a kind.
| Now what did he do? What would you
) have done2 Drawn three cards and
: held up the kings, of course. Not Lvte.
, He was playing optimism. He threw
| the kings away, held up the three little
+ clubs, and drew two cards He never
[ looked at them. He looked across at
t Schultz to bet, and Schultz did bet.
Jig Ac4uCe ne HiHsetI H0tG three aces
/ he knew he had Lyte, because he play
[ ed Lyle for threes. and necessarily,
I they would have TO be smaller threes.
2 Poor Schultz! He was perfectly cor
1 rect under the premises His mistake
/ was that he thought Lyle was playing
I poker They bet back and forth for
: five minutes, until Schultz's certainty
1 began TO oeze out. And all the time
$ Lyte had never looked at his two cards.
[ and Schultz knew it. I could see
Schultz think, and revive. and splurge
d with his bets again. But the strain
1 was too much for him.
a - Hold on. Gregory he said at last
1 We got you beaten from the start
: l don t want any of your money. I've
t got -
V " Never mind what You we got.
r Lyle interrupted. 'You don't know