The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-19

that.
If you was to pin a man down to
what's aet'ly said in Scripter. o. course
nobody could b'lieve none on 1t. an
there wouldn't be no more religion left.
That's why the most on IL is wrote
parabolie. Just so s t a man en- use
common sense about whether to b'lieve
it,
What King Solomon RELY meant
was { man has to be diligent an
thurFer in his dealin's when il comes to
playin' poker. If he's thataway you
want to be almighty careful about see
IN of him wnen he puts UP a big bet
hein' as he's more'n likely to stand pat
onto a sure hand. Nebbe it's four aces
r mebbe it's four kings an a ace.
either one on 'em bein' e sure hand
them days, count o straights not
beIn' played B. G."
What in blue blazes does 3. G..
mean?' asked Jake Winterbottom. 90
course we all knows t straights want
played aliays, an like enough Solomon
never heerd on 'em, wise as he was.
But what's B. c. got to do with it,"
b. c. means before the count" said
old man Greenhut complacently. They
didn't have no almanacs them days an
o course they didn't keep no count O.
time When them patent medicine fell
- ~ III t7Cl&il OQt dlllidtidGS VI tOuTSe
they had to number 'em. an so the
years come to be called by the same
mum Der as the almanacs. Afore that
they didn't have no numbers. an they
cali il B. c.
Just then a stranger entered the sa-
loon, and having first observed the
customary courtesy Of asking those
present to join him. he casually OBJ
served that he had been obliged to stop
over for another boat and was looking
for some way to beguile the interval.
They was sayin' out on the levee
what there was game o. poker on in
hero now an again" he suggested.
Old man GTeenhut admitted that the
boys played sometimes and without
great delay a four-handed game was
started in the back room, Blaisdel.
Winterbottom and Joe Bassett sitting
in TO accommodate the stranger Each
bought q hundred and they played ia
bic stakes.
tie doing Then the stranger made q
puzzling play.
It was Bassetts ante and BIaisdel
had come in. The stranger raised.
W1HterbOttOm and Bassett both folded,
Blaisdell raised back and the stranger
dropped.
1t seemed like a confession of weak
ness or the abandonment of a bluff
and in either case the home talent saw
no reason to fear much. but the next
deal showed that the stranger was at
least bold. If not highly scientific.
BlaiSdell had put up the usual two
call five, and the stranger stayed. Win
terbottom and Bassett both trailed and
Biaisdell made il five more to play.
The stranger looked first at his handJ
and then very carefully at the pot. See
ing SIS there, he put up his S. to stay
after which WinteTbOttom and Bassett
both dropped.
On the draw the players called for
two cards each, and the stranger, with
out looking at his draw, bet $40. Blais-
dell hesitated, but only for a moment
Then he called, showing three Mines
ana the stranger laid down his hand.
Il drew to ace, king, jack he said,
with a laugh, and the home talent was
more confident than ever.
1t was Blaisdell's next deal and. judg-
ing from what he had seen he conclud-
ed that the stranger would play high
on an alluring chance, so he determined
to give it to him.
Riffling the cards four OF five times
he offered them to Bassett for the cut.
at the same time kicking him gently
on the shin. Thereupon Bassett tapped
the pack lightly and the stranger got
the ace, queen, jack and ten OF clubs
in the deal. Possibly he might have re-
ceiyed the king as well, but Blaisdell
had fixed it so that the king fell else
where.
Everybody came in and the stranger
raised 1t ten. Winterbottom trailed
and Bassett, feeling another bump on
his shin, dropped out Then BlaisdeH
made it ten more and the stranger came
back with a whoop and fifty more.
Winterbottom looked grave and put
up his money, and Blaisdell showed the
rest of his pile forward. Then the
stranger did likewise, and WinterbOt-
tom observed that he reckoned he
hadn't no further interest.
On the draw each took a card and
the stranger caught the seven of clubs,
he showed down his cards.
with CLEAN of hope in his eye which
faded when he saw Blaisdelrs four
kings.
Shows what q sure thing a man has
when he leans onto the Scripture. oh
served old man Greenhut, who had
been looking on.
Then when the stranger demanded
half angrily to know what the Scripture
had to do with it, the old man said
"Nothin' particular. ] reckon. but We
was just ponderin' onto a text when
you come in. Pears like it sort o. fits
In"
So the stranger said he reckoned he
didnt care to interrupt the meeting of