The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-25
PEADY WITH THE
~ BUNGSTARTER
The Old Mans Approximations
Aroused by a Poker Player
From the Osarks.

iohA thF S$afAss
The traveller on the Mississippi Rive
who might. some years ago. have dis
embarked from one Of the river packet
at Arkansas City. would have been likel,
To he deeply impressed by the condition
OF things there. More especially woul,
this have been the case IL hs sojourneS
there in food times. for a longer periot
than il took for the boat to discharge
freight. cast on her lines and resume hei
Journey
II might happen that the traveller
would b~. or would imagine himself tC
he on his way To- the capital of the State
NJ Little Rock. M miles distant. cherish
ing the hope Of reaching il within a few
hours at his arrival at Arkansas City
seeing thar a railroad was in actual opera
ton between III. two points. In such a
cas-" he would probably have been more
or less surprised when he mad. inquiry
concerning the time at which he could
catch the next train to Littl.. Rock
Surprising. for example. that he had
left the boat early IN the forenoon of a
Monday he would be informed in a matter
"f course fashion that he could get train
"n the morning of tn. v edn.s day follow
lnR. NOT before. In the interval il would
haN" been practically impos~i bl. Co leave
Arkansas City unless some other boat
should arrive. and this. in food times.
was altogether "A chance happening
After finding that rh. single train on
which che "ntir~ traffic of th. railroad
wa carrisd made thre.. round trips "A
week between the two terminals. going
up On Mondays. Wednesdays and Fri
days and returning on the alternate
DAYS. and thar the Monday train had
already gone. the traveller. Il philosophi-
cally inclined. would hay. sought 70
enlight.n himself in regard 10 TN. condi-
tlons II Iii" IN Arkansas City
In that event he would have. been more
han likely to find his way TO old man
Gre"nlaw's saloon a small frame building
ON IN. main thoroughf,re of the own.
differing little from any OF her drinking
place. in any of the river towns so far a.
rvernal appearances were concerned
bur famous from one end OF he great val
lev to In. other by reason Of occasional
happenings in the liifl. back room. not
entirely dissociaf-d with the great North
American gam.
Under just the conditions described
The old man himself sat with a few o, her
choice spirits. whose renown was hardly
inferior to his own. becaus. Of thos. hap
penngs. and who Were no loss interest ed
than he was in rh. recital nv Mr. Owen
Pepper of certain exciting incidents
which the latter had recently witnessed
in tn. town Of Helena
Was yo' -ayin' what this here Ozark
vap was liable 70 10 clean out Jim Har-
klnss crowd afn' long I'm The way II
looked when yo' all done left h. old
man demanded with undis grisad in
credulity
"Oh. | don't know. said Mr. Owen Pep
per with airy Indifference. Jim Harkins
get away with no gre't amount % the
house money. not a. gen thing. he
amt. bur this her. yap sho wa- trim
min of '"m all good an proper IN IA"
game. an I'm the p.aranc- q things
| reckon there want no gre't show o
:, oppin him long IL he va. o I hink o goin'
out Feared like he was liable % 20 II h..
ook "A not ion. an 'hsre want no 10
men in Helena liahl. TO TO stop HIM.
even II twas Jim Harkins an his crowd
I -h'd say what Jim an his crowd
vas mo- n likely 10 stop most anybody
Il they Act ont TO. even u h. was I'm tn
Dzark-- observed Joe Basse,t. with
judicial doubt
oh. ] don't know laid Mr. Owen
Pepper This p'rIc'iar vap wa- som.
bigger IA IN" mc-i an iudgin I'm looks
reckon he cd fight his weight IN Wild
,a,- an not be- troubled non.
Must a been som" size observed
lin Blaisd.ll They gros en- tot abb.
big IN tn Olark-
-~ho' do declared old man Gr-.nIaw
With conviction Them mOuntain-ers
IA - h- big 10 step I'm one peak 10
mother like they has to- ChaSin bar
IN Catamuunts To- a Twin. Pears like
h..v re mo like wild beasts their own
elves II they be like humans | never
cen one on -m get licked an IT. harder
- kill one on '-n nor IL ~ u mule
Mon that. when one on .m RELY does.
Law poker tn amt nobody iiabl. To- ,u {
of AWAY with no gre't alarmin' p'potiCn !
the wad h" ha. I'd heap drither
p. = dozen a. tn" best PLAYERS tn il on -,
h. boa'- com. in her. an rAckl. IN. I
am. n would 10 To- hav. this here
TIC lar terror what P.Dp"r tells on n "
hat h. SAYS ~ 80
This frank uit-ranC. by on.. who rarely
ypr. ss.d apprehension was r.c.i we'd G
IF-r"n,lv hv his different hearers. Jim +
IaI-d.ll smiled IN d.ri-ion ~ IN. notion
nat anybody was likely Ia out do him
the playing ~ poker. but h. said =
pthinE
sam P.ar~all ws- man 81 few words "