Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1910-03-23
THAT FIFTH ACE

When the gold craze OF 1910 was nj
ATS height was following the life of
professional gambler and general crook
az D.. one 80 the largest mining towns
OF the west. had flCecod a couple OF
miners of snug sum at Round Hole.
q small mining camp Il few miles north
OF -. nnI had promised To give them
q chance To win back their loSiugs.
Their names were Dodson and Now
YER. The former was a little fellow.
while his partner was tall anq power
suNy built and spoke with peculiar
yrt rather pleasant draw.
i'auy nn thc appointed sunday morn
g.. / .et out for Round Hole ard when
/ arrived stepped ut the Big Strike sd
lu.n. where was 10 meet my two vie.
Tins Presently they came ridiu., ua
To- the door and dismountcd. As they
came in il struck me they acted rather
formal DodSon nodded.
shortly after we were seated at a
table. and it was Dodson's deal The
deck we had belonged to Ihe saloon.
The niSht before Il Desperate mad been
shot in this same room. and when
Dodson picked up his hand he found
on one of his cards Il fresh blood
stain That was enough for him. 81
don't think there is anything that
wouldn't happen to us" he said. IF
we use these cards" so we threw
down our hands.
Seeing in this a golden opportunity.
quickly produced a deck from my
ROCKET and gave il to Mower. as it
Ias his deal next in order. Fer mo-
rept he hcSi;S;cI AID then. looking
az me from upder his shaggy browS.
dravlcd out. We'll. pardner, s'pose
this decks all right: but. seems how
this amt no make believe game
were a-Goin' to play here directly. l
reckon 'twon't do no harm TO make
sure" SO he began carefully TO suit
them. one by one.
The only mirror Round Hole could
boast of was over the bar in the Big
Strike saloon. and while he was busy
with the cards l noted how plainly
You could see his reelection in the
glass. All. | could make use of that
glass later on. for IT would tell me
whether he held any aces to spoil the
effect of those | had In my sleeve, FOR
we were playing poker.
Before we commenced n stranger
came in ana asked leave TO join Us.
ana soon we four were deep in the
"gamc of blur" Before the first hand
had been played became conscious
Of Mowycr'S eyes following my every
move lie was watching me like a
cat. ana, ~ calling glance in the mir
Tor. | saw his biz six shooter was ~
l. ~ in his lap. 50 he WAS suspicious
Very Well; / would risk nothing unit
biz money was at stake.
We played for IN hour. Dodson ant
were ahead, Mowycr ana Tie stran
ger were losers. anl thcn the critica
moment came nearly everything OF
the table was in the pot. Mower hat
bet his last dollar and ''caiied" Us. II
the excitement | worked IN Il "cCld'
ace at the risk of my life. played i
safe and won the pile on show
down. IL five aces had come out tina
| time there would have been anothe
tragedy nj the Big strike.
! MOwycr was out. held most of tn
| dust" but Dodson ard the strange
were not ready to quit. SO anothe
| hand was dealt. Il was the stranger
deal had noticed he was very ligh
! fingered. and as lie Sbulicd the card
saw him slip one UP his sleeve. but
said nothing. vas playing in lucl
and after he and Dcdson had stake
everything | called" them and wo
the pot aSain-fair and square enoug
this time
Wei. We separated. and | mounte
my broncho and started back to
$1,000 ahead. But nad barely 20
out of sight of the camp when, loOl
ing back over the road. saw a clou
of dust, with now and then glimps
Of horSemen. when they came near,
saw they were headed 10y MOwye
and drew rein. In a moment the
had come up and formed circ
around me. Mowyer diSmountcG an
stepping forward. drew his ugly loo
ing six shooter and commanded me
Iismount Also lie simply said:
"Would We he So good as to let I
see them there same cards again
The others were grizzly silent
compiled carelesSly. with a gar
bler's nerve. hat with a. sinking sens
ton ut my heart.
Nov. rarducr." Ne resumed. I'VE
a-goin' to count those cards again
they're all straight. w"li amt gooi T.
If there's one card mere'n there oUY
> to be ye can say yer prayers. rec
on We know" he added significant