Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1910-06-30


the panic years. Crops failed. banks
went to smash. but yoh remember,
| reckon. Well. sub Mr.. Klrby's
son. Eugene, came home from school
TO find his poh father dead and a
bankrupt everything swept away.
That was a bard homecoming. suh
Very sad case. have often wondered
what became of the boy. fob he had
all his fathers pride and refused to
let me exert my privilege of an old
neighbor and friend. That was twen-
ty years ago, and since then | have
heard in roundabout way that he
had become wild, drifted in With bad
companions and taken to the river for
livelihood. In fact. become COM
mon gambler. But of co'se don't be-
lieve it for no Kirby could ever do
that. suh-fall so low. Yet the name
is uncommon. Have you ever met
this gentleman Of whom you spokeT'
Not socially. suh." replied the other
dryly II calculate he is no relative
of the folks you mentioned. foh his
reputation, sub. is the worst on the
river: known from New Orleans to ST.
Louis and back again. He and his
side partner suh-a dam carpetbag-
ging Yankee by the name of Bunce-
are the most reckless characters on
the river. 1t is scum like them. sub.
who give our fair Mississippi her evil
name. Yoh speak OF no man dealing
of the bottom of the pack. Why,
sub, | assure yoh on my honor they're
so crooked they have to sleep in a
roundhouse. ! merely mentioned Kir-
by's name because of the fact that.
man of the world as you are. sub. you
would never pick him foh profession-
al gambler. Never wore diamond in
his life, The cameo is his favorite
stone, fob they say it once saved his
worthless life. and from it he gets his
name. sub. But shall we continue the
game? ! am still five hundred ych
master, and we have fob hours TO kill
befoh we make yoh landing"
Randall accepted the cards with un.
steady hands II assure YOU. sub. yob
are betting against a foregone conciu.
| sion.' he said. "foh there is no stem.
ming the turn 10 the tide. I'll bet you
five hundred on this showdown. and
then We'll pull stakes. sub. all square.
fob further play would be sheer rob
berry. You can't beat the Randall luck
when once it has turned"
Il never believed in luck" replied
Moreau. 'foh life has demonstrated to
me that there is no such abstract
Fob instance. If a coin falls head ten
times out of ten 1t is still an even bet
fob heads or tails on the next toss
That is the law, sub, and all the su.
! perstition in the world cannot revoke
or change it."
MY dear suh," replied the planter
waving an impatient hand, that Is all
nonsense, for l hold that our entire
existence is greatly controlled by luck
and not law. | believe In a Supreme
Being. sub, and | attend church regu.
larly, but | do not believe, sub. that
our poh mundane affairs are regulat.
ed by celestial corporation. espec'nl
ly such affairs as card games. Yoh
know yohself. colonel, that the best
playing in the world can't stand against
run of blind luck. and as a man OF
the world I've seen mob fortunes LOST
on high hands-foh barmaids topped
by fob kings every trip-just because
their holders hadn't sense enough t.
realize that the tide had set in against
them. And give yoh my word. sub.
be finished, humping the table, .'thdt
when | fill "a fob card inside straight
the Randall luck is sitting into the
game right with me. and yoh simply
can't win. Oh. yoh may get one oil
two little pots. but yoh'Il finish dead
broke. Call 1t what 'yoh like-luck OF
the shutting Of the devil.r
''Now, sub. yoh're bucking right
against my pet hobby" replied Mo
reau. leaning across the table ano
growing as earnest as his companion
"Of co'se accept yoh word fob past
experiences. but it is the old case Of
the coin. Though yoh may have turn
ed heads a hundred times In success
sion. as / said the chance of 1t being
tails is still an even bet. Yoh lucl
may have changed. but I'm willing e
lay ten thousand that hold the bes
hands In two out Of three. There's
sporting offer. sub. that will tes
yoh theory"
Randall blinked at his glass. Agah
he was momentarily sobered
mo. sub" he said decidedly. pluck
ing at his frilled shirt Those ar,
high stakes. colonel. for. as wealth
goes nowadays. ! am not very rici
man. and ] cannot afford to jeopar
die the welfare of my children for
the sake OF proving my point Again.
sub, | consider it would be taking an
unfair advantage of yOb'-
"Come. Yoh statements don't agree.
Mr.. Randall" laughed the other.
What do yoh jeepardize, sub. If yoh
consider the advantage entirely with
yohself? However" he finished. with
some coldness; this is but a game.
sub, and had no idea that yoh We're
at all imperiling >yoh welfare
"The Randalls. sub. never incur an
obligation which they cannot meet.