Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1911-10-18

the other three to dispel any doubt of
holding more than five cards, and
wrote on betting slip.
ct see you, Mac" he said, "and I
raise her little thousand just so as to
keep Daylight out"
The concentrated gaze shifted to
| Daylight He likewise examined his
| draw and counted his five cards.
''I see that six thousand, and l raise
! her five thousand just to try
and keep you out, Jack
And l raise you five thousand just
to lend hand at keeping Jack out, =
| Macdonald said in turn
His voice was slightly husky and
strained, and a nervous witch in the
corner of his mouth followed speech.
Kearns was pale, and those who
looked on noted that his hand trem-
bled as he wrote his slip. But his
voice was unchanged.
81 lift her along for five thou
| sand" he said.
| Daylight was now in tie Henter
Inc kerosene lamps above Hung high
lights from the rash of sweat On his
forehead. The bronze of his cheeks
was darkened by the accession Of
| blood. His black eyes glittered and
his nostrils were distended and eager
They were large nostrils, tokening
his descent from savage ancestors
| who had survived by virtue Of deep
lungs and generous air-passages.
Yet, unlike Macdonald, his voice was
! firm and customary, and, unlike
| Kearns his hand did not tremble when
| he wrote
Il call, for ten thousand" he said.
''Not that I'm afraid of you-all, Mac.
It's that bunch Of Jacks"
| Il hump his bunch for five thousand
just the same" said Macdonald. 81
had the best hand before the draw,
and l still guess got it."
''Mebbe this is a case where a
| bunch after the draw is better'n the
bunch before" Kearns remarked;
| wherefore duty says, Lift her,
Jack, lift her. and so I lift her anoth-
er five thousaid."
| Daylight leaned back in his chair
while he computed aloud:
81 was in nine thousand before the
| draw, and I saw and raised eleven
| thousand-that makes thirty. I'm only
| good for ten more" He leaned for
ward and looked at Kearns. $50 call
er five thousand"
"You can raise if you want" Kearns
! u
five thousaid in this game"
Mary dawg. You-all can win my
dust and dirt, but nary one of my
dawgs. just call"
The saloon keeper finally spoke:
'If anybody else wins, they'll have
to take a mortgage on the Tivoli"
The two other players nodded.
$50 I call, too"
Macdonald added his slip for five
! thousand Not one of them claimed
the pot, and not one of them called
the size of his hand. simultaneously
and in silence they faced their cards
on the table, while d general tiptoe-
ing and craning of necks took place
among the onlookers. Daylight
showed four queens and an ace; Mac
Donald four jacks and an ace, and
Kearns four kings and a trey. Kearns
reached forward with an encircling
movement of his arm and drew the
pot in to him, his arm shaking as he
did So Daylight picked the ace from
his hand and tossed it over alongside
MacDonald's ace, saying:
! SEYTJI. L IL, IL
Mac. I knowed. it was only kings that
could beat me, and he had them.
''What did you-all have?" he asked,
all interest, turning to Campbell
straight flush of four, open at
both ends-a good drawing hand"
"You bet! You could a. made a
straight, straight flush or a flush out
of It,"
'"That's what I thought" Campbell
said, sadly. 1T cost me six thousand
before quit
Il wisht you-all'd drawn" Daylight
laughed. "Then I wouldn't a. caught
that fourth queen. Now I've got to
take Billy Rawlins' mail contract and
mush for Dyea. What's the size OF
the killing, Jack?"
Kearns attempted to count the pot,
but was too excited. Daylight drew
it across to him, with firm fingers sep
arating and stacking the markers and
I. o. us and with clear brain adding
the sum.
zone nundged and twenty-seven
thousand he announced. "You-all can
sell out now, Jack, and head for
home"
The winner smiled and nodded, but
seemed incapable Of speech.
''Name your snake-juice, you-all-
the winner pays!" Daylight called out
loudly to all about him, at the same
time rising from his chair and catch
ing the Virgin by the arm. Come on
for a reel, you-all dancers. The nights
young yet, and it's Helen Breakfast
and' the mail contract for me in the
morning. Here, you-all Rawlins, you
u hereby do take over that same
contract, and I start for salt water at