The Harlowton news., 1912-06-28
LUCK
CARDS
By JOSEPH E. COUCH

lit seemed to me that every one Sain-
bled There were all kinds Of games
from the most honest to the most ras-
cally.
/ very soon found that to be like
other people must do as they did--iD
other words. | must gamble. had
played poker occasionally in the east
with my friends to pass the time. and,
finding it to be the prevailing game In
nv new home, concluded that since
must play would play the national
game.
One evening | won a very large pot
on three mines. When ! showed my I
cards every one at the table exclaimed
Dead mans hand by thunder
I asked what was meant by dead |
mans hand. and one Of the party told |
the following story:
"A few years ago a young fellow |
came out here to look over some min !
ing property. A prospector had struck !
some first class indications and had
gone east to put the property into
company. He had failed at that, but
had induced this young man to come
out to investigate and. If satisfied, fuF.
nish the money to open the veln
"Johnston-that was his name-had
a wife and Il couple of kids. He had
had hard luck in making living ana
was scraping bottom when his wife
received a legacy of $4,000. He was
visionary enough to persuade her to
| give it to him to make the investiga.
| ton Of the mine with and to use for
development purposes if the case look
ed promising.
"Johnston came out here with the
money to make the Investigation ana
while he was doing it attended TO bust
ness. A company was organized, two
thirds Of the shares to be his on pay
ment of the $4,000; Hammond, the
prospector who had discovered the
vein and owned it. to have the rest.
Johnston had made the investigation
and determined to invest the money III
the mine. While he was waiting for
the necessary legal steps to form the
company, having nothing to 90, one
day lie stepped into place where
some men were having small game,
There was something fascinating to
him in the rattle Of the chips, ana
wasn't long before he called FOR Slo Id
worries and sat down at the table.
at was the worst thing he could
done, for the very next day he was to
mt ND the money for the shares ana
+ to receive contract for them. Lie
won little at first, but not much: thten
lie began to lose. He realized that u
:, he lost any of the money he was TO III
vest he might better have stayed al
home. and this made him nervous, liz
didn't play with any kind of Skill be
ing timid when he should nave peer
bold and bold when he should nave
:. been tilnid The game was fair enough
there not being a professional gambler
in if. but a man can get cleaned out a
an honest game as we'll as at a dlshon
Vt est one
"Just as soon as Johnston began t.
lose he began to plunge. 1t WASH
long before he had lost $4,000. Afte
t. thnt he insisted on making all sorts 0
foolish bets His face got red, ana NJ
ewes were wild. Some of the me
who were in the game with him tfle
TO stop it. but he demanded his re
IL yenee. and they couldn't well get out,
70 "About midnight Johnston had los
all but about 81 600 of his pie. Mex
hand was jack pot. lie opeheo.
with 500, and most everybody stage
in II seemed that all had sometlnn
TO bet on, for the pot kept grown
bigger and bigger. Toward the emu
" the betting it WAS noticed that JONI
ston's face instead of being RED WE
white.
"Well. the money kept piling up 9
Il. the table No one knew now rluc
there was of it because it was hea
of dust and gold and silver ana plll
At last some o the players, seeing TIL
Johnston was looking kind Q quee
la- called halt Nobody bet any NOR
OF and. as for Johnston. he had pulled i
hat down over his eyes so as TO co
coal his face. When the shoWdoW
was called he had his elbows on Il
ma table and his jaws in the palms OF
hands,
"Eyery man turned his cards oy
except Johnston, who sat looking doV
Vn. at their backs. i lie othelo tAo"s3
,u that he saw himself beaten and hadl
ao any stuff left in him to turn them ov'
lVV The hands against him weren't lars
There were three eights, three hv
and several double pairs.
-. "Wake up. Johnston, and look
'llu your cards some one sang out.
=...=- "But Johnston didn't move. One
xrgs his opponents turned his hand oy
and showed three mines. He had W
A pyer the eights by one point.
Johnston. you've won"
"somebody pulled his hat from off
forehead and exposed his face. Tht
was stony stare in his eyes that se
n thrill of horror through all.
n .1he man was dead.
zone of the players scooped the mi
cr +1,a t3l l,la nnI mt il way. WE