The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-05
lead to a Fiasco In the Poker
Game in Greenlaw's
Saloon.
FLUsHEs RUINED
The Stranger Quits, Deeming
His Luck "Too Dog
gone Ornery." =.
n, DAVID A. CURTIS.

once IN so often, P~d sometimes even
moro frequently than that. there comes
in tho Mississippi Valley a Hood OF such
dimensions that the disaster threatens
TO eventuate In complete ruin. The en-
tire nation holds It's breath IN suspense.
Tho outside world looks on with sympa-
thetic interest. one pictures tho inhabi-
tants of the valley as terrorstricken in
the face OF impending doom. hastily pro-
pairing to abandon their homes and seek
safety in flight. as did the inhabitants
Of Pompeii and Herculaneum after the
last hope Of safety. had passed.
Then the flood subsidies, and the In
habitants go on attending to their usual
affairs exactly rs they did before the
flood came and as they did during the
entire time while IL ragged. So far from
being terrorstricken their behavior In
dicates not even apprehension OF peril.
What losses they incur are suffered APP
parently with as little perturbation as
people elsewhere exhibit when they put
up with the annoyance Of n heavy snow
fall and tho recurrent danger Is ac-
cepted by them rs philosophically us
they endure chiils and fever. 1t Is
merely incidental to the location.
The occasional game OF poker that
was played IN the back room OF old
man Greonlaw's saloon In Arkansas
City was therefore never interfered with
by food conditions Rather It Iourished
the more in food times by reason OF
. the fact that strangers who CHANGED
to be in Arkansas City while the river
was up found It difficult to get away
and played poker because there was
nothing else 70 do.
Consequently It was no matter Of sur
D nj . al
man alone in his barroom one evening
when he came ashore from one of the
river packets and made his way some
what perilously along the string OF
floating planks that served as a side
walk along the main highway OF the
village to the old mans door.
The c!inking OF chips and the occa-
sional murmur OF voices coming from
the back room were indications to his
experienced ear that the others whom
he had expected TO find seated around
the barroom were occupied in a game
IN the rear apartment Of the place.
Being. moreover. fairly well acquainted
with their habits he found no difficulty
in surmis.ny that they had one or more
players with them who were not TO be
classed as habitues OF the saloon.
L, was not his way 10 ask question:,
and ne asked none now. Stepping TO
the bar he called for n drink. inviting
the old man as a matter OF course to
join him.
els yo' all gwine up or down." IN
ouired the Old man as he put away the
bottle and glasses. The question seemed
inspired by desire for conversation
rather than for information, but Mr.
Pepper answered promptly.
"Oh. I don't know" he said. 81 was
kyind o reck'nin' on maxim To- high
ground Pears Ike most ev'rythn'
long the river Is liable To- 10 be swep
away some soon, an Little Rock looks
tolable good 70 me 70 spell. Is they
train up to-morrer?"
Day after" said old man Greenlaw
quite as II the interval between the two
was unimportant. But what's the good
o. gwine to Little Rock? Arkansas
city hain't never been sweep away, not
slncet I come here, faint. | reckon
faint liable to he. Pears like It a be
better 70 to stay here. be.n's yo done
arrove, an II tn amt nothln' else &c
do. 1t mought be good idee TO to set
IN to tho game In the back room. beln's
It's done been started"
"Oh, don't know" said Mr.. Pepper
cautiously. rs Jim Blaisdell a-settin'
,n?"
"Sho' be-" said the old man. "Yo
couldn't keep Blaisdel out with guns
But what's that got to do with p"
"Oh, ! don't know" said Mr.. Pepper
~ reckon mebbe IL he's a-play!n I'd
he one too many at the table. AIM
got no ELECTIONS to poker but they Is
lines when pears like they is too much
Of crowd a-playin'. Who's the sucker
o-night:"
rs they anythln' offensive meant b,
that" demanded the old man.
"Oh, don't know" said Mr.. Pepper
cooly. He was not pugnaclous him
self, but he had had considerable ex
perence in avoiding physical cncoun
tiers and was more or less tcmerarious
having full confidence in his legs. go
co'se 1t mought be tookened that away
but alVs I had In mind was to asst VIII,
was settin' In firm tn outside. Stands
10 reason how he's liable 10 lose out"
Sometimes they gently does" cd
mitted the old man with a gr:.. 1t did
not pay to stir up strife with Mr. Pep
per. But they is times when / has
fo'bodln's.
Pears like this yere pirate whats
setun' In now Il mo n less OF n expert
Calls hlsself Smith Of Alabam', but
reckon faint his reel name. Anyway
he's been playln up'ards Of ain hour
now. | reckon the boys d "a cleaned
him out afo' now If he hadn't "a beer
some OF a player"
"Oh, | don't know" sad Mr.. Pepper
some on 'cm PLAYS mighty careful
when they lose Take mo- time But
they liz "A man ,alig lisaalf Smith