The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-01
TO be prophet nor son Of gun, a. the
5000 Book says. TO to tell when they is
poiecat anywheres round, even II he

iui as W say 70 all rs pOlecat, but the
principle is some similar. IL man
cpenss firm the Ozarks pears like he's
current some way"
inc words were spoken deliberately,
though with affected carelessness, and
MS friends noticed that he sidled towar I'd
the corner where his bungstarter stood
as If expcctant Of action.
The stranger. however, though he was
evidently angry, seemed somewhat pug
zled and DESTROYS Of better understand-
ing before proceeding to extremities.
Il reckon 1 amt 'xactly poplar in
Arkansas CITY," he observed thought
tuiiy. First OF. git shot at, an then
I'm 'nsulted. Pears like they'd ought
/, 10 TO be Some explanation. ! done come
10 10 play poker, long o. yo' uns havin'
some reputation thataway, an l was
recknln on playin' peaceable, even If
they was to be "a fight later on. But
| pears like 20 uns piers n fight first off.
III that's the way yo' feel about IT. I
amt no ptic'lar 'bjections, but pears
like Ii d be better to have "A game afo'
we gifts all het up"
Opinions were divided. There was no
DOUBT that the strangers choice COM
mended itself to Blaisdell, but Winter
| bottom and Pearsull. who were in the
room. seemed doubtful and Bassett was
plainly Impatient " preliminaries.
They all recognized. however, that IL
was up to the old man to speak next
, and they looked to him anxiously.
Il ain't herd nobody insult yo' ALL"
he said coolly. II didn't 'xactly say how
20 all was polecnt. but even II 1 had
l reckon tain't no greet Of a insult to "A
Ozarker to say how ne Is one.
"Polecat sho is fightin' word" OBJ
served the stranger. as one who per-
, ceives divided duty. but 'cordin' to
What go all says pears like yo' all amt
'Nactly p'pared TO to have 1t token up
Ike 1t nachully d ought 10 to be.
Mebbe yo' thought use it mo definite
! like later on. Anyway tn amt no
trouble bout startin' a fight most any
time II It's cnsidered d'sirable, mo- spc-
cial II they Is game on.
Il like fun s wells ANYBODY. but I
amt one TO put 1t afo' business, an the
way i reckons Is how poker is bust
| ness an hghtin' Is mo- of a spo'tin'
p'suit. II It's all one to yo' all ! reckon
| I'd ruther play first OF an have a little
amusement later on" And he looked
around at the others as IL to see what
the prevailing sentlmen, might be.
This time there seemed to be no uues-
! ton. Old man Greenlaw was certainly
( in favor OF immediate hostilities, and he
sputtered angrily in a hopeless attempt
TO destroy the strangers equilibrium,
but the others paid no attention to him.
| Even Bassett was moved to admiration
| by the others calmness, no less than
| by his words
"Th' amt no question but what the
gent is right" he said rebukingly to the
old man. IF yo' all wants to
pick on him later on tn amt no reason
70 to not. But II IS totin' a wad
We uns mought as we'll take that often
him first off. They cant nobody play
| poker alter he's done got all het up
| with IA fight
We'll" retorted ths old man bitterly
! but calmly, III yo' uns is hell bent
onto yo own Obstruction go ahead. |
done done my best. Tn amt no man
Twin en- beat a man like him playin'
poker an ! amt a-backin' the
game. but II yo' uns wants to put up
80 own money faint nothin' to me-"
And he lapsed into sulky silence, refus-
! ing 10 take further interest in the
matter aud declining even to produce
| cards and chips when called on to do
50.
The others. however knew where to
find them, and Blaisdell helped himself
| eagerly and led the way To the back
room. Winterbottom fingered u little
as the party followed, and questioned
! the old man as II surprised and doubt
| full.
whats eatin' yo ll:" he inquired
| 81 reckon this yer stranger amt such
a hellova much. Pears like 70 on us
had ought 10 to do him up"
Hes a Darker. amt he" said the
| old man angrily. Yo all heer'd him
say 1t yo' ownself. Them Ozarkers is
c'nsid'able mo- n human. special when
| 1t comes to playin' poker, an Christians
don't have no chanst ag'in 'em. Keep
outen the game, Jake. io'll lose yO
money sho'."
But Winterbottom only laughed
"Yo' all sho' is gcttin' foolish in yo'
\ old age" he said lightly, and he also
| went into the back room.
What happened there was interesting.
| In all the Mississippi Valley there was
| no other man who had Jim Blaisdclls
| reputation as manipulation Of play
| ing cards. and no small share Of the
prosperity that obtained In old man
Greenlaw's saloon was due to his skill. but
| above the valley lowered the Ozark
Mountains, peopled with inhabitants
! who mostly remained at home. 80 that
| those who had never visited the Ozarks
| had little knowledge OF them. Old man
Greenlaw in times past had visited the
| Ozarks.
The stranger showed by his play from
the beginning that he was no easy
mark. The wad he laid carelessly be-
side his chips, the game being table
stakes. was of tempting size, and he
drew on 1t freely several times when
the occasion demanded 1t. but II grew
rather than diminished As time passed,
and the easy confidence with which his
opponents had commenced the struggle
was gradually replaced by considerable
anxiety. Their habit was to play eau
tiously even when a locker on might
, have deemed them reckless. but grad
ually their caution became extreme.
Suddenly the stranger appeared TO
see something in Blaisdells handling Of
the cards at which he took umbrage.
THAT don't so." he explained sternly.
on the instant old man Greenlaw
! entered the room. IT was fair to sup
pose that he had been listening at the
~.