The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-03

in his behavior and notoriougly deficient
in Difference to his elders. They rec ,
ogniZed him Instantly, and perceived
also that he had been drinking rather ,
m0re than was considered becoming in
c.o OF his years. Not yet a man,
though more than boy, he was looked
upon az not yet fitted to exercise the
prerogatve Of the full grown, and his
eNc.tation was thought premature.
There was consequently a little hest
tation. not usuHny TO he observed in their
response to the suggestion Lets Liquor"
when he uttered II thickly. but loudly.
Even the old man looked Mt him doubt
fully before setting up the bottle and
glasses, hut he presently did 1t, and the
others ranged up at the ban. Then
the cub surprised them.
II appeared, as they learned after
ward, that he had besought his sire for
I the Christmas gift OF a gun. protesting |
+ that the firccracker was inadequate as
! a means Of celebrating so important |
ia festival as he esteemed the Yuletde |
/ To be, and that he was DESTROYS OF |
/ putting aside such frivolitles az no
/ longer satisfied his yearnings, appro- |
pirate though they might be to infantile !
{ use. And Hank Davis had yielded 20
his wishes. having learned from pre-
/ V.Ous experience that by so doing he
, would secure for himself "A greater do
gree NJ comfort than he would other
Wise be likely to enjoy.
The cub was therefore the proud pos
SCISSOR Of a real gun which he had been
using for some time during the evening
Inv swelling the volume of sound that
had been productive Of 80 great dis
comfort 10 old man Greenlaw.
This gun he now produced from his
hip pocket; while he was in the act Of
draining his glass and exclalming
Merry Christmas" he discharged IT,
making hole in the floor uncomfort-
ably near TO the spot where Jake Win
terbottom was standing.
or Itself the act was q breach OF
etiquette not likely to go unrebuked in
that company, but that was not all he
, did. With the evident intent Of shoot
ing again he brandlshed the weapon
around with a painful uncertainty of
direction that w'ls, 20 say the least, dis
concerning.
"Th' amt no 'bjcction to yo all bein'
$ merry = yo' likes some place else"
said the old man Indignantly, but yo
70 don't want to be too doggoned merry
into my place"
But that was not all he did While
5 he was yet talking he caught up his
a bungstarter and swung IL so accurately
that the cubs knuckles relaxed in
S stantly and the gun dropped to the
y floor. whence 81 was Immediately trans
f,-rcd to the custody of Joe Basset:
= Sheriff of the bailiwick.
% For an instant Il seemed az II the
old man was gong to strike again, 50
Is eNasperated was he but he did not.
lc Icapng over the bar instead, he picked
IS the misguided youth up in his hands
lie and threw him ont Of the place. deliver
to ing a parting kick at the moment which
to diverted the Cubs thoughts from his
ie broken knuckles.
To And when Hank Davis called around
ir later to thank him the old man saiC
20 toleranGy:
TO "They want no good w1stin' of him
They u the makin's Of a man into him
m Mo n likely If he's trained up the way
he he shd go he'll go Il, but yo' all wants
be to keep yo' eye onto him. Hank. He'
o.. anle 10 10 do somepin' rash II 80
no don't"
"A That was his way Ever thoughtfu
n. OF the future, he would moderate hi
ho wrath even in great extremitles II h
saw possibility OF profit to be mad
by doing so. though he could be terrible
-, indeed after having satisfied himsel
~, that the possibility was exhausted.
such was his behavior one memorabI
-. evening when one who was perfet
~ stranger to him ventured 20 express dis
3" satisfaction at the outcome Of a gam
~ Of poker that had been played in II
back room Of the saloon, holding th'
VS. the methods which had been employt
I'M separating him from his wad we
", OF questionable propricty.
-''u This stranger had wandered into Il
J" saloon in search Of excitement.
o" strangers were always likely to do whe
me the monotony OF life in Arkansas CT
-, had begun to pau upon their taste, al
We ne had been made welcome there,
u' strangers generally were.
u'- When the old man had suggested
zen game Of poker as the most agreeat
O'i way OF passing the time, he had acql
'' escod, though rather hesitatingly, as o
not unmndful Of the risks to be run
20 player who is not well acquainted wi
''"- those In whose company he plays, b
'hS utterly unable to think OF anything q
10 that could be done under the circui
~. stances.
'o'' Even after buying his chips and c
We terlng on the contest with zest II
no indicated familiarity with the pastin
nay he gave evidence of a suspicious turn
~, mind OF which his antagonists seen
'uia TO disapprove; but on the other hai
Iu'u having begun, ne played with d
perate courage which they inwar'
. VI commended and which they did not
90 to turn to account.
Vi Sam Pearsall, Bassett and Winterb
- tom engaged him in turn, when on
40 Blalsdels deal he received cards Z
- encouraged him 10 bet considera
., sums. but It so happened that each
- them outheld him in turn, so that
',ns wad was depleted rapidly and he beca
o,s+ morOse.
"Yo' uns pears 10 have c'nsidable
,ts luck n the avra ge," he observed. 10
we ing from one to another unpeasar
,yas after he had dropped large amount
4 N pat hush.
nc runs thataway sometimes" &
,r,,a WInterbottom. declining to take /
=, 49,. bragg. The stranger still had none!
even As It presently appeared he had
srod some suspicion remaining and the
In time B.aisden dealt he watched his I