The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-03-07


the laughter. Does yo' all mean to
say what yo' hold me 70 that thar
%liquor?"
"Sho' does responded the Old man
griinly. and a-ain the stranger said. |
We'll, I'll he doggoned." And he
laughed some more. As he looked
nround. however, he saw no reflection
of his W mcrriment, and he grew
suddenly sober.
u reckon tn amt no use quar'lin'
over So" he said, quietly. and he drew
forth a wad Of goodly size with the
evident intention Of peeling off q bill.
"Mebbe this yer en- be settled
'thouten any hard feelin's on either
side" he said. IL done come In here
70 to loon 70 a game o. poker. bein's
! was told how they was a game here
occasional. S'posin' yo' all IL to take
that h n 81 outen the kitty. Pears
like that'd he mo- legitimate like"
"Thatll be Satisfactory" said the old
man. whose attention had been in
stant.y attracted by the wad. but tn
amt no hard feelin's called fo' nohow.
] don't never hold no grutch ag'in a
man what's willin' to pay TO the dam
age he's did"
This seemed to tickle the stranger
afresh. but he only smiled this time.
and after he had treated the company
a. he had proposed to do on entering
he went with the others into the back
room.
When the old man. however, started
back toward the barroom the strange
made objection.
IL don't p'pose 10 to set into no To-
handed game" he said. Amt yo' all
gwine to take "A hand?"
81 don't play my W self. not az
a rue. I don't" said the Did man.
Then won't said the stranger. so
determinedly that the cd man after
a little hesitation took the fifth chair.
Outsiders who played poker in old
man Greenlaw's saloon were usually
ignorant of the conditions which OBJ
tanned there or they were serenely
confident of their own ability. Possibly
this stranger was both. Certainly he
was the latter.
Cndisturbed by some heavy losses
which he incurred early in the game
he played on steadily and after a time
recouped his losses by a brilliant
stroke on the old mans deal when
Bassett and Winterbottom both held
good hands. Moreover. in the next
few deals he made additional winnings
So that the others perceived the neces-
slty Of eyerting themselves.
Presently an opportunity presented
itself Il Winterbottom.
The stranger had dealt. The old
man. sitting next. had passed. and
Winterbottom had opened the jack
pot for the size Of II. Blaisdell and
Bassett passed and the stranger hesi-
tated long enough before coming in
TO convince Winterbottom that his
hand was NOT particularly strong.
A. he himself had only a pair OF
queens the obvious thing was to bluff
the stranger out before the draw. and
he therefore kicked the Old man
smartly on the shins. Had Pearsall
been sitting in the old mans chair he
would have raised.
The old man. however. laid down his
hand. leaving Wi%nterbottom nc chance
for a further play. n though he
stood pat and bet body after the
draw the stranger tool three cards
and called. saying II don't believe yo'."
And having caught a third ten spot he
raked in the pot.
Late that night they r~eproached the
old man bitterly. and all he could find
to say was. Il didn't had nothin' TO
bet onto"
Blu tina; was not all they had 10
reproaCh him for, though in finding
fault with a play he made later on in
the game Blaisde.l did not omit to
blot q. f.ns ha1.S L., Iip,Salf fnr ha.si,Ny
failed to perceive the old mans de-
ficiency in the practical application of
the principles which he was supposed
to understand so well.
on this occasion Blaisdeil had dealt
the cards and Bassett had passed. The
stranger, having a full house pat, had
OF course opened ii, leaving the next
play to the old man, who found three
sevens in his own hand and properly
enough raised it..
Winterbottom had nothing to play
on and he dropped. Blaisdeil had
nothing either. II vas noticeable that
he seldom held anything worth betting
on when he dealt, but he came in on
the raise nevertheless. and Bassett.
seeing that the stranger had two play
ers opposed to him already, threw his
hand in the discard.
Calmly assured Of the quality OF the
ace fun which he held the stranger
unhesitatingly raised again, and
Blaisdell did his utmost by an eloquent
look to %coura the old man, seeing
that he was regarding his cards doubt
fully, but the old man after some care
full consideration laid his cards down
with a look Of regret. either falling TO
see Mr.. Blaisdell's glance or failing
to interpret it Alright.
The benignly inspiriting expression
on Mr.. Blaisdell's face changed in
stantiy TO one of murderous hatred.
Not only had his purpose failed bu
a considerable amount of his W
money had been sacrificed to the old
mans failure to draw for the fourth
seven. The stranger vas still in the
game. however, and it was no time to
give utterance to the thoughts that
surged violently within him. He
therefore restrained himself Till after
ward.
It boots not to enlarge greatly on
the subsequent events Of the game.
Suffice it to say hat the stranger, be-
ing well ahead by this time, continued
to play ~vallantly and with considerable
| success for a time, but that the com
bined efforts of Winterbottom, Bassett
and Blaisde.l turned the tide eventu-
ally, so hat when the stranger refused
-A Aatl $50 H.