The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-24


soft before the old man could speak.
"They is towns where If yo' all was to
talk that disrespectablc about 'em they'd /
ride 20 round onto "A rail TO a spell"
Mr.. Bassett was cxcitable.
"Mebbe So" returned the stranger
placidly. but ! reckoi they amt no
bOdv---"
Hold go hawsses, Joe" interrupted |
the old man. who had carefully noted .
the size of the wad. "Thc gent is some 1
uureas' nablc. but he's Untitled to speak /
his mind. even az he is misguided. |
What's yo' alls 'bicctions to draw .
poker" he continued, turning to the
stranger.
~ alays reckoned It was mo- r less /
trinin'," said the stranger Pears like |
it's too quick 70 stiddy p'suit an too !
slow To- highway robry. Takes too
long TO to git a mans money thata-
way.
"Besides that. 'tain't no gentlcman's
game. II ] set in to resll my wad on
the chanst Of guards ! want to know
how much I'm Ewine to bet. but If !
puts up a hundred onto a poker hand,
some son OF a gun what's into the
game is liable to make me put up "A
couple - hundred mo- afo' ] knows
where I'm at. Now in faro
"Faro's sambrn," interrupted the
old man, hastily. IAN yo' all Is daid
right bout one thing. Th'ain't no gam
bin lowed in Arkansas City"
We'll wotincll's poker" demanded
the stranger his imperturbabilty Civ
ing way to surprise
"Poker's substitute TO H. an IN
on'y one what's satisfactory. Bcin' y
scientific = It's. faint sinful. an i gives
man a chanst 70 to resk his wad
legitimate. IL yo' all Is lookin' 70 'Ncite-
ment----'
81 sho' be-" exclaimed the stranger.
eff | was 'blccged to wait much longer
10 a boat I reckon I'd try swmmin'
ruthcr n stay round Arkansas city.
I'd go mad with melancholy"
"Thain't no castor 70 20 do uothu'
like that" said the old man eagerly.
They Is all kyinds O spot to be- had
right hyar on the premises. hut pokcr's
the on'y one whats omitted. Let's
| liquor again
The stranger took his drink slowly,
with the appearance Of one who con-
| siders "A question. and when he set
down his glass he said: IT tn amt
nothin' hut poker to be did. I'll play
! poker" And as no one present had
any other suggestion 10 make they all
went into the back room.
| Other strangers besides this partjCu-
I lar one had sat in at tho gam" in old
man Gre enlaw's back room before that
and had found tho game an arduous one,
there being disposition on the part
| of the four men who played there reg
uarly TO make common cause against
any outsider who played with them. but
| there had been few before him who
had reused their antagonism to the
same degree that he had.
His personal appearance As has been
said. was against him. in the first place,
and his bumptiuus'y defiant attitude,
! whether designedy intended 20 that end
or not. had provoked an earnest yrarn-
ing in their bosomS 20 punish him con-
dignly. They did no- actually frpth AZ
the mouth when they gathered around
the poker table. but there was a fixed
determination in their minds TO make
him bitterly unhappy.
~ for him. he appeared tranquil
If he was at all perturhed inwirdly
that fact was not 10 be discovered 10y
inspecting his eyes. for NJ one az he
table was able to look al both Of them
at the same tlme. although he seemed
! ~ ~ 'iblf W thih at an ~ AIltll a.
once, It being impossible to see where
aoouts ne was directing mis- yazr. More
over, he had "A way Of wagging the
EXTREMIST little finger on each Of his
hands that was disronccr.ing TO say
the least. Wherefore there was some
| uneasiuess.
Grim silence prevailed after thc old
man had sold chips and returned To
, the barroom. The only talking was thai
! Of the money, the action Of the game
being expressed IN the sign language
and even In that no surrrptitious wor,
passed, il being realized by all that IN,
. stranger was alert as 10 his eyes.
Il was soon eviden- that ,he stranger
; for a man who PROGRESSED to care Httl,
} for draw poker. was remarkably apt II
2 his appreciation Of the fine points %
rhe game. He also displayed judgment
, betting boldly enough when he SCENE,
10 consider that his hand justified Il
A but throwing down his hand whrnevc
{ raised by two or more of his autago
nists.
In the nature Of things however {
. was hardly To be expected that a singh
!, player would make great headwa'
against four opponents whose effort
: were all directed against him with en-
p tire disregard of anybody else winnin
= or losing. And after losing consid
cralhle portion of his wad he SCENE
:, To realize this.
81 reckon | was nigh 'bout right.
. he said, pushing hack from the tahl,
, when / said what draw poker wa
= kyind o slow 70 hi@hway roh'ry. Pear
. like 1t takes yo' ans too doggoncd Ion
=, 70 to git my money an they amt II
- gre't chanst o me giu.ln' much - yo'I
Th'ain't no excitement bout SPUR II
tobacco juice agiu a strong wind. AZ
that's somepn' like what 7 done bee
- a-doin' on. reckon III go an set ont
"A log someres outside til a boat come
V along"
Even NJ that they were loarh to l.
= him go. Joe Bassett In particula
: seemed 10 think he was entitled I
y something more in return for all tina
: he had said. and offered 10 make it
! personal matter, but the Stranger sal
D." no.
81 reckon the on'y Chanst I got
10 git away. | wouldn't live into Al
l. kansas city If anybody was to give