The sun., 1916-08-27
TLLk OF POLECATS
STIRS UP STRIFE
Asd the Climax Comes in the
Poker Game ct Old Man
0reenlsw's.

ally
Poker Game ct Old Man
Greenlsw's.
q, DAVID 4. CURTIS.
Considerable time had
u elapsed since there had been
~ say serious physical encounter.
N WsAsr any that was accounted seri-
On b "a man 0sssniAw's little saloon
:, AssaasAs CITY. ana Joe Bassstt. BE-
,ses man who delighted In strife moro
ss,siy snsa In any other Of tho pleas.
m, q nfs that were available In that
,ooa,ity. was depressed in spirit &C.
cedipgiy. =
m mental outlook was peculiar. to
~, Vhe isast. II was fairly we'll Dc.
.cs>e6 b. Sam PeArsali. who said Of
Mn enc day: "Jos amt never what
mSusht b called good natured thouten
M into Q iight. Pears like th'ain't
nSefan' makes him . cheerful . II does
! cna~in' somebody's ear"
ma In Arkansas City. however.
IN VSss noe q that time customarily
eSCVel uniees under provocation. and
- esassas Of that place. being &C.
ouelsSsl With Mr.. Bassett's idiosyn-
eroeu. wses chary Of provoking him.
"a SAaS no found small sest In life
vhea there were ~ strangsrs there.
Not sverybody knew. however. what
tiaA Of q place Arkansas City wac. and
In consequence people sometimes got
on the boats and II they were not
outct 10 observe they sometimes 81.
jov,l the boat to ST away before they
wat back on board.
Dslns thus stranded, ~ Il were. they
vsuSd 70 into old man 0reenlaw's
Allen, and doings WOULD ensue. One
such vsyfarer came In at the partic-
I'M time when M. Bassett was SUI.
fsius from depression Of spirit. a. was
"a, and almost Immediately paved
the way toward occurrences BY what
seemed an iucauttous remark. He had
invited the Company TO drink. hrst. &C.
cosding to ~ prevailing custom OF
that part Of the country. and 20 had
estsHiishsd Q tentative footing from
which no might have advanced to .
favseabis position. but no.
This yer town pears to be kyind
O Aead," he observed. with . super.
oltsvs cir. II sh'd say what II they
Want somepin' did tol'able soon IT'D
b iiabls TO- 70 smell bad"
sls that so?" said old man Green.
isv indiRsrentiy. 81 hain't took mo-
,.cs O no p'tic'lar perfume recent. not
~ 70 oil come In. I didn't. Yo' all
hsin't u foul o. no pOlscat lately
hsvs yo'7"
"Hain't had no s'picion O nothin'
ike that. not afo' I done come asho'.
I As.a... responded IN. stranssr
promptly, but mebbe that's what l
done took notice OF. Mought' be Q poe
cat, but what's been did 60 h? Pears
ike somebody must ha' aggravated II
somspin' shameful"
They don't'nobody round these parts
monkey with no polecats." replied the
Old man sternly. mot 'thouten they gits
rmliar. 'Tain't reckoned none too
healthy TO- nobody to git thataway.
not onto . short Acquaintance. faint.
an p~olecsts amt no reception. xebbe
20 all mouGht do we'll II yo' was to
make q note O. that thar. We uns
ant noways pitcher bout how we
elsl rid Of EN-"
sweil faint nothin' to me how yo
treat. en-" said the stranger with
lofty Indifference. "on'y I'd a hear
druthsr not osms asho' II I'd q knowed
they was active As they pears to be
Back where I come from We don't
gently low EN- to stay round.
20 all pears 10 have q mighty po
'pinion O yo' kim" observed Bassett IL
q o n betokening evaporation. They
Amt nobody hyar gives = damn where
tie yo' done como from. but th'ain'
no diniculty bout onderstandin' W.,
yo' done come. 'cordin' to what 20
says. Pears like yo' must ha' beer
drove out. eomepin' like that's liable
TO happen hysr II yo' keeps on wav'n
YOU tail like yo' H."
"Joe's right. but he amt noways dip
lomatic," interposed the old q al
no cav that the stranger was about tt
rs~ly ungsntly. He was not himself
avsess TO strife when the proper tint
tor Il arrived, but he abominated th'
premature fermentation OF It. ana M
had seen when the stranger paid FOL
HE drinks that he had q wsd.
They 10 some Longitude lowed u
thsm what don't know no better" M
continued. But Bassstt sho' does hate
TO hear Arksnsas City spoke disre'
spso'ful Of. an reckon yo' all u
prsssin' the limit some, talkin' o pole
cate. Pears like yo' mousht q foun'
somsp!n' else to talk about"
Il want thinkin' O. polecats till 20
all mentioned EN- yo' own self" SAX
the stranger Indignantly. but I Seer
r!sht away what"
mo. Nor they want nobody els'
'h,nkin' o p~olecats Till yo' all done com'
in" interrupted Bassstt. Then ~!
eouldnt nobody think O. nothin' else"
Y sh'd say what that come to.'abl'
nigh bein' hghtin' talk" said thu
stranger calmly. He still stood lean
ing his elbow on the bar a. II who'll!
d!sintersstsd. but he narrowed his eyei
signify and looked hxedly at Bassett
They had not taken particular notice
Of his appearance before. but. consider
ing the circumstances. 1t seemed worti
while to do 20. He looked capable.
"MouSht DO Token thataway," ad
T!ttsd Bassett with q happy smile. HI
peslsd on his coat - he spoke and ad
Fsnced threateninEly. but the strange
do not move. unless the change In hi
oppression might be considered to In
olive motion. A look Of surprise cam
int his face.
I want iookin' TO- no night when
come H." no began. showing no partic