The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-03-19
one EYE REVISITS
OLD MAN GREENLAW
Evading Bassett, He Sits In
at the Poker Game in
Arkansas City.
PEPPER BRINGS TIDINGS
By DAVID A. CURTIS.

AMI gwfne to Arkansas City no mo-"
FL had observed the fact that Mr..
Owen Pepper was listening to the
conversation.
What Mr.. Pepper did not see was
Lst when One Eye turned away from
VS. companions after delivering his
ult,matum the lid Of his solitary optic
duivered ever SO slightly. The others
saw IT.. however. and though they
showed disappointment they did not
appear To he downcast.
II reckon" said one OF them with n
rude laugh. what One Eye Is done
lose his nerve" and then they also
walked away. and Mr.. Pepper saw no
more Of n one Of the three while he
remained on the boat. What he had
overheard. however. remained in his
memory. 1t seemed important.
There had been repeated occasions
in the past on which the one eyed man
had been in Arkansas City. and BY
reason Of what 'hc did he had achieved
great u%npopularity there. Old man
Grccnlaw. who kept a little saloon not
far from the boa landing at hat set
Element and who sometimes permitted
the playing Of draw poker in the back
room of the saloon. was outspoken in
regard to his detestation OF the most
noted gambler among the many WHO
travelled almost constantly on the
river boats at that time.
Bitter as were the old mans re-
marks. however. when mention was
made Of the famous outlaw. they were
p,;fJ L., ,os~,..y,s,, ,.ttl, .aIut In. 1ylS-
sctt said whenever there was occasion
10 refer to him. Mr.. Bassett was prone
To violence ut times and he ycarned
nightly for an opportunity to remove
the one eyed man from the trials and
temptations of mundane life.
II reckon | cd die happy If | WAS Ia
kill him first of" was his least IN
phatic uttcrance. and Jake Winter
bottom and sam pearsall heard him
with silent approval.
II was felt that the one eyed mans
offences had been unpardonablc. Jim
Blaisdell felt likewise. not less warmly
than his associates. but he cherished
an ambition to ou,play the only mar
who had ever outplayed him AZ he
poker table before the latter should
meet an untimcly end. and he said
mildly:
"Th' amt no ~'jcctions Ia nobody
KILN Of him. but it didn't ought 70 10
be did hasty. Id kyind o like to set in
with him onc't mo afo' he's took Off"
Such. in substance. was a colloquy
in which the old man n his friends
had engaged many times since One
Eyes latest visit 10 Arkansas city.
II was therefore with mixed emo
tions that they listened to Mr.. Owen
pepper the next time that gentleman
visited them. Old man Greenlaw asked
him IL there was any news from the
outside world.
"Oh. don't know said Mr.. Pepper,
but I done met VI with the n eyed
man on the boat, comm up I'm New
Orleans"
Here he was interrupted by a VIC
lent outburst of language from Mr..
Bassett. who demanded TO know if
there was any prospect of One Eyes
revisiting Arkansas City.
oh. | don't know" said Mr.. Pep
Der, but he was talkin' with Buck
Masters an Rodney Foster. They was
tryin' to git him TO come hyar with
en-. p'posin' to clean out the shebang.
but lie done said What he wouldn't
never so, foot in .Arkansl s City no mo-.
They 'peared to he ~c'nsid'able disap-
p'inted."
That settles it," said Jake Winter
bottom. II reckon One Eyes nigh
bout the biggest liar ever went on
hung II he done said he want COM
in he's liable TO Il be hyar mos n
time"
But the old man was doubtful.
HE sho' is that he said, but he's
a heap sight wuss n that. He's that
much OF a liar what they can't nobody
believe nothin'. even II he says faint
so.
Case Of a ordinary liar, a nan en-
gently win out by copperin' what no
says, but One Eyes that gifted what
no en- lie just as well tellin' the truth
= he kin t'other way round. TIL amt
no tellin'. If he van SIGH "A hellyon
y he sho' Is he wouldn't be liable TO-
10 ever come back, but as It's tn On'y
thing 20 do is TO to be p'pared TO- him
romin' or not comm, irregyardless O.
what he done said"
well I'm p'pared, all right" said
Blaisdeli.
me too" said Bassett grtmly.
But Mr.. Pepper smiled s~ardonically.
"Oh, I don't know" he said, II reckon
Dh' amt nobody RELY p'pared TO- MOTH
~ what One Eye mought a X 1t in
IS head to do. An them W pirates
That he's been runnin with recent
n nigh bout as hellish as him, playin'
Or fghtin'. | reckon if they comes
thar1l be sompin' diddin'. II ! was
yo' uns ! reckon I'd lay in mo- r less
txtry ammunition"
"Mebbe somepin' in that. as the man
said when he dropped a chaw O. to-
bacco in his w~hiskey." said the old
man. "Th' amt gently no sense in
nothin' what Pepper says, but pears
like he's got the right idee this time.
don't want nothin' mo- n a bung-
starter my self. but ! en- 'xtend
The house rules ag'in shootin' on the
premises TO this occasion on'y. an yo'
uns better lie up yo' guns an see what
TO- has cartridges cIough."
What One Eye said to his two COM
panions when he forcgathcred with
t. EN- again after MIR. Pepper went
ashore was fairly good evidence of the
correctness Of the old mans judgment.
"Tf yo' uns is hcllbent on gwine to
ArlisnsaY CITY" he said. II don't mind
tskin' Q hand. They'll he c'nsidable
Excitement into it soon = them cut
throats sees mo. m reckoned what
Hha hast tnHu xI.A ia annh 'nr UOFd