The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-11-06

to do with him. But, as far as man
ners and education went, there were
few who came west who could equal
him. He was about the nerviest
member of the party; and he was a
great dandy, tom them days all
gamblers were dandies.
"He was as soft and elegant in his
manner as a preacher, but if there
was a call for a fight he was all
there. He al a wOmanish-lOOking
chap, but he had fought five or six
duels, and had a record of killing
three men with a knife in a rough
and-tumble fight at one sitting.
Goddard and Ayers had pretty
good regulations as fighters, but
COnOley was a man from down east
s-Omewheres and hadn't been in the
west long. Consequently no one knew
much about him.
"They arranged to have one sitting
Of poker before we got into Bannack.
We were due there about an hour
after dark and the play began about
10 o'clock in the morning. We all
knew in advance that it was sure to
be a game of high stakes if the cards
ran good.
But high play didn't always make
a short game. The game ran along
until midday without any startling
hands being passed over the table.
All were playing mOnstrous cautious
and laying for a good chance. The
first to get it was ConOley. The
jackpot was sweetened up until there
was nearly a hundred dollars in it..
COnOley caught four sevens in the
I Ion1 IL hnE z1aTA H. oo-g~ H.
self.~Ayers opened the pot for a hun
dred right under the guns and lie
COuer hOisted him another hundred.
Goddard sat next, end he came in
with $500 more, making it $400 for
COnOley to draw cards. Ayers didn't
have the cards to raise on, but he
made good, and lie Occur must have
sUspisciOned a crosscut for he didn't
raise any more, so all Goddard had
to do vas to sit back and wait. There
was then $500 in the pot and the
draw to come.
Big Stakes Develop.
ayers took two cards and lie
Occur stood pat. Goddard studied
his hand for a while and then al
lowed he'd take two. Then the
dealer drew one. 1t was as sure a
thing for ConOley as anything I ev-
er saw. Ayers threw in a white chip,
(being n dollar), and lie Occur put
up his white chip and $1,000. Cod
dard threw down his hand. He may
have been bluffing and he may have
had a good hand. At any rate he
didn't have good enough hand to bet
$1,000 on. Whatever he had, be
didn't make the mistake Of laying il
down face up.
This gave COnOley his chance and
he put up $4,000 more. Ayers took
to the woods and lie Occur was hard
put. Naturally he hadn't any way oil
judging what COnOley was doing Il
on, since the latter had drawn only
one card, but it looked as though
he had made a full n a high flush.
and Of course he might have 'fOurs'.
AT any rate, it made lie Occur study
some, but he had a King full, and
Of course, he couldn't lay down. Most
players would have h0isted it once
more if they had the noney, and IL
Occur always had plenty Of cash. He
looked at C0noley monstr0us sharp
till he satisfied himself that there
was no bluff about IL, and then Id
called.
'sIhat gave Conoley over S40t
winnings on one hand. The Other
players were sore az having missed
their chance Ct the biggest hand 81
the morning game. but there wa.
not a word sasd.
There was no proof of crooked
play Sc the fact that Conolev had
dealt 6 paE fun out against foure 81
ais own hand but them leiIers knep