Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1934-08-09

CHAPTER II

sahDier, playing only when he hat
good cards. Stud was undoubtedly 1
player who required the stimulation
and zest of opposition. But he coul6
not wait for luck to change. He had
TO De In every hand. Moreover, be
was not adept enough with the cards
10 zeal himself a good hand when his
turf came. He grew so sullen tina,
wall left off watching and returned
to the Preside.
But presently he had cause to At
tehn more keenly than ever to this
card game. The drift OF conversation
wore toward an inevitable fight. These
men were vicious characters Wall
knew that life out here was raw.
Ihere was no law except that of the
six-shooter.
While he bent q more penetrating
gaze upon Stud, to whom his attention
gravltated. Wall saw him perform 4
trlcK with the cards that wal pretty
clever, and could not have been dis
cerned except from Wallis position.
Nevertheless, tickle fortune most
certainly had picked on Stud. He bet
lhfs hand to the limit of his cash. and
then, such was his confidence, he Dor
roWed from Morley. Still he could not
force Hays to call. He fell from ella
ZION to CONSERVATION, then to doubt.
from doubt to dismay, and from this
TO a gathering impotent rage, all of
which proved how poor a gambler he
was. When at last he rasped out:
wal, call Here's mine.a
lie slammed down an ace full. Hays
had drawn three cards.
Stud, | hate to show you this
hand" drawled Hays.
Yes. 0 do! Lay 1t down. II
called you"
Whereupon Hays gently spread out
tour ten spots, and then with greedy
n raked In the stakes.
Stud stared with burning evex
lnree-card draw! You coma
In with a pair Of tens?"
Nope. held up one ten an the
ace,' replied Hays, n%onchalantly. II
had a bunch, Stud"
You'd steal coppers of a dead
mans eyes,
"HaWl Haw !" bawled the ~victort-
GUS gamester. But he was he only
u OF the six players who seemed to
see anything funny In the situation
That dawned upon him. "Stud. I was
takin' tibet crack OF your humorousr
WAS your" snapped Stud.
Shore ] was" returned Hays, with
congealing voice.
"Wal, didn't mean 1t humorous
Stud retorted.
"Ahuh. Come to look at you / see
you amt feelin' gay. Suppose you
say Just what you did mean"
Il meant what I said" .
Shore. I'm not 70 awful thick. |
But apply tibet crack to this here card |
game an my playin'.n ,
Hays, you palmed them three ten.
declared Stud hotly. 9
Then there vas quick action and I
the rasp OF scraping chairs, and tho q
lumDllng over OF a box seat. Stud 2
and Hays were left alone at the table I
You're a liar" Kissed HAYS. sud
black In the face. $
Here Jim Wall thought 1t was time Q
o intervene. He read the CLINT In =
Studs eyes. Hays was Mt 4 dtsad- y
vantage, so far as drawing 1 gun WA, q
And Wall saw that Stud /.
Gould and would kill him. q
Hold on there" called Wall. In = o
7oice that made both men freeze. y
Hays did not turn to Wall. but he !.
poke: 'Pard, lay oil. / can handle y
his feller.n ~
Take care, stranger" warned Stud -
appeared to be able to watch :.
10Th Hays and Wall at once. They -
7ere, however, almost In line. aThi, :"
Int any OF your mix" -
4 Just wanted to tell Hays / saw =
on slip an ace from the bottom OF -
deck" said Wall. He might n a.
'el have told Of Hays Irregularities
"Wotl He filled his ace full thet =,
by ! TOHrcu hays. -
He most certainly did. -
"An right let 1t go at that replied -,
tud, deadly cold. If you can say
tibet You haven't pulled any A.
icks-go for your gun. Otherwise la
aep your shirt on" -.
That unexpected sally exemp1,ned 60,
e peculiar conception Of homo, ~,
nong thieves. 1t silenced Bays. The the
tile gambler knew his man and shift, do,
his deadly intent to 4 more Doubt. "a
1 issue. 49,
Jim Wall, Ell r he queried. inso
ntly. -
AT your service" retorted Wall nor
g OWNED the workings Of the little chs
mbler's mind. Stud needed TO have ira
ore time, for the thing that made I
cision hard to reach was the QUALITY YOU
this stranger. His motive was NOR kee
ably than his will, or his power te una
ecute. All this Jim Wall know. u are
IS the difference between the two In
n. mr.
In admittin' ! cheated" said stud ogn
But I Amt standin' to b. ster
ped on by a stranger" yer,
Well. what're von rcsr. inst