The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1938-08-18
FIRST INSTALLMENT

OF the coach, facing forward, two
coWpunchers were Numbered down,
apparently asleep, for it was night
Their backs were to the poker
game being played across the aisle
by three cowpunchers and a profess
sional gambler on two appended
SuitcaSeS.
The gambler, young man, glanc-
ed up.
Here comes Hoagy."
The players did not betray they
had heard him until the middle
aged brakeman, Hoagy Henshaw by
name, paused beside the game.
The cowpuncher whose back was
to Hoagy slapped his hand down.
Three johns, gents, and pair
of bullets" Then, as if he had in
terrupted himself in the midst of a
story, he continued: And this
jasper with the feet the size of a
loadin' chute turns to the brake,
real polite-like and says: so there's
law agin' playin' poker on a train,
is they?''
what did the brake say to
that?" second cowpuncher, seated
next to the speaker, inquired inno-
Gently.
''The brake, he said: It's a law,
my friend. Not that care if you
play poker on a train. I'd like to
play it with you And this jasper
Big Foot whips out a pillow handle
and says Nov, amt that fine! Jest
set down. The brake sets down
and they dealt him a hand after
he'd bought in the game.
well, when the Brakle'd been
cleaned, Big Foot says: 'Mebbe
you'd like a loan?' real meanin'
like. The brake says sure. They
play for another hour, the brake
still losin'. When they comes to-
Big Foot's stop, he looks around.
How much am into your he asts
the brake. Fifty dollars, amt it?'
The brake says yes and Big Foot
looks around the car. DANCED if old
Henry couldn't use these here plush
cushions on that ore-wagon of his,
Big Foot says. We'll, almost every
body he knew was freightin' ore. He
just helped hisself to half the seats
in that car"
The second cowpuncher looked
up. Hello, Hoagy. Like to sit in?"
''Me?" Hoagy said, with we'll
feigned establishment. Hell, no. I
was never so busy in my life. You
fellers 60 ahead and have your fun"
He retreated, shaking his head
soberly.
The gambler, seated next to the
aisle, laughed silently lat Hoagy's
back. He built a cigarette with
quick and sure fingers, shaking his
head.
His wide-set blue eyes roamed
across the aisle to include the two
cowpunchers in the joke, but they
were still asleep. His eyes Travelled
to the one figure seated against the
end of the car. He saw surly-
faced cowpuncher looking out the
window into the night. From a
loose mouth a soiled cigarette drop
ped, curling smoke up into unblink-
ing eyes. Cupped hands held a
match preparatory to lighting the
cigarette.
The gamblers eyes narrowed a
little as he watched the man light
his already burning cigarette. OBJ
served now, the gambler was still
faced, quiet. He was perhaps in
his early thirties.
A close observer might have no
ticed with surprise that the wrink-
les around his eyes were of the
kind that spider-webbed from the
outer corners, sun-wrinkles, in
stead of the kind that pouched the
lower lids.
When the gambler saw the cow
puncher light still another match,
he turned to his seat mate, his
mouth open to speak.
The sight of the man next to him
had changed his mind, evidently,
for the man had sullen, almost
chinless, face, so clean, shaver it
looked raw. He was cowpuncher,
in his middle thirties, whose con-
tinual scowling had worn creases
i'm his forehead and soft loose face.
Lets play stud" he growled.
Finney yawned, stood up.
''I'm startin' game of draw
back here if anybody want to buy
in," he announced.
The chinless cowpuncher flushed
but did not make move. Finney
cashed in few chips, nodded to
the gambler and left, followed by
his companion.
The gambler nodded also, then
lounged back in his seat. He heard
the door behind him open, and idly
guessed that the match-lighting
smoker had gone out. The door had