Show v y a c OOOO I Io o v U u Z T o IN N fIGHT flUT OR IN o POKER HE lIE COULD g 0 c WS lilAC VI f ilA 1 LW IO o o 9 6 0 HOLD OLD illS HIS OWN oo oooo 0 New cw York Sun The first frt time I aw Peter Aple Arile said the young heaRIng lookin man mon he was the tho active cen center cent ten ter t of a ir disturbance that tat had arisen arl en without any connection wih with the fact that ha lie le was In the neighborhood It I I looked like a case cae of ot murder and and sud sudden den death debt with wih the possibility of a battle batte inside of ot a few faw seconds second when Applegate took the center of or the stage so 80 to speak speak with wih a a single bound and h 1 J It i till Ul the disturbance was wa over overt it t happened that I was in a position to see It i all al I 1 was coming down the in the early eary fall fal of ot 7 1 and had taken one of the river packets packet at atLa La ta Crosse Intending to t take train thence to Chicago The weather was Wa delightful and I spent most of ot my ply JY time on the promenade deck deck watching the scenery for the most part part but looking down frequently at the deck hands be below below low as a they worked like Ite beavers beaver at the landings and loafed while the boat was wa under way hey were a rough looking set fet but the crews of the Mississippi boats boat mostly were rough looking so I paid pail no special attention to them beyond admiring the strength and agility they showed when the worked and thinking that they would make ugly customers customer In a fight If I one occurred And sud sad suddenly denly one did occur I dont know just how host it I started for there was only a word and a blow blO V when the knives flashed out out and I 1 heard the tho words words But the blow was as evident enough The men were all al colored some black and some of vari various van vanous ous shades shade of ot yellow But It i was wasa a full ful negro as black as coal 1 who aSo o struck str c k first The blow was a tre tremendous one that struck a tall tal mulatto fu Lu 1 I In the chest and sent him reeling against the low rail rai at the side of ot the bo hoat t with wih such force that if I he had hadnot hadnot not Instinctively thrown out his hand han hanani and ani caught the rail rai he must certainly have toppled over headlong into the river I Quick as a the blow had been his rally raly seemed even en quicker It really I raly looked looke as if It he ho rebounded tram front the rail rai like a rubber rubb r ball bal and as he rushed I back toward the man who had struck him I SUM stew sw the gleam of DC steel In his hand hand Where he drew the knife from I I could not see se but it was naked aked in I his hand 13 as s he came back The other oLler mans knife back was out as a I quickly and without moving from the spot sp t on which he had stood when he struck he ho waited the rush with wih his left I arm ar forward and his right a little ad advanced from the hip And as they came c e together I 1 could see that they both understood the use us of ot the knife I had seen two or three knife fights before but non none quite quie so sudden as this and in the other each of or the I fighters rs hid had had something usually a a coat wrapped around the left hand lef and forearm as a partial protection These two whether because of ot their awful rage ge or because they dared net take ike the th time took no such precaution and were relying lying l on their naked hands and arms to do d ars what defensive work frk they were to do Another notable thing was that they both held their theIr knives which were I genuine bowies bowles with their thumbs on the hilt hill and not with wih the blade down I ward as An is unskilled fighter Is likely to do It I was evident enough that they knew tey what they the were up to White I saw all aU this it was not until afterward that th t I realized that I had seen it for Cor th was wass it as rapid an as thought The J yellow mans rush was like lightning and as s he reached the other he struck full tul at his neck with a that would have gone through him if i it I had landed lande The black man stooped however dropping almost on Me his hi left Jef knee sad ind d throwing his right foot out tried trie iw to l trip the other At the same time Ume he made a vicious jab jali I for the others stomach stomach Had the yel low 10 mien man not leaped to one side like a rt flat it i 1 he must have been thrown and probably disemboweled on the instant But they were ere facing each e ch other Instant again before 1 II could be certain that neither one was hit and on the instant Ins nt Peter Applegate Appl gate took t ok a u hand I suppose there must have hae been ben I I trouble I among n ho the o crete before for foe I three or r four th of ot Ct them had drawn I their knives and stepped steppe forward f ward Ap however was first He was the mate of tile the boat a tall 1 tl fellow standing several inches over six sis feet teet and ungainly in appearance b by reason of his Ils extreme thinness I 1 heard her afterward that he had been a r C lumberman In the Minnesota pine pint I I woods and had hud been laughed at for a t weakling until they learned that he be lu I i was the strongest man in wal camp I saw Raw r for myself that he was wa as as a S a wildcat I As he rushed forward he grabbed I a bale hook hok from one of ot the crew gabbe and anc I as 54 8 it 1 seemed to me he be knocked the I black man down with his left lef list at a t I the same Instant that he e reached I the sharp shar hoo hoot c for the yellow mans mane wit I elow bed he hand The point of ot the I hook went squarely through the fellows wrist and Applegate I 1 with a quick pull pun brought him Im up toward himself The fight was wa all al out ou t of him helm as ae 6 it I might well be out ut of or any an r man mn with wih such a wound and he lv a dropped his knife kle as he lie pitched for ward ivard and made not the slightest resist ance as Applegate seized him and ant threw him fully tUly ten feet to one side Before the black man could get to tt S his feet Applegate was over oer him kick ing him in such extraordinary fashion S that I almost expected to see se him hin 11 I killed He gave up quickly however o ver and an after ater h Ii had hind thrown ills his Js knife away awa It I Applegate ordered him to stand up In Ii n I na Ia I a a moment more he was handcuffed and ant in another moment the manacles were wee e also on the yellow elow man The fight was Wa a over In less les time than it I has taken me at C to till t 1 It I and Applegate was the cool col est man on the deck deck The rest of ot the th e crew had put up their knives and there ther e was no more trouble In sight any where Naturally I was sync a good deal Inter i ested osted in the man who had done all aU this thi S I and resolved to get acquainted with wit I him if i possible No chance presented presente a itself Isel that afternoon and in the even 1 Ing when I was about to ask the cap tain tam of ot the te boat something about him hit n Applegate himself came up he said with wih a down east ea t drawl I guess gue Ill Il settle sette up with wih you yo U when we q aC to t o La Crosse Cross I dont Jou be bc be 1 lieve leve J I hal hai hal ter this Job any great Why Vy said sid the captain I r thought though it you ou were going through to St Louis 1 Well Wel yes c said sid Applegate I do fi 0 clate to go that fur tur but I can raise rais e the te to pay my fare tare the th e rest o 0 the way snap and this here 1 business aint exactly ecly in my line lne That The tt is j I dont white men me a I whon whoa Its Isnec necessary ar hIlt but b t nig ig r gers gelS turns t ns my m stomach and unsettles is my lay nerves nerea nerve The Te captain laughed and so did r I but Applegate was in serious earnest earnes t tand and though the captain argued earnest the Ui a matter mater he was wa not to be moved so at e tt length the captain agreed to look took out ot tt for fol another mate at La L Crosse When we arrived there I found let terse ter that tat changed chan d my m plans and ond I r Joo too remained on oci board as a passenger for tor St Louis Luis I was the better bettel pleased please at the change because of ot the I would wout get acquainted with wih this quaint Yankee For the first day I saw noth ing of ot him as a he stayed in his not probably making makinI up some arrears rear of ot sleep Late Lale La that tu t evening however I passed through the saloon on my roy way to bed and I sax sa him playing stud poker with four other men two of ot whom I knew nw to be bt professional gam sam Now Is ha a n game gam I dont care caie much about playing gmE but it I is even een ev en more interesting to watch tha draw drw dr aw poker as of or course cuse you yu can sc cc s smore more m ore of the cards and can tell teU wit witch each ea ch man Is betting on I joined jo ined the te group of ot other passenger who W ife were looking on and stood thee ther tel theer for tor fo r probably half hal an hour Knowing Kowing as us I 1 said that tat at l two t wo men In the game were prof si I expected to see fleeced Il in short order but I was mo moan g than th an pleased to t find that tat he be was was wa to n a appearances appearances a fully capable of ot holdin his hi s own In Ia the f t place he playe cautiously ca but almost anybody will willo do df d o that tat In a table stakes game gme such suchs I as a s they were playing I dont know how h ow they started but there were or 01 on the table when I ame came up j so go I Judge they started stared with wih iao O apiece I But if f he was cautious he was by byno byo I no n o means timid and one or two plays that tat th at he made showed me that he had his hi s nerve with wih him In one hand the theman theman man m an on n his left leC a a gambler named Wei Wel Weidon Welon don d on had made it I 2 to play and his pal Filmore ilmore F who sat next but one came carve In The other dropped out one and ad Ap ftp Applegate Al pl having as afterwards ar p eased a queen burled buried made good It was wa w as his deal and he served Weldon an a ace Filmore a seven seyen and himself a n nten ten te n Weldon bet 55 5 Filmore saw It I and Applegate A came up On the next round I Weldon Veldon W eldon got a king Filmore an eight Ight and a nd Applegate a Jack Weldon bet 10 I Filmore ilmore F dropped out and Applegate came cam c up Then Weldon Veldon caught a jack ja k kand and a nd Applegate a n nine and Weldon Veldon let l 1 BL t 20 O Again Agail Applegate made good good and the thelast thela last la st t cards were dealt dealt Weldon caught a queen and Appleton another nine T That T hat made It i his hta bet of course and nat naturally v rally u he passed the te bet There was wasa a possibility of a straight or any anyone one of o f four pairs pair that would beat his nines I confess that I would have laid down when w hen Weldon threw 50 10 Ip i the pot but Applegate A called caned and won the money Weldon Veldon W eldon having hayIng a nine buried burled The next net deal was Weldons and andas anda as a a s I watched him I was morally certain certain tain ales t that he stacked the cards He had h ad been to the tho boneyard for another hundred undred h so he was still sti in the game There T here was no betting on the buried burled gme I card ard c as Chandler the next player to the he t dealer had not put up a blind so s o Filmore who had the ace of ot clubs I showing howing s bet 91 1 The next player whose hose w name was Hammond Ha imond passed out and a nd Appleton having queens back to I back b ack stayed sted for the dollar dolar Weldon Veldon dropped d out and Chandler stayed with witha a Jack showing On the next round Chandler caught another nother a jack and Filmore a small smal club while w hile Applegate got cot an ace Chandler j bet b et 5 Filmore made good and Apple Applegate Applegate gate g ate instead of ot raising rIsing simply made good g Then Weldon dealt deal Chandler a third hird t Jack Filmore another club and Applegate A a third queen Naturally Chandler C put up 25 Filmore came up and a nd Applegate turned turne his cards down On O n the last Jast round Chandler caught a aseen seven seen s pot spot and Filmore another club cub handler Chandler C andler passed and Filmore bet 26 Chandler handler C called caled and Filmore F more showed down down d own 2 a n flush fush and raked the pot potI I have hae known what Apple Applegate Applegate gate g ate really realy had if I he at this point p turned over his cards saying with wih a chuckle I 1 kind o three thre peens q want worth much against a four our f flush lush that time He leered Jeered at Veldon Weldon as a ahe he spoke In a most offensive manner and I expected to t o see se trouble on the moment The Inference i was wa plain enough that Tie ne se distrusted d the dealer and for an In Instant instant stant tant s Weldon looked as If he were about bout a to speak angrily but he con controlled trolled rolled t himself and merely said You dont d ont play three thre queens with wih as much nerve it ft t appears as you do two nines Well VeI drawled Applegate still leer leering leerIng ing big offensively It I all al depends Some Sometimes times imes t I do and then again agin I dont dont That time I had a a n hunch There was still sti an opening rather plainer than before for Weldon Veldon to re retort retort tort ort t but he checked himself with wih n a visible effort efort and said coldly A hunch hunchis is i s a good god thing sometimes said no more just then thee a and the play went on Nothing unusual oc oe for tho the next net two or three rounds though Applegate called caled a bluff blut of ot Fit Fil Ff mores once on a a buried burle ace Filmore having a four straight showing and Ap ftp having nothing to back bak his ace nee With this and some few mall mal pots pot that he took on good cards cr showing he ho must have been ben something like ahead of ot the gamo mo when whoa it I came Weldons deal doal del again Chandler had put up a a blind and everybody came ame in on the tite buried cards so there was 10 in the pot in the first I round On the next Chandler got a ten Filmore a seven Hammond a queen AI AlS put up 10 0 and nd they all aU came caine In InOn inOn inOn On the next round Chandler got an another another other othe ten Filmore a nine nine king Applegate Apple ate an eight and Weldon another Jack Weldon Veldon bet HO 20 Chandler stayed Filmore and ad Hammond dropped out Applegate and Weldon Veldon stayed and andon andon andon on the next round Chandler caught chught a four spot Apple ate another eight and Weldon Veldon another jack With throe three jacks In sight Weldon eldon put up 95 5 and n reached a over e and dha g ga snatched ga h the h deck ta tat out t of his hands with witha I a motion moton so quick that that Weldon had no notime time to prevent him Theres Theros a good many man jacks jac In this pack he said coolly as he spread sred the entire entre remainder r of the deck face up on the tho table There Thore was only one onO more jack jak I shown up and Weldon Weidon eldon with an oath oth shouted What do you mean men Are Arc you ou I crazy craz how many jacks jack did you think you era going to show I Five Fhe said Applegate still as cool as tho the other was excited I stayed 1 against your two jacks knowing you wore were up to somo some trick You think I had one of them burled buried did you ou And he ho turned ture over his burled card which was in fact tact a jack jack Did you ou mean mea to say began Wel Weldon Ve don dod f starting aLerting I up and throwing his s hand to his hip pocket c t tand I I 1 mean to say pay said saM Applegate i reaching over with wih his enormous long I arm ar and grasping gasping Weldons wrist writ In a i grip of iron that Ill Il break every ever bone in your body if 1 you show light fight I was wason wason on to your Our little game gmo half halt |