| Show LIFE WAS THE STAKE IN THIS GAME OF POKER POKERS S New N V Orleans Picayune Pica une At a little town culled called Gila GUa Bond In southern Arizona quite a few years yearn ago when I went west to work on on one of the sections of the tho recently built Southern S Pacific railroad I witnessed a scene which for force orca and intensity inton it goes oes far beyond the most thrilling cU oll in any lurid melodrama that I have ever paid aid the tho price of admission to see seeHam seeHam Ham Moss grown SlOwn gray in ill the tIle rail raU railroad raIlroad road business bu sat in the waiting room of the Union station and between train times entertained a policeman and the writer with yarns of or the old days Thorn There was the usual number of train hands half a do en greasers and tame lame Apaches Ap a bunch of professional gum gam biers and three or four bad men the worst of or whom who III was HanH Hanl Han Balden Beldon said to have a private graveyard of his own and known throughout the tile district as asa asa asa a quick puller and und a dead shot Id been in the tho place a wool wooI or more wishing fervently for a chance to get out again when I made the ac acquaintance acquaintance of Walter Doely Doely Do ly was a n young follow from southern Illi 1111 Illinois Illinois nois and although he ho hailed from a Yankee state slate and his hits folks did too toe his father had bad fought under tho time terri tern terrible terrible ble bie Morgan as one of the Intrepid con confederate confederate confederate federate leaders raiders I jj j The elder Doely as Walter told mc me was a Methodist clergyman with a no achurch achurch church either at Cairo or Ot some other place near it I dont just ju t remember p r where and the young man Inan had come west vest with a party of engineers who were prospecting for a firm firm in Wall Wallstreet Wallstreet Wallstreet street Doely was a fino fine manly chap c p and g pd associated n with few people at GUp Bend Not that he be was proud or haughty but he was usually us a melan mehm melancholy choly sort and amid fancied me because se I Iwas Iwas Iwas was a bit myself at not times Doely had haq one fault faut he loved q to gamble and his favorite pastime on ope evening in each week wee was to try at t poker down in the Silver Horn One Olle Saturday night I strolled into the Joint and saw S W Doely sitting at a q table tabe under the flickering glare of a ii 1 burn bun lamp playing poker with two greasers greaner and a man whose who t ack was wa w to me when wh n nI I entered the door uI I was surprised on Walking around ar the table to discover that the player with his back b ck to the tile door was vas Belden Beiden BeldenA A bad had generally take such chances Its too easy ea y for tor fo an nn enemy en mY to enter and plug him full fU of gf load leach le q before b he knows it t but when I looked hooked closer I saw s w that Belden was no chances qs as on the wall wail opposite to whore ho he sat at was wa a big looking hur g the first of ot its H kind in Qua Gila Bend I reckon and d by glancing into the mirror f l the desperado could oUd see e every avery ver one passed pas ed through th door d Belden looking up vp p from his ht cards car nodded casually to me and Doely greeted me warmly w and nd asked me to tot take t ce a seat eat and walt wait for far the next nex round of drinks drip which w he was W S going loIng to pay for fp jl round pad made up ol ot the foulest kind of firewater such stuff as used to set the Apaches on the war dance when they got too much of It came carne and an another other followed l mid and J I noticed with orne m uneasiness that my young yang friend frt nd from Illinois was setting getting a q bit husky in invoice Invoice voice olce and nd a little wab in iii motion Every time hed thrown down his cards I could see his body lurch Jurch and sway far to one side and concluding that he was well under the influence of Q liquor liquorI I r tried d to persuade him to t give lve up the game and an go to the quarters ers Belden cast ominous glances in my direction when I suggested Jested to Wal WI Walter Tal Talt ter tor t r that it WAS time lime to turn In and ann not wishing to have a with a no notorious notorious notorious gunfighter I became less loss in insistent insl sl tent especially as Walter himself seemed bent on playing all night Tile Tho twp two tW groa who en entered terel tercel with much were vere cleaned up soon and the th game wag W V between n Beldon Belden p an had bad n q about 50 flO 0 worth of chips left and risked his hip pile on Oil three knaves Jn In the draw he be got gut another and turning to me borrowed all the th money 1 had in my pocket at the time Um I Ito to bet on his 1115 hand Belden a cool ly tools the he 2 hot bet t ana ny on Ht the call OU threw down four aces acea Doely stared in surprise and oa as 3 quick as a flush flash snatched tol d un im the t bal balance balance ance anea of at the tile deck d ck and anti run ran through the th pasteboards to t soo Soc whether ther there thore were any ay more aces among tham having the th ti ides idea iq t doubtless 5 that Belden U was cheat ing lug Belden Be en looked across the th table at his late Inte opponent nt and un l such a cloud gathered on his face f c as I never saw sa w depicted on oil a human countenance be before before before fore Black rage r g and offended attended offen ed pride were combined in the expression and the time rugged bearded face was trans hans transformed transformed formed farmed into that of or a demon Belden half rose from his tim is chair leaving his winnings neglected on the table before him and leaning I across the table t bIe he lIe placed hits his right hand on an his hl holster shoved oved hi his face f oe ole to iQ and ant said in slow alow steady stead tones So Ro yer think Im a skin s tn So do yer An Aim Anyel yen yer such a young one an green too Now git up lP an In pull Y iron Ill ru wait for yer cr 1 I looKed at Doely saw the young oung man straighten stra up and then lean far back in his ni chair His Hi hands 1 with fingers wide spread cl over oer the mess of fit cards were on the table so 80 Belden Holden could co ld not fear fe r a gun un play from under undercover undercover cover cov r but Walters face a instead of at ex expressing e pressing fear or consternation on op the instant became rigid the toe lines about his mouth deepened dO and tho thic flash ft sh in 11 his dark eyes e eB told of ot rising ire and re ye resentment r At 4 4 Youve got Hot the drop on me Hank and Walters Waiters W He voice vico easy and amid natural did not tremble in Iii the least leapt t aud fand if t you feel like and be he e hanged to you rou but hut if you ou want to give me a p chance thank you for tor it tt Ill IU go you 4 Poely Doely slowly arose from his seat feat placed tile the chair close oloe elo e to the table and turning his back on an Belden ae to the tIme center of the room whore he lie h around and faced his enemy with arms folded across his hh broad broat client Wait Valt aIt a minute Hanle Hanic he ho cried arloa keeping ke t his arms arma motionless B and his hia right hand away from his holster bolster ter there thare is no use to endanger any inno innocent cent C lives lets give Ham here a chance to vamoose Belden Beldon still standing stan ing at the tho table his hand on the butt of his hl big bis revolver ver said nothing but only looked at Doely and as his hia hl arm dropped to his llis side he remarked rE Youre game ame fellow and I like Uke to see ee such ch grit rt as a yourn You Yo aint got a chance ch with me ue in a n a match matoh cause c Id 1 have my rn popper out ot ot and a piece pl ce of lead jeah leadin ealin in yer head bead before you yen think and Im going to ta even everi up 1 matters See these t cards eard c here nere running hits hIs hands l carelessly through toe the ed up deck d ok Well well Pile em am up p nicely an then you an mell meli cut em erp The Tto man maii nl n that gits the low card stands up again the toe wall wan an lets the other fellow take a ashot ashot ashot shot at him Are you game gane for that f 4 Any Ap way w y you O say sa will HI suit a me meW meas was W as t cool return ren to tha to darins proposition Youre Youra square so io am an IT I 1 lots lets got get to the tle business QU p and amid be through h with it Walter raUe walked over to the tile table anti and nd gathered 1 tr tl tb cards c up un in a augat I Ineat neat pack and placing ph them in tn the tile cen con cent t r of the table t ble stepped back and antl said 1 You cut first Hank or r shall h n I 1 INo U 4 No difference to me lne the gun RUU gunfighter gunfighter fighter said Ill cut though to start tart the tho fun Those T Vvo t wa desperate men each as brave as the bravest were in deadly earnest in their lr stirring acting a Ung and neither Tu t l so much as an aneY eyelash eY la h or wont went a shade paler Hank took the cards car s in his loft left hand and lightly let them fall f H one on top of the theother theother theother other back into their original inn position Then he cut c t and held aloft a oft a queen Its a hi high jh h one to beat boy ho cried your our try Doel Dod a smile of unconcern about his h hi lips bent over the table and an took the tho top oaid oat d off the remainder of the deck Tt It was a four fOUl of diamonds find my heart rt drooped into my w boots Doely Doel looked at gt the tho thi card carl and aUd saying never a word whisked 1 the thing timing over overt the t counter copter r which w io the barman irman n I still sun crouched end and n l then lie c e quietly walked across acro s time the room and stood drawn up to his full height with his back against tho the wall w 10 S Jm rm Im ready for 10 you VOU Hank he 0 re 11 remarked r m marked in his hl usual tones and amid lear inca a sigh of disappointment waited for Ills his death deith and anti watched d Its iw ap unflinchingly In Belden Eel en strode tn i a position directly in n front of Doely and pausing about ten tan yards from the theman theman theman man whoso whose life Ue by the th rules of border bord r chivalry belonged ed to him surveyed the unmoved Tt n seemed to me ne that Belden must have stood there undo unde d fo rOt a n rut fui minute and then he aid said Ive put quite tHe a few fellors way waYt hut but It even von en If folks foUts do 10 sav ax sa mean thirds about me behind my b back ck I always killed 1110 1 fair T cant capt do co no iio butch ar or U business bJ like liko this Say Siw you mean I T i was a 0 SkiP skin in on en lets lat shake hands Doe nl from fro the wall and tn l a n alie acm q lie he li grasped h hand nd he lie muttered jn I 1 know inow youre roure not n nota t ta askin a skip skin a t feHer to net act Hk 11 lUo this cant can t theat heat cheat at fit cards eard and if f T I offended YOU YO Im sorry forY And An en ro the thing ended and down lon In my m heart T I fervently l God because l e T I eQ Doey and I 1 1 knew new that he a nt t match at any style I of the tile fighting anie unless unes it was Wf with fists fi ts WP We had bach a n few more drinks mind separated 5 and nd I never saw Hank Belden again T heard h ard afterward that he W wa vaa R i lw by I y some ome sheriff in New Mexica Ie hm while w resisting arrest Irr t for a cattle rustling deal tORI |
