University of Virginia Library

PLAYING "POKER" IN ARKANSAS,

In which is shown, that if walls have ears, they may have voices.

Any one who may have had the good fortune to have
laid eyes on the "Chart of this Neck of Timber," drawn
from actual surveys, and presented, in conformity with
a resolution of the Kraked Klub of Fort Gibson, to
"Old Festivity, president of the Mystic Club of Van
Buren,"—we say good fortune to have laid eyes on one
of those charts, for there is very few in existence, and
those zealously preserved by the lucky possessors thereof,
must have noticed the locality of the "Prairie Store,"
situated on a commanding eminence about one mile east
of south from the fort. To that spot we wish to direct
the attention of the reader.

The "Prairie Store," owned by Mr. —, has been
long occupied by the owner as a mercantile establishment.
The building itself is of considerable dimensions,

built of logs neatly put together, pointed and whitewashed,
whilst a number of scattered out-houses, such
as kitchens, barns, stables, and the like, lend to the tout
ensemble quite a village-like appearance. Among the
several out-houses connected with and situated directly
in the rear of the "Store," is one used formerly and
for a length of time as a bakery. This one had been
rented and recently fitted up as a gambling-house, by
an individual of sporting or rather gambling notoriety,
generally known throughout the county under the soubriquet
of Cherokee Brown.

The building was composed of two rooms, one in
which Mr. B's. tricks were most imposingly spread upon
a stationary table at one end, with barely a sufficiency
of space between it and the wall, for that gentleman to
sit whilst in the pursuit of his profession. The room
was lined with clap boards, of which material the entire
building was composed, with a low incapacious loft
overhead, which was the locale of his sleeping apartment,
the entrance to which lay through a square hole
in the ceiling of the adjoining room.

For the purpose intended, this spot was most admirably
chosen; for situated as it is, very nearly in the centre
of the neighbourhood, and surrounded as it was, at inconsiderable
distances, with quite a number of Board
Taverns and Groceries, the "Prairie Store" has become
the rendezvous of the denizens and sojourners of this
"Nick of Timber."

We are quite partial to the antique, and have ever
held in high veneration the quaint old maxims which
have been handed down to us since the "good old days
of Adam and Eve," and there is one among those wise

old sayings which reads, if we do not greatly mistake,
"Give the devil his due," the charity of which we are
in nowise inclined to contest or oppose; and are, therefore,
quite willing to admit that much credit is most
certainly due the dashy projector of the scheme, for the
tact he displayed both in the choice of locality and the
various tricks devised to avoid the prolixity of a well-contested
game, to enhance the chances in his favour,
and to transfer with more ease and rapidity any moneys
from the pockets of his customers to those of his own.
Among other tricks devised by the gentleman of the
sombre appellation, that of the trumpet deserves to be
recorded.

The mechanism of the trumpet was such as at once
to announce in its originator no inconsiderable knowledge
of the philosophy of sounds. From the loft over
the gambling-room; and leading along the floor, and
downwards between the weather-boarding and ceiling,
to a point about four feet from the ground, and directly
in rear of the chair usually occupied by B., a tube of an
inch diameter was arranged. Several small holes in the
ceiling gave to a person above the opportunity of perceiving,
at a glance, the contents of the hands of those
whose backs were towards him, whilst the lowest
whisper through the tube was conducted with the
utmost distinctness to the ear of him who occupied the
chair, and yet could not be heard one foot beyond. Of
course B. required an accomplice for the successful prosecution
of the game, and with a most efficient one was
he provided, who will be introduced to the reader in his
proper place. Such was the mechanism of the trumpet,
the star invention of the age. Every thing had been

most artfully prepared, and a game was only wanting to
prove its efficiency. Happily they had not long to
await, but were soon accommodated, and in the end
received more than they had bargained for.

On a certain evening towards the close of last September,
a large crowd of sporting characters, as was
usual, had gathered at the "store," among whom was
a sturdy native of the mountain districts of the "Old
North State," over six feet in perpendicular measurement,
and of uncommon bone and sinew; he looked
any thing but his name, which by that singular license
of nomenclature that indiscriminately gives dark names
to fair people, and mechanical ones to any thing but artizans,
had allotted him the buoyant name of Cork. Faro
had been the order of the day, but on the approach of
night, Brown had bantered the hardy mountaineer, who
was said to be a brag player, for a game of poker,
which was instantly taken up.

After the usual supper hour, the two retired to the
gambling room, and locking themselves in, were soon
deep into the mysteries by pairs and flushes. The
game terminated at a late hour, considerably in favour
of Cork. The next day the game was continued, but
now, contrary to all precedents, luck was a dead letter,
and science yielded to art. Cork was beat from the
commencement. The strongest cards which fell to his
hand yielded but the bare ante, whilst no brag of his
remained uncoiled when his opponent was superior.
Suspecting some trick was being played upon him, he
racked his brains to discover the secret. The cards
were minutely examined, and every motion of his antagonist
narrowly scrutinized, but in vain; till at length

making a large brag on no pair, he observed Brown
lean back in his chair, his head resting against the wall
as though he was deliberating within himself the policy
of calling and the probability of winning. At that moment
a vague and indescribable thought flashed across
his mind.

"Fifty dollars better, you say?" observed Brown.

"There's the money, you can see for yourself."

"Well," said Brown, hesitatingly, "I call."

"No pair," said Cork.

"No pair," returned Brown.

"You beat me, I know."

"I've nothing but a single king," observed Brown.

"That beats me, but by G—d I'll find out this trick,
or die in my tracks!" vociferated Cork, at the same
time drawing forth his bowie-knife and rising from his
chair.

Satisfied within himself that he had been tricked, his
suspicions were directed over head. The first room
was narrowly searched, and then the adjoining one,
and then his attention was immediately directed to the
square aperture in the loft, which was at the time
closed with hay, as though that portion of the building
was filled with the particular commodity. Unhesitatingly
he mounted, easily removing the little hay that lay over
the hole, which was indeed only used as a blind, and
ascended to the loft. Profound darkness reigned there
above, and while groping his way to the opposite end
of the house, he stumbled against the body of some
person, who, like a sleeping man when disturbed, turned
over on his back, and went, accordingly, through all the
preliminary steps of returning consciousness.

"Who in the h—l are you, and what are you doing
here?"

"Why, it's me, Rothrock, I was up till day-break,
and stole up here to take a nap," groaned that individual,
who is too well known throughout all this neck
of woods to make a description of him at all needful.

"But what's the matter with you, Cork?"

"I've been tricked, and I am right after unravelling
it!"

By degrees, his eyes becoming accustomed to the
darkness, he perceived the tin tube which lay along the
floor, leading to the wall, and downwards. To tear
it from the floor, and trace it to its termination was the
work of but a few seconds. During this time, however,
Brown having an eye to his own individual merit
and corporeal safety, had decamped with his money
and his faro tools, and deposited them at the "store."
Soon after, Cork sallied from the house, bearing in his
arms several yards of tin pipe, which he amused himself
chopping up, to the great edification of the crowd.
Rothrock, too, emerged from his den, and arming himself
with something similar to a blunderbuss, had retired
to a room adjoining the store. Cork having made
a finish of the pipe, and his rage still unabated, looked
around him for something else whereon to vent his fury.
Recollecting Rothrock, and satisfied he was B.'s accomplice,
he broke of in pursuit, and discovering that indidual,
he seized him by the throat and dashed him to
the earth, and notwithstanding the coward's reiterated
prayers for mercy, kicked and cuffed him to his heart's
content.

Brown reappeared in the scene armed cap-à-pie, and

murder might have ensued had not some person interposed,
and proposed that each party should abide the
decision of three umpires. The proposition was acceded
to, and three individuals selected, who, upon
consultation, decided that the affair should terminate in
Brown's refunding to Cork an amount sufficient to
place him as he stood at the beginning of the game.

Brown, being glad to get off without bones being
broken, came to the conclusion that it would be wise to
emigrate, and went off at strides of about nine and a
half feet to the lay down and picked it up like rats
fighting, and has not been heard of since.