“‘Mericans aint none too pop’lar with the greasers nohow, ’cept with their women folks, an’ them fellers up thar was jes’ bilin’, when they seed us come inter ther ole fandango. When we got ter cuttin’ ’em out with their black eyed senoritas, they was ugly enough ter slit our throats, en it was jest our blind luck that fin’ly kep’ ’em from doin’ it. “Jim don’t often drink enny licker, but he was a feelin’ purty good that night, an’ jest spilin’ fer a row with the d--d greasers. Things was goin’ too slow fer him, so he takes a piece er chalk, goes out inter the middle of the hall an’ draws a great big ’Merican eagle on the floor. Then he pulled his gun an’ called for some d--d greaser ter step on the bird! We seed he was in for it, an’ gathered ’round him ready fer the music ter begin. Each side was waitin’ fer t’other ter open the ball, when the feller what run the hall blowed the lights out. We grabbed Jim an’ hustled him out, an’ made him take leg bail ’long with the rest uv us. He wanted ter go back, but we wouldn’t hev it--the game was jest a little too stiff fer us, y’u bet! Oh, yes, Poker Jim is dead game, all right. “An’ now, Doc, I’m goin’ ter tell ye suthin’ on the dead quiet. Jim’s got a wife an’ child down in Frisco. He married a little Spanish gal about two years ago, an’ she was a bute, I kin tell ye! They’ve got a little baby a year ole, an’ Jim’s the proudes’ feller y’u ever seed. Ez soon ez that Frisco scrape is through with, he’s goin’ ter send fer his family, an’ I’m goin’ ter quit my cabin an’ let Jim an’ his folks hev it. My place is kinder outer the way an’ private like, an’ that’ll jest suit Jim.” “Well, Toppy,” I said, “I am more interested in your friend than ever, and I hope that you may soon consummate your plans to domicile him and his family among us.” Day was now breaking, and the voice of the devout Dave Smuggins could be heard ringing through the halls and vibrating the very roof of the hotel, as he hoarsely shouted his pious appeal to the slumbering boarders. Toppy accompanied me to the hotel bar and joined me in an “eye-opener,” after which he bade me good morning and returned home, while I prepared to do full justice to Keyse’s immortal flapjacks. * * * * * As Toppy had planned, Poker Jim subsequently became a citizen of Jacksonville. Advices from San Francisco showed the excitement caused by the duel to be practically over after a few weeks, and, his wound having healed, my patient quietly installed himself among the sporting element of our population, resuming the occupation that had earned for him the sobriquet of “Poker Jim.”