STAND PAT [Illustration: "THERE WAS NO NEED, HOWEVER, OF ANOTHER SHOT.” (_See page 36._)] Stand Pat Or Poker Stories from the Mississippi By David A. Curtis Illustrated by Henry Roth [Illustration] Boston L. C. PAGE & COMPANY Mdccccvi _Copyright, 1900, 1901, 1902_ BY THE SUN PRINTING AND PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION _Copyright, 1906_ BY L. C. PAGE & COMPANY (INCORPORATED) _All rights reserved_ First Impression, May, 1906 Colonial Press Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co. Boston, U. S. A. PREFACE The things that I saw, that seemed worthy of note, I have set down without prejudice to the little town of Brownsville, which has grown since I was there. Let no citizen of the place pursue me vindictively because I found him less interesting than Stumpy. And let no one’s civic pride suffer because I noted in the town only what seemed to me picturesque. I have no quarrel with Brownsville. I got away from there. What I saw while there seems worth the telling. Much of it I have told in the _Sunday Sun_. That, and more will be found in this book. DAVID A. CURTIS. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. A NEW POKER DECK 1 II. THREE KINGS 11 III. FINISH OF THE ONE-EYED MAN 23 IV. LOOKING FOR GALLAGHER 37 V. STUMPY’S DILEMMA 53 VI. GALLAGHER’S RETURN 67 VII. GALLAGHER STRIPPED 80 VIII. A TRIAL OF SKILL 93 IX. A SOCIAL CALL 103 X. STUMPY VIOLATES ETIQUETTE 115 XI. THE NEW POKER RULE MADE IN ARKANSAS 128 XII. A STRANGER AND FOND OF POKER 143 XIII. ON HAND JUST ONCE 155 XIV. IT WAS A GREAT DEAL 168 XV. HE SAT IN WITH A V 183 XVI. HIS QUEER SYSTEM 198 XVII. AN EXTRA ACE 213