“Ye’ll not shoot,” he said. “Ye’ve kilt wan man in Brownsville already, an’ that’s enough. We foight different here. Av ye feel yerself aggrieved, Oi’ll front ye, man to man, but there’ll be no gun in yer hand. Sure I saw yez passin’ signals to yer pal, so I’m thinkin’ ye’ll play no more poker here, ayther.” The hubbub was indescribable, but when it became possible to distinguish voices it appeared that popular sentiment was on Stumpy’s side. Wharton and Cutler refused to fight with nature’s weapons, and, since they were not allowed possession of their pistols again, they retired in as good order as possible to the landing-place, where another boat was just coming in. After they had gone up the river together, Stumpy said confidentially to his dog Peter: “Sure, I saw nothin’ out o’ way, Peter, but ye’ll not mention that same. Thim gamblers is pizen, an’ the quickest way o’ gettin’ rid o’ thim was the best.” And Peter barked loudly and wagged the remains of his tail. XI THE NEW POKER RULE MADE IN ARKANSAS It seemed a pity, after peace had prevailed so long in Brownsville, to have Long Mike and Gallagher at odds again. The big man had made no attempt for fully a year and a half to kill his foreman, and men had thought the feud was past, yet once again the smaller man was now seeking safety while Long Mike raged like a lion in his quest for his old-time foe. “Sure I do be thinkin’ we’ll niver have peace in th’ place widout a firsht-class killin’. ’Tis th’ only thing as’ll shtill th’ atmoshphere,” said Stumpy. It had broken out over a game of poker, but no man knew whether the smouldering embers of hatred had blazed up at a chance word, or whether some fresh spark had been kindled by the friction of the game. Jim Titherton had been greatly astonished. Titherton was a gentleman of more or less elegant leisure, who spent much of his time travelling up and down the Mississippi River, stopping frequently at the smaller towns where the boats landed, but very seldom at any of the cities. Ashore he was never known to busy himself in any recognized commercial pursuit, but he was always ready and willing to play a game of cards with anybody who was properly qualified to play. He had been in Brownsville for two days, and had already begun to look for the arrival of the next boat, finding that Brownsville was not overanxious to play cards with strangers, when somewhat to his surprise Long Mike invited him to play. Of itself, this was a fact requiring explanation, but the further fact that Long Mike had started in made it unnecessary to seek any explanation for anything he might do. There was only one thing certain about Long Mike’s actions once he started in, and that was that he would do whatever would naturally be least expected.