Arizona Round-Up — page 17: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ARIZONA ROUNDUP 15 Texs hand and said, “Ed, throw that stuff out of Mr. Burnett’s glass and get him something decent. Have one with me, Burnett. What would you like?” “Brandy.” _ “Ah! Here’s a man after my own heart. Ed, get my brandy bottle. And from now on when Mr. Bumett buys in here sell it out of my private stock. I don’t drink much, Tex. They say a man cant sell this stuff and drink it too. I subscribe to that belief. Also, it holds good on the gambling. I never buck my or any other place’s games.” Tex smiled and picked up the small brandy glass. He lifted it in a salute. “That’s using plenty of sense, Pearson. Many a man has died a pauper because he couldn’t keep away from the whiskey back of his own bar. Likewise cards.” They drank and Pearson said, “So you know Tommy Ace-in- the-Hole?” “I saw him years ago. Likewise Three-Finger Charley, who hasn't noticed me yet. The man with one finger and a thumb gone. Pearson turned for a look at Charley. The gambler was raking in a pot from a miner who was pretty drunk. He lifted his eyes, and Tex saw him stiffen. Then Charley cashed in his chips, rose and, like the other tinhorn, hurriedly left by the back door. Pearson had tummed back and was looking at Tex queerly. “So you knew him?” he asked softly. | “I shot that thumb and index finger off,” Tex Burnett answered slowly. “Fifteen or sixteen years ago.” “Poker?” “Stud,” Tex nodded. “He’s probably learned to use his left thumb to mark ’em with a nail or by ruffling the edge of a card. Likewise switch his sleeve gun.” “I had you pegged, all right!” Harlan Pearson replied, and rubbed at the side of his nose reflectively. “Thought at first you might be a lawman in here looking for somebody on the dodge. Somebody like Bud Bailey and his men.” “Bailey?” The Pound’s owner shrugged and then laughed again. “That could be a lawman fishing for information, that one word. If it is, you probably already know that Bud and his four men are comicbooks.com