Arizona Round-Up — page 18: what you’re looking at

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

16 WILLIAM HOPSON suspected of some mugginps and night robberies, along with the first holdup of the stage we’ve had since the strike started this boom. You'll see him around town if you stay with us for a while. I won't ask if you are or what you are. That’s your busi- ness and none of mine. But if I’ve pegged you wrong as a law- man looking for somebody, then I pegged you right as a man who knows his way around a gambling room. It means a job here any time you want it. I need good men.” “Doing what?” “If you can cut the buck, choose your own. House dealer, bouncer, lookout man for the faro layout, floor walker. That's if I pegged you right. But what I need most is a gambler. I want a man who can play them crooked or straight, who can trim them as they come according to how they play. You see, Burnett, we've got a very peculiar set-up here in Mule Gulch. Ever hear of Lily Owens?” Tex nodded and then shook his head at the offer of another drink from the brandy bottle. Pearson didn’t take another either. “Met a freighter who corrals in your lot out back,” Tex said briefly. “Jed Haraway. He mentioned her and the Pheasant, along with a warning not to go there. Don't know why.” “I do. He didn’t want to see you get cleaned, I guess. Lily’s one of the finest women in the world, but she’s determined to get to the top by nearly any means possible. She wants money and more money. Part of the system of getting it is having .a bunch of crooked tinhorn gamblers to fleece these miners and vive her a cut for letting them use the Pheasant as a field of operations. Men like Ace and Three-Finger.” Tex looked at him steadily, his cobalt eyes unwatering. “I notice, he said evenly, “that theyre using your place for the same purpose. Pearson nodded, shifting a booted foot on the brass rail. From the other end of the long gambling room came the click of chips, the low murmur of men intent on their games, punctuated by sudden bursts of laughter and now and then an oath. Tex reached for tobacco and rolled a cigarette. Pearson said, “I know. That's why I've been talking with you. You might be able to help me do something about it. So far I can’t. Deacon Sellers is running the show up at the Pheasant, comicbooks.com