1446 THE LOG OF A TIMBER CRUISER 
taken us three days to make it in to Hillsboro. No 
sooner we got unpacked than Ewing hikes over to 
the saloon like he was snakebit an’ starts a-hittin’ 
her up. 
“‘T went along behine and taken a few drinks with 
him. Afterward I done what I could to git him to 
quit, but t’warn’t no use. So I went over to the 
hotel an’ et supper. 
‘‘When I come back they’ done got Ewing into 
a poker game. He was drinkin’ right smart of 
whiskey, but didn’t seem to be drunk noways bad. 
An’ he was sure playin’ cyards. 
‘““They was five in th’ game, Harry Mallory, th’ 
tin-horn, Jim Riggs and Stub Whitcomb, from over 
to th’ Bar 6 Ranch, Jasper Hudson, an’ Ewing. 
Ewing was a-workin’ ’em over proper. 
‘‘As I come in they was jest drawin’ cyards for 
a jackpot. 
‘‘Ewing looked at his hand an’ opened her for 
five dollars. He shoved in a stack of blue chips 
a cat couldn’t jump over, an’ jest then I seen a 
stranger step in kind of easy like and walk up be- 
hind Ewing’s chair, lookin’ at his hand over his 
shoulder. 
‘“‘That’s all he done, jest looked over his shoulder 
an’ stepped back a little, smilin’. But he sure give 
me the creeps. He was jest a common cowpuncher, 
anybody could see that. Only his face looked plumb 
onhealthy, kinder white an’ shiny in the lamp light. 
