This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1920 edition. Excerpt: ... raise of two hundred, and as the other covered it he quietly shoved a pistol into his face and observed: "I am calling the hand that is in your hat!" Gathering in the pot with his left hand, he held the pistol with his right and inquired if any of the players had any objections to offer. They hastened to reply that they had no objections whatever and we went away from there. "Bill," I said, when we were well outside the place, "I had been noticing that fellow''s play right along, but I thought you hadn''t. I was going to get into the game myself if he beat you out of that money." "Billy," replied Hickock, "I don''t want you ever to learn it, but that is one of my favorite poker tricks. It always wins against crooked players." Not all of the gunmen of the West began straight. Some of them--many, in fact--were thieves and murderers from the beginning. Such were the members of the McCandless gang, which Hickock disposed of so thoroughly. All along the stage route were robbers and man-killers far more vicious than the Indians. Very early in my career as a frontiersman I had an encounter with a party of these from which I was extremely fortunate to escape with my life. I employed the leisure afforded me by my assignment as an extra rider in hunting excursions, in which I took a keen delight. I was returning home empty-handed from a bear hunt, when night overtook me in a lonely spot near a mountain stream. I had killed two sage-hens and built a little fire over which to broil them before my night''s rest. Suddenly I heard a horse whinny farther up the stream. Thinking instantly of Indians, I ran quickly to my own horse to prevent him from answering the call, and thus revealing my presence. Filled with uneasiness as to who and what my human...