True stories of old Houston and Houstonians: historical and personal sketches / by S. O. Young. Page: 161

HOUSTON AND HOUSTONIANS 161
Captain Faulkner and Major Waldo were having a last cigar
before retiring, when a bell boy announced that a policeman
having a tramp in tow wanted to see them for a moment. They
guessed at once who the tramp was and told the boy to bring
the policeman and his prisoner in their parlor. In came Uncle
Dan, looking as bright and happy at the prospect of release as
it would be possible for him to do. As soon as the policeman
opened his mouth to explain, Uncle Dan cut him short and addressed
Captain Faulkner himself.
"You see, Captain," he said, "this man has made a mistake
and pinched me. Tell him who I am and let him go."
"Tell him who you are?" asked the captain, looking Uncle
Dan straight in the face without batting an eye. "I never saw
you before. Take him out of here, officer, and lock him up."
Uncle Dan could scarcely believe his own ears. He was too
far gone to realize that he was being made the victim of a joke
and he concluded that either the captain or he himself had gone
stark mad.
The policeman chuckled, and grabbing Uncle Dan by the
collar, commenced dragging'him out of the room. The poor old
fellow was too surprised and indignant to say a word until he
got nearly to the door when he concluded to make a last stand
and a last appeal. Captain Faulkner waived him away and
pretended to be intensely indignant that such a looking creature
as Uncle Dan should dare to claim to be a friend of his. "Take
him out of Aere and take him in a hurry, too," he said to the
officer. "I am surprised that an officer of any intelligence
should listen to such a story as he has been telling you. Take
him away and lock him up." '
Then the captain turned his back on the officer and his prisoner
and pretended to resume his conversation with Major
Waldo. So soon as the door was, closed they fell over in convulsive
laughter, for either of them would have paid good money
for a chance to play such a trick on Uncle Dan. Half an hour
later they sent a note to the chief of police to release Uncle
Dan and tell him to come to their hotel at once. They waited
in vain for him, for he caught the next freight train out of
Austin and the next time either of them saw him was weeks
later when he showed up on Main Street in Houston. He was
so indignant thathe threatened to write both of them up in
the Age, but Captain Faulkner threatened to give a full account
of Dan's Austin experience to Dud Bryan for use in the Galveston
News and that scared Uncle Dan off.
POKER 8UPERSTITIONS.
EOPLE laugh at the negroes for being superstitious, and
|p I suppose when all the returns are in they are justified
In doing so. However, If the' most superstitious and ignorant
negro can beat the average well-educated white man
who plays poker, then I am willing to quit.
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