by J. T. Edson
[20] ‘Table stakes’. A rule by which a participant in a game of poker is restricted to staking whatever money is carried on the person. This precludes sending out for added funds and attempting to borrow from other players, or the onlookers, a common cause of dissent when the rule is not enforced.
[21] For the benefit of readers unfamiliar with that country, all bills of lower denominations of United States’ currency are the same size and color.
[22] ‘Natural’; used in this context, a score of twenty-one made by adding the value of only two cards, with kings, queens and jacks counting ten and aces eleven. Even at the period of this narrative, the game of vingt-un—frequently corrupted to ‘vanjohn’ by Americans and known as ‘pontoon’ in the British Commonwealth—was becoming referred to as ‘black jack’, or the translation from French, ‘twenty-one’ in the United States. More detailed information regarding the playing of the game is recorded in: THE WHIP AND THE WAR LANCE. Incidentally, Sergeant Seamus Patrick ‘Paddy’ Magoon, q.v., makes a ‘guest’ appearance in the above mentioned volume.
[23] This axiom was quoted at length by Captain Dustine Edward Marsden ‘Dusty’ Fog, q.v., to Marvin Eldridge ‘Doc’ Leroy and Jason ‘Rusty’ Willis while instructing them in their duties on the first occasion they served as peace officers: see, QUIET TOWN.
[24] As we describe in: Part Eleven, the Rockabye County series, ‘Preventive Law Enforcement’, J.T.’S HUNDREDTH, modern peace officers indulge in such practice when changing from carrying a handgun in a shoulder holster to a rig on the waist belt or vice versa.
[25] An example of how dangerous a failure to take such a precaution could prove is recorded in: THE FAST GUN.
[26] Although an honest leather dice cup has ridges, or is roughened, on the inside, the interior of a ‘slick’ cup is completely smooth. When using the device and loaded dice, the cheat moves it in a rotary action and not by shaking it as is done in fair play. Therefore, instead of being rattled at random inside the cup, the dice pass around it until centrifugal force causes the numbers for which they are loaded to be uppermost. The dice are then sent from the cup in a sliding motion rather than by being tipped out to fall indiscriminately.
[27] Neither the source from which we originally worked, nor the more extensive information supplied by Andrew Mark ‘Big Andy’ Counter, offer any suggestion of why Charlotte Canary elected to be known only as ‘Madam Bulldog’.
[28] Information regarding some of the activities of the Wedge crew—who acted as contract trail hands for ranchers with too small a number of stock, to make up and deliver a herd of their own to the Kansas shipping pens—can be found in: QUIET TOWN, TRIGGER FAST, GUN WIZARD and THE RIO HONDO KID.
[29] How the ambition to qualify as a Doctor of Medicine was achieved and the connection between Marvin Eldridge ‘Doc’ Leroy and Hayden Lindrick, is described in: DOC LEROY, M.D.
[30] The suggestion was acted upon, as we point out in: CUT ONE, THEY ALL BLEED.
[31] ‘To boot’: a term, used originally by horse and other traders dealing mainly in barter, for something given over and above the price agreed upon in a transaction.
[32] Information regarding some of the career of ‘Russian Olga’ Petrosky came be found in: QUIET TOWN and TROUBLE TRAIL.
[33] On hearing of the means intended to ensure victory for Wanda Higgins, Town Marshal Tune Collier had stated his intention of arresting her and the men responsible. Asked to refrain by Madam Bulldog, he had contented himself with ordering the red head and Leo Wallace to stay out of his bailiwick. Although he was unable to include Moses Stern in his ban, the other two obeyed his instructions. As we explain in; CUT ONE, THEY ALL BLEED, Wanda tried other means to dislodge Madam. She was unsuccessful and, following the events recorded in the sequel to this volume, gave up her hopes of doing so and left Garnett and Sand County forever.
