Kid Barlow's Ace in the Hole (Book) http://www.Writing.Com/main/books.php/item_id/1757574-Kid-Barlows-Ace-in-the-Hole Birds twittered in the oak trees as bees flew from dandelion to dandelion gathering pollen. It shore is one beautiful day, Jess thought as he shoved his hat to one side. Sweat plastered strings of dirty, brown hair against his wide forehead. Grinning at his son he pulled a ragged, red bandanna from the hip pocket of this threadbare jeans, and ...[Read Full Post] Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:50:18 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/719314 Henry Roberts groused about finding good help for his livery stable as he and Jess played poker at the Tumbleweed. "That Calhoun boy doesn't come in half the time and the other half I find him out smoking behind the stable." "Hire Kid," Jess suggested. "He's dependable and reliable." The sixteen-year-old started wor...[Read Full Post] Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:52:08 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/719315 Four years later, Kid's bankroll equaled $136 dollars. He felt like a rich man. I think I gotta have me a horse if me and Pa ever gonna make it over to Memphis for the Big One. Maybe the boss man can help me out. Just as Kid started to hunt up the boss, a man dressed all in black entered the stable on a beautiful black gelding. Red road...[Read Full Post] Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:03:37 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/719317 "You ain't got no reason, Kid, sittin' on that bed of yours lookin' all red-eyed." "But we just buried Pa a few days ago. Can't you never let up none?" "Let up none? Who you thinks let's up on me?" "Nobody bothers you, Ma. They all keep a wide distance between you and them. You got any friends,...[Read Full Post] Wed, 06 Apr 2011 10:28:36 EDT http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/719318 Time passed. Days, weeks, months just settled one on top of another. Kid imagined himself a boulder balanced on top of a mountain. He needed a good swift kick to get himself going. Between Ma's fiery abusive temper tantrums and work, Kid helplessness and despair increased daily. A year and a half after Pa's death, Kid arrived at work to di...[Read Full Post] Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:08:16 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/719319 Kid crept into Memphis at three p.m. the day before Winner Take All Poker Tournament started. Skirting the town he rode down to the riverbank, to get his bearings. The mighty Mississippi River, a magnificent queen among rivers, sported small island that broke the flow of the muddy water rolling toward the gulf. Kid sucked in a great breath filled with ...[Read Full Post] Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:09:09 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/719320 The next morning Kid beat the sun up. He tip-toed down to the basement to the bathing barrel area of boarding house. The basement seemed small, but had four wooden half-barrels for bathing. Each had a clean towel and wash cloth draped over the rim. A back brush hung on a nail in each barrel. A glass dish held a large bar of homemade lye soap. ...[Read Full Post] Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:10:19 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/719321 Two players remained late in the evening on the fifth and last day of play. Kid Barlow prepared to duke it out for the fifty thousand dollar prize. During a scheduled break in the tournament play, Jerry Hall, Chairman of the Tournament Committee removed the money from a rusted iron box. He riffled through the stacks of currency as cheering on-looker...[Read Full Post] Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:11:40 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/719322 Kid didn't appear the sharpest sticker on the tumbleweed, but he for shore knew trouble when he saw it. And, he saw no happy ending a the moment. No doubt they's planning to return my dead body, collect the reward, and make off with my new fortune. He began to ponder various plans of escape as he lay hog-tied on the bedroll. He knew ...[Read Full Post] Mon, 07 Mar 2011 14:12:51 EST http://www.Writing.Com/main/books/entry_id/719323