Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1850-11-22
frnm Nu,h's Week! Ituv--
TILE GAMBLER.S DNEL.

tr1u Nuihr NV'hll lWHrs
THE GAMBLERS DUEL.
one evening Of the i,ll uf June. IS95, the
steamboat 4" Rob Roy" started from St. Louis
to New Orlcau. with a fIll crowd of p1sscn-
gcr Immediately after getting under good
bcldvay," io aloy, q h,u,ir baekr GODS
phrase, one person attracted universal a''cn-
toa ~ the annoying clgcuc.s with which he
cndcl,oicd ro make mp party az cards. In
deed biz n repeated and pers"yrring efforts
In that end. became insulting aud unrndurs-
bic: AMI vet hs appearance Was such as ia
deter the braves, on bolrlfron administering
. the chasliscmcri -hcl BE- .o richly deserved.
I IIr was a huge mass OF mighty bone, and
muscles. with swauhy lrliurrs bearing the
impress of many q -,r; piercing black eve,
llat secured Q, possess ile power vt Blasting
, rhr h,hrldsr-coll, cleaning cyss, sarh rs
hauu, lIr memory painfully; uus luNw1.
auce culblark hair. immcu- wh.shrr and
muus'lchr. The savage luoLur dgurr vas
hlhtu,,rI boo dee cD.lIIcst clnlhngani adorn-
"a with q pTurasiou NJ lcwrIy, while iho out
lincof several muricrous weapons were pl.u-
rs dr-urrut.hahlc beneath hi. uaudy vest and
~ayrrdne coat. Nor did hr need these 10
make h,m an ohcg ofteror \ cOnnossrurc
boo the ,,irucc ol gymnastics Would have con-
adcrll, punouncrd hm a match lOr any five
mru ou the deck v,iLou, auy a,d from lead
ar steel
+ At l,nrth. after many lI.uus. hr prevailed
900 70 wealthy yuunc nrrctaat oi Nlichrz "a
tuiu hlm iH , game ofpol,r. They 50 down
. b., snail table near the blr, and was -oon in
lhc mot prrilou, ryrllcmru',, of which doe
two 1li4uug lnsrsd,.ul. arc vanity anl pride
loot udn iJual sklll aud thc uncertainty of gene
.rr.I haurI. At 6r.t ihc stakes were snail,
4nI ,lr suu ut tlt carIs ,y.ncd wholly In ia.
yn. ul ,hr mrrch,ut. bat presently they bo'
mote n,rly and geld eagle, and hundred Dol.
llr notes were shuvcrcd duvr ou the bOaui
with cNnaglul arLur and thea the current
of fortune chanacl--rbb,d away from the
Young merchant and how yJ ls the profession.
a gambler. y u,uailS happens 100 such ga.
-.,, ht, want of success only plGucd and mad
lened the loser, who sought tu recover hm'
a.i o., ,.u'auuI .ur.l Jsrculr ventures ~
could uu, De-, deepen aud confirm hi- ruin
and ikr, its,cu1uauad d,urI thr' hong sum
mer nifli. Tn lu'tns.iyol their excitement
h.clmr equivalent io insanity Every nerve
M. slruug--g,rry ousrgy ot thc brain wa
taxed iu ihc utmo,t-lcrll, were scl hard a'
those OF antagonist, lp the tug of mortal strife
-h, sweat rolled from their brovs Ike great
drop, Vt rain.
The passengers formed a circle around thc
PLAYERS. and looked on With that Inicrc',whch
such extraordinary couccn'ration Of intellect
aud passion never fails to luPITe even IA bos.
ON, that shudlcr NJ lts success. The mcr.
chaui lnd gambler attracted all eyes, and kept
many awake and gazing rll morning Among
the latter was ong presenting a counienancc
~ pl,cous thl, it might have melted hearts OF
marble To tear, \ pale and cNqui'.,'ly
beautiful face pccpcd necessarily irum the halt
opened door of 'hc ladies cabin, wrePinr al
the while, ~ 4 oppressed by some dreadful
sensation Of irrcnedablc sorrow v as'h'
merchants wife weeping her farewell To de-
parted hope
There WI, one spectator also, whose ap
pearancc ,nd ar,ion excited a. much curosI
~ As the playcrs lid themselves lie was
,au. .parc man If about thirty, with hand
.or, features. golden hair, keen blue eyes o
prelema,ual brightness, and his firm thin lIr'
were pcrl,ctual smle Of the most in'cruia
Ibo ne,mug. With the exception OF hIs re-
calico shirt. this person was dressed who'll!
IN .uckskm. omameuted with long doUlnl
,g,se,,. and Wild figures wrought ont Of rari
COATED bead,. after the fashion OF some west
o., Indians. He stool close beside the card
table. and held IN his lett hand sheet OF pa
rer. in his right hand large pencil viii
which e,rn and amos he dashed of a lev
words. as If engaged in tracing the progres
OF the game.
Sill the norchan, aud the gambler per
severed in their physical and mental toll
The dial Of the stars, with It's thousand TN
GER Of golden fire, pointed TO the world shad
= ows Of midnight but still they did no, pause
|, was "shuillo and cut, and cut, and pass
: ante up, and call you, and rake down u
pile Towards the morning iremenoou
storm arose. The rsd lightning hashea a"
fully-,hc hail pored like frozen ea''',''-
the grea, river roared I'LL It rvaiieo 'ne '0u'
es, thunder Of heaven and the very Plo'
IN. wheel wa. alarmed. Rot the mad PLAY