Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-10-25

deliberately drew from an inside vest
pocket an old greasy wallet, and taking
therefrom ten one hundred dollar bills,
on Philadelphia bank, held them lin
his hand, ndexclaimed-
"Weli, meow, yeou feller! eff you're
determined to throw away yeour money
when you don't stand no chance a win
min, why just pull eout yeour dough-"
Dodge had meanwhile been gazing in
tently in the hat, and a person not ac-
quainted with The peculiar twinkle of his
large eyes would have sworn that he
had seen nothing else for The last five
minutes.
"Cap'n, want you to hold these 'ere
thousand dollars, and as a man of honor,
in The presence of these ere passengers,
see that fair play is one few stranger y
IL would rather have nothing to do
with the affair."" replied the Captain
"but if you wish for me TO hold the
stakes, will do so, and call upon my
passengers to sec that everything is hon
orable.''
"Well, Captain" exclaimed Strong,
in voice loud enough TO be heard by
all present, "there's thousand dollars
in current bills and gold to cover the
Yankees pile"
'.See that It's gcnewine. Captain, and
no goouging."
"All right rep lied the Captain, sand
now, gentleman, please inform me, loud
enough for all TO hear, the precise char
acter of the bet."
While Dodge's attention was thus
drawn off by the perspective fight,
Strong cut the Jack of Spades directly
through the centre with his jack knife
hid the legs and placed the head part
evenly over the head OF the Jack Of
Clubs, crossing his thumb over the cut
edge; go, to all appearances, the legs of
the Jack of Clubs belonging 10 the head
of he Jack Of Spades.
"You see that is the Jack of Spades"
said he, turning to Dodge.
els that air spot genewine?" says
Dodge, wetiing his finger and touching
the spade al the head of the Jack.
"You find il so, don't you!" pressing
il close with his thumb TO prevent its
moving.
well, that air chap there, what's got
red whiskers and big watch. chain, and
my own self, what don't want to hev it
called bettin, puts ~ in yeour hand, one
aousand dollars each, and if that air
xeerd in that air hat, with that air knife
abbed through it, is the jack of Spades,
he hull two thousand dollars is mine, but
{ that air keerd, in that air hat, with
hat air knife jabbed through it, is the
Tack of Clubs, then the lew thousand
iollars Is his 'n--ain't that right, ycou
eller?"
"That is perfectly right, gentlemen"
'eplied Strong, drawing his hand across
lis mouth, to hide laugh, and edging
around sideways, for he could hardly
Keep in. "Yes, Captain, the Yankees
statement is correct"
The idea of verdant nutmeg Yam
tee putting up thousand dollars on the
game Of "Changing Jack"
vas SO extremely ludicrous, that the
'rowd could, only by the greatest exer-
ion, refrain from yelling.
Strong and Brown very slyly perfor-
ned a few mysterious gyralions with
he fingers, such as initiating the cut
ing o: the throat, rope round the neck,
nd dive into the river, three very com
ncn ways of committing suicide, and /
90 often adopted by your adventurers
rom the North and East, who blindiy |
take all after falling into the hands of
hese Western river chaps.
Smiling at the earnestness and UNI
ounded confidence of the heariless cut
hroats, whose slightest movement had
ot escaped his eagle eye, Dodge merely
emarked-"Let them laff that wins;
here's tew sides to all jokes; tew sides
0 this keerd, and tew sides lew all OF
.eour mouths tew laff eout of, so here
he comes"
Drawing out the knife and turning
yer the card, TO the astonishmem of the
ntire crowd, it was the Jack of Spades!
As the Captain passed the money over
> Dodge, the lower jaws of the disap-
ointed sharpers fell about feet, and al.
lost simultaneously exclaimed
"Jewed!''
"Yankce'd"
"Bit!'