The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-06-06

! the two aiiuTlng ingredients are the vanity
and pride of individual skill, and the un-
| certainty ofgeneral hazard. At first the
stakes were small, and run OF cards SEEM
| ed wholly in favor of the merchant; but
presently they oct more freely, and the
gold eagles and hundred dollar notes were
showered down on the board with extrav-
agant ardor; and then the current of for
tune changed-ebbeda away from the young
merchant aud flowed 10 the professional
gambler in stream like the oceans tide.
As usually happens in such cases, his
want of success only piqued ana madden
! ed the the loser, and he sought to recover
himself by venturing such desperate ven
lures as could not but deepen and confirm
his ruin. And..thus they continued during
that long summer night. The intensity of
their excitement became equivalent 10 in
sanity. Every nerve was strung, every
energy Of the brain was taxed TO the ut
most, their teeth were set as hard as those
+ of antagonists IN the tug of mortal strife,
the sweat rolled from their brows like
great drops of rain.
The passengers formed circle around
! the players, and looked with that interest
which such extraordinary concentration of
intellect and passion never fails TO inspire
even in bosoms that shudder at its excess.
The merchant and the gambler attracted
all eyes, and kept many awake aud gazing
till morning. Among the latter was one
presenting countenance SO piteols thatlt
might have melted hearts of marble TO
tears. A pale and exquisteIy beautiful
face peeped necessarily from the half-open-
ed door of the ladies' cabin, weeping all
the time as if oppressed by some dreadful
sensation of immediate sorrow. 1t was
the merchants lovely wife weeping her
farewell to departing nope!
There was one spectator also, whose
appearance and actions excited almost as
much curiosity as the players did Them
selves. He was tall, spare man o. about
thirty. with handsome features, golden
hair, keen blue eyes of preternatural
brightness. and his firm, thin lips wore
perpetual smile-a mysterious smile of the
strangest, the most inscrutable meaning
/ With the exception of his red calico shirt,
| this person was dressed wholly in buck
/ skin, ornamented with long swaling tassels
and wild figures wrought out of varIegated
| beads, after the fashion of some western
| Indians. IL stood close beside the card
! table, and held in his left hand sheet of
paper, in his right large pencil, with
! which ever and anon he dashed off few
words as if engaged in tracing the progress
Of the game.
| Sill the merchant and gambler perse-
vered in their physical and mental toll.
! The dial of the stars, with its thousand
finger of golden fire. pointed to the world
I ,f Ipiu hr,f still al II
not pause. 1t still was sshuffle and cut,
& pass ante up, and call you, and rake
down the pile Towards the morning a
tremendous storm arose. The red-light
ming flashed awfuly-the hail poured like
a frozen cataract-the great river roared
till it rivalled the loudest thunders of hea-
ven; and the very pilot at the wheel was
alarmed But the mad players, heard il
not. What was the tumult of the raging
elements to them whose destiny hung up
on the turning Of card? And the smiling
blue-eved stranger in buck skin still stood
bv them with his pencil and paper. calm
ly noticing the developments of the game.
Finally the storm passed. as the beautl-
ful ay-break came out like thing oi
glory in the great grey east. Then the
infatuated merchant, distracted with his
heavy losses, dared the climax of folly.
He staked FIVE thousand dollars, comprl-
sing his last cent of money III the world
on '.two pairs of kings" The whiskered
gambler ..caled" him; they showed
hands: the blackleg had 1.-TWO pairs o
aces and .sraked the board" The mer-
chant dropped to the floor as if he had
been shot through the brain, and thai
beautiful young wife flew to his side and
fell shriekiDg upon his bosom. They
were both borne away insensble to the
ladies' cabin.
As he deposited the winnings in his
pocket, the gambler emitted a hoarse
laugh that sounded frightful as the chuckle
of fiend; but he instantly lost color as a
low, calm voice remarked in his ear
william, you play strong hand at
MANY different games, but here stands one
who can beat you at all of tbeml''
He turned, met the glance of those
keen blue eyes so preternatuially bright,
and shuddered. But he Immediately re.
gained his presence of mind-for he was
no coward-and then he frowned till his
shaggy brows met like the coil of SER
pent. and demanded sIernly-
"Beggar, who are you to banter gen,
tleman thus rudely?"
81 am James Bowie, of Texas" the
other answered with ringing laugh; land