Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1850-11-02

mined to throw away yeour money where
4 yeou don't stand no chance winnin,' Jest pull
eout yeour dough'
Dodge had meanwhile been gazing intently
in the hat, and person not acquainted Will
the peculiar twinkle of his large eyes, would
have sworn that he had seen nothing else fol
the last FIVE minutes. He then addressed the
captain ofthe boat:
i 'Cap'n, want you to hold these 'ere thou
sand dollars, and as man Of honor, in the
/ presence Of these ere passengers, see that fair
play is did to a stranger
I would rather have nothing to do with the
affair." replied the captain-'but if YOU wish
! for me to hold the stakes l will do SO, and
call upon my passengers to see that every
thing is honorable
Well captain, exclaimed the playing cap
tain, 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 genewine, captain, and no
geouging, said Dodge.
"All right replied the captain, 'and now,
gentlemen, please inform me, loud enough for
all to hear, the precise character of the bet"
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 up in yeour hand, one thousand dollars
each, and eff that ere keerd in that air hat,
with that air knife Jabbed through it, is the
Jack of spades, the hull two thousand dollars
IS mine, but if that air keerd, in that air hat.
with that air knife jabbed through it, is the
Jack of clubs, then the tew thousand dollars
as his'n-aint that right, yeou fellow ?,
That is perfectly right, gentlemen . replied
the playing captain, drawing his hand across
his mouth to hide laugh, and edging around
for he could hardly keep in. yes,
captain, the Yankees statement is correct"
The idea of yerdant utmeg yankee put
ing up q thousand dollars on the cut throat
game of changing jack" was so extremely /
when added to the fact, that it was
all done as an act of benevolence to give the I
money in charity, that the crowd could only I
by the greatest exertion, refrain from yelling |
The captain of the boat, who, of course, ex- [
pressed firm belief that the yankee must, +
beyond doubt, get the entire two thousand /
dollars, here winked to the clerk of the bar,
and smacked his lips with hilarity, as much as
TO say-Juleps for the crowd at my expense,
n few minutes, my boy
Two of the playing captains very slyly per-
ormed few mysterious gyrations with the
myers, such as initiating the cutting of the
throat, rope around the neck, and dive into
he river, three very common ways of COM
hitting suicide, and too often adopted by
Foung adventurers from the north an east,
Who blindly stake their all after falling into the
lands of these Western river chaps Smiling
It the earnestness and unbounded confidence
# the heartless cut-throats, whose slightest
had not escaped his eagle eve,
Dodge merely remarkable them laff that
Vins there's tew sides to all jokes; tew sides
o this keerd, and tew sides tew all of yeour
mouths tew laff eout OF, so here she comes Il
Drawing out the knife ank turning over the
ard, to the astonishment of the entire crowd,
was the Jack of spades! As the captain
assed the money over to Dodge, the lower /
avs of the disappointed sharpers fell about
eet and almost simultaneously exclaimed-sAl :
ankee trick, by Jupiter' ;
The crowd, who were bound to have a good 6
me any way, and more especially now that :
he joke was so much richer than was expect :
d. were in a collapsed state-they yelled, T
heered, and shouted until the cabin fairly
hook again. The boat soon after landing :
gain for wood, at a small yard on the banks J
the river, the trio of sharp captains took :
leir departure for up river settlements, think e
lg undoubtedly, that there would be sud .
en- rise on the river soon; and as the boat
oWly moved away from her moorings they h
asst glance on her hurricane deck, where ;.
ood the comical Dodge, giving limitations of !,
cut across the throat rope around the neck, q
nd dive into the river. Should any Yam :
ee ever ask either of the trio to relate that =
lrilling %story that'H do to tell,'' he will be =
lalked free of charge the whole length of the o
yer. j