Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-11-21

your hand, into the Jack of Clubs, and that YOU
can't tell by the sense of feeling, when the
Spade takes its departure y
Look here, old flax head. exclaimed
Brown, another of the confederates, swelling
out his large form to its fullest dimensions, and
bristling up to Dodge as if for a fight Look
here, Mr.. Pilgarlic, you are interfering in
other peoples business. have set to that
mans pile myself, and don't 'twant you to inter-
fere.'
i ak your pardon, if | intrude,' says Dodge.
very well; you may bet jest once, says
Brown, looking at Dodge very closely, 'for
see you are not sporting man. You may bet
once, if you wish; mind, only once as it's my
game but hereafter as a general thing, you
had better not interfere with strangers
games for you might get into muss.'
Wal, yeas, it pears to be-so now go on
with the sho,c, for want to make some money
alfred bad says Dodge, taking hold with
both hands of what appeared to be the leg of
the Jack of Spades.
Very well, then, says Strong, turning the
pack over-'now pull the card, and keep it
bottom side upward
Doge pulled the apparent Jack of Spades
out on the table, holding his left hand over it,
while with the right he took off his bell crown
ed hat, and sweeping the card off between the
palms of both hands, had the appearance of
placing the drawn card into the top of the old
beaver, but, in fact, openly into the folds of the
old bandanna, upon which he placed his doubled
fist, remarking at the time
BY ginger! eff yeou kin git that air Jack of
Spades eout of that air hat by way of yeour
Latin, | hope may be stuffed to death with
billed unyuns'
While the party were in the highest state Of
frolic and excitement over the verdancy of the
victim, Dodge took from his pocket a jack
knife, and opening it with his teeth held it
over his hat, and taking out the bandanna,
which held the card he had drawn from the
pack he jabbed the knife clear through the 9TH
er card and hat, clear into the table, exclaim-
ing
Dang my buttons, eff keer for the hat
Ill lab her anyhow! cause, ii make hull
lot of money kin buy new hat, can't II
While Dodge was holding on to the knife,
and looking as if he expected every minute
that the hat would take wings, the trio could
hardly keep in, but it was too good to spoil, so
they only winked to one another, as much as
to say-'A sure thing of it Got him on the
dead What an excellent thing to tell
The crowd smoking something extraordinari-
ly rich, gathered around the party, and revealed
by their anxious faces, that every one aboard,
had now become deeply interested in the result
of the professional skinning.
Now, then,' says Strong, looking the vic
tim sharply in the eyes, and holding up his
right arm, while he repeated in slow and meas
public execution-'now then, my friend pre-
pare for the miracle s.
"Now look out Cor thing that's strange
Hocus-pocus-presto,c change
III be ker-walloped to death with cabbages
old fellow, if that keerd is changed anyhow y
'Ill go thousand dollars that it d,dr says
Strong-'and that the card that your knife is
now sticking through is the Jack of Clubs
wal, coined out West here to buy con-
siderable of a farm, and eff can make thous-
and dollars in one pile, | spose | mout as well
dew it; but mind, meow, don't call it bettln.
ere thousand dollars for a beneverlent purpose,
but fa-ather used tu say, 'in for pence, in for
a pound'-so here goes
Suiting the action to his words, Dodge de-
iberately drew from an inside vest pocket, an
old greasy wallet, and taking therofrom ten one
hundred dollar bills on Philadelphia bank,
held them in his hand, and exclaimed
well, now, yew feller eff yeou're deter
mined TO throw away your money where yeon
don't stand no chance winnin,' why jest pull
out your dough!'
Dodge had meanwhile been gazing intently
in the hat, and a person not acquainted 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 yeou to hold these ere thous-
and dollars, and as man of honor, in the pres
ence of these ere strangers, see that fair play
is did to stranger
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 see that everything is
honorable.
'We1l captain, exclaimed Strong, in voice
loud enough to be heard by all present, there s
thousand dollars in current bills, and gold
enough to cover the Yankees pile
See that it is genewine, captain, and no
geouging.'
All right replied the captain, 'and now,
gentlemen please inform me, loud enough for
all to hear, the precise character of the bet.'
While Dodge's attention had been drawn of
by the prospective fight, Strong cut the Jack
of Spades directly through the centre, with his
jack-knife-hid the legs and placed the head of
the Jack of Clubs, crossing his thumb over the
cut edge, so as to make it appear that the legs
of the Jack of Clubs belonged to the head Of