The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-06-06
EBENsBURG, THURSDAY, JUNE 6. 1850
t you are John Ladtte, bastard of the old

The gambler reeled in his chair as if
he had been struck by thunderbolt, but
recovered again from the shock in mo-
ment, and asked in firm tone
"What game do you wish with me?
"Poker first. and pistols afterwards, if
you play foul" replied Bowie.
Very well,'' rejoined the other, and
they took their seats at the table.
For time their success seemed about
equally balanced, the gain and loss being
alternate. st last the gambler ventured
one of his skillful man9uvres in dealing.
Bowie smiled strangely as his quick eye
detected the trick. He said nothing. how
ever, but looked at his hand, and bet five
thousand dollars, stalking the money i'll
ten large bills. The gambler went five
thousand dollars higher, which resulted
in d 'call." Bowie held flour jacks;
but, with his habitual fendish chuckle,
claiming as he did So
by heaven, the pile is mine!'
Mot yet,' shouted Bowie, as with
both hands he raked the heap of notes TO
the tune of twenty thousand dollars into
his own pocket.
Choking and purple with rage and
shame, The gambler Toared-
.'ro the hurricane deck, and let pistols
be trumps this turnr'
Good as gold!" replied Bowie. and
the two hastily ascended the stairs and
assumed their separate Positions-the
gambler over the stern, and Bowie over
the PROV.
AT that instant the sun was just rising
in cloudless sky. Nature looked sub
lime. The woods and waters appeared
as parts of one divine picture, with the
boundess blue Of heaven for its back
ground. The broad bosomed river rolled
away like an immense sheet of FURNISHED
silver, speckled here and there with the
flash Of golden bubbles; shining fishes
gambollcd in the sparkling wake; and all
the bright bIrds-ihose sweet singers,
whose life is a dream, and that dream
only music-chaunted their wild anthem
to the new day; while the two great duel
isis, the most deadly ever known in the
southwest. stood with cooked pistols, eye
to eye, and their fingers fixed on the hair
triggers. prepared and waiting to slay and
be slain.
IL am ready. You give the word,"
cried Bowie, i'll his clear, ringing voice,
and with that inseparable smile of strange
meaning on his lips.
II am ready Firer' shouted the gam
bier, in tones murderous as death.
The two pistols roared simultaneously.
Bowie did not move though he barely es-
capped with his life, for the bullet Of his
foe had cut away one of the golden locks
OF his yellow hair. The gambler was
shot through the heart, and, dropping on
the brink of the deck, had almost tumbied
into the river. He was buried by the
| squatters at the next wood yard. And
thus perished justly a bastard son of the
great pirate Lafitte.
There never was a jury empannelled
| in the west who would have brought in a
verdict against any man for killing him,
and more especially under the circumstan-
ces, because public opinion pronounced
| that she ought TO be killed." And such
were uesperadoes that Bowie commonly
| exterminated.
The generous victor Immediately pro-
ceeded to the ladies' cabin and restored
the winnings Of the gambler to the young
merchant and his beautiful wife, who both
received the boon as gift from heaven,
with as much gratitude and JOY.
III we SnOulu write volume concern
ing the exploits of James Bowie, his char
acter could not be rendered more transpa-
rent than it is revealed in the foregoing
anecdote. He was always the same-the
friend of the feeble, the protector of the
oppressed, and the sworn enemy of ty-
rants. He was brave without fear, and
generous beyond precedent; and though
he had faults, gigantic ones, too, he atoned
for all the errors of stormy life by the
! splendor of his magnificent death. His
tomb is the Alamo, his epitaph the word
"rexas," and his fame will fill humble
though safe niche in the Temple of Free
dom through all time. He can never be
I forgotten till The bowels of the earth cease
| to furnish metal for the fabrication OF
those bright blades of steel which bear his
imperishable name.
SA Dublin paper says that school
master in Ohio adverises that he will keep
Sunday school twice a week-Tuesdays
and Saturdays.
Snooks was advised 10 get his life in
sured. Wont do it" said he; sit would
just be ny luck to live forever, if |
should"
There arc I9.5O0 practising lawyers
| in tbe United States.