Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1854-04-20
WHOLE NO. l6s.
How 10 Win.

'
If adversely furnishes us with
e strange bed fellows. curiosity gives
a US strange acquaintances sometimes
1t certainly was strange to me that ]
), should be in a gaming-house one
u night not long ago. Knowing no
body, nobody knowing me, ! looked
: about for somebody to be interested
+; in. always like to take an interest
in somebody. did that night. lie
J was sort of green-gawky-looking
chap, TO all appearance a little the
worse for liquor l made u my
mind that he was stray pigeon, aud
that he would be plucked before he
left the hawks nest. ! watched the
hawk He was busy now with
stranger, whom he soon cleaned out.
Then he sauntered over 10 where
our pigeon was dosing, aud sat down
at the same table. Directly he
walked up, and lookedabout him with
sort OF vacant stare. Hawk WAS
busy shufling pack of cards.
Pigeon looked a moment, and then
said to him:
1 say stranger, may be you are
mighty smart at cards, but l can beat
the hind sights off you at poker
h Sir said the gambler. i never
Itake stump
H 'Trot eout your nags then. Meow
let her rip And they played, con
tinually at the Pigeons loss. which
saw was occ casioned by the most
downright cheating IN dealing the
cards or dropping to make msdeaI.
After while, Pigeon got up to 90
out a moment, and | could not resist
the opportsuity of telling him how
villianously the other was robbing
him.
Il know it; just as much obliged
to you though, stranger, but III win
at last. lie fcleaned out my friend
in The same way, but I'll win yet
you may count me in for that
! wondered how, as saw fves,
tens aDd fifties, transferred from his
pocket to the capaclous pocket-book
Of the other, whicIIhe always careful
y deposited in a. right-hand breast
pocket.
Such run of losses would break
the bank. 1T broke the loser. who
was by his time very drunk lat
least be looked So But he insisted
that the other should go out with
him and get some of the real tmou IN.
tain dew; that there was nothingIin
this shanty fit for a gentleman
Haw k would have gladly shaken
him off; but how could he shake Oft
an obstinate drunken man? So they
went out together. | followed.
Pigeon had his arm around the neck
Of Hawk in the most loving manner,
who was evidently much annoyed.-
So they went out, and would have
gone into a fashionable saloot, but
Hawk hung back; he did not want
to go where he was kn own, with {;
companion SO far gone. So. be pro-
posed another place, dpWn dark
They had not gone far
into the gloom, before he wheeled
suddenly, gave his companion
S hove who went stumbling back upon
acellar door, while Hawk came hasti
ly back into the light, and wicked
hurriedly past where was standing.
| saw the other had won at last.--
There was fearful cash in the coat,
over where the well-Glled
k had been. The owner
was so glad to think that h E had got
rid Of his troublesome drum ken COM
panion, That he had not y bt discoY-
cred his loss.
ITnow turned 10 the other. He
got Up and came slowly to ward the
corner where wns standing What
a cliangei The ole white hat had
given place to a glazed silk cap.
The jaunty striped vest to a plain
Six velvet. The shocking ugly red
hair was now a fine brown and the
ugly wbiskers all gone, nd left a
face as smooth as a parson Is. And
#hatwas more, ne was strictly sober.
He had won at last.
| do not particularly com mend
pick pockets, but / couldn't help
that one Of these s. coun-
drels was just as honest Al the other