Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1855-03-24
A CALIFORNIA GAMBLER.


watched the game for awhile, until at last he
produced a small canvas bag from his breast
pocket and laid it on card. The card won
on the frs. evening, and he emptied the bag
on the table to count the money. 1t contain.
ed twenty eight Spanish dollars, which the
banker quietly paid him, and the ''genleman
quilted the table with his earnings, without
deigning to tempt Dame Fortune again. On
the second evening he returned, staked, and
the card lost. With the greatest GOODNESS he
opened the bag, seized the corners, shook out
the money, and it contained precisely the same
sum as on the previous evening, and Quilted
the room. On the third, fourth, fifth and sixth
evenings, the same story. The bankers began
to know the man, and amused themselves
about his strange behavior; as usual, he lost,
took up the bag, and walked away.
The seventh evening arrived. 1t was just a
minute after eight, and the one banker said.
aushingly, to the other: We have treated
him too hardly, and frightened him away"
when his comrade laughed, and the man in the
black coat, without altering feature, or pay.
| ing ans attention TO the whispering and laugh.
| ing, took his usual place, quietly watched the
progress of the game TIL quarter past eight,
and then laid the bag all knew so well upon
deuce that had just been turned up.
A couple of cards were turned up without.
the two making its appearance. At last the
three fell to the left, and to the rght-a scarce
Iy perceptb!e smile played on the bankers
lips-the two. The stranger turned deadly
pale, but without uttering syllable about the
change in his luck, he stretched out his hand
to the sack, and was on the point Of opening
it, in order to count the dollars, when the bank
er said, laughingy: "Let it be; know how
many are in it-eisht and twenty. Am not
righ?'
mot exactlyr' said the man, calmly, and
shook the silver out on the table. He then
shook the bag still more, and roll of bank
notes. slightly wrapped together, fell out.
"What's that g the banker cried in alarm,
and the audience pressed curiously around.
Ny stake!" the man said, with apparent
Indifference, as he unfastened the thread that
bound the notes.
"Stop; that will not do!" the banker cried,
az he threw down his cards; "that's false play.
You only paid eight and twenty dollars on the
previous evenings"
"False play!" the man shouted, and his
it, you shnf1ers Did not lay the bag just
to pay it unopened!'' 81
"No! that's all correc,-quite right" said
those around, who are always glad to oppose
the banker, because they are firmly convinced
that he does not play fairly, although they
continually throw away their money. "He
staked and won, and must be paid" others
shouted ISL,
"Count your money how much is - said
the banker, who had hurriedly exchanged few
words with his confederates, seated opposite
I" how much is it :"
"In the first place, twenty-eight dollars in
silver" he said, calmly, while the bystande-s
laughed heartily. "Then, here in bank notes:
two, three, four, yes, eight hundred dollars;
and then"
"What! more?"
"A small bill on Goldsmith Brothers, as good |
as silver, accepted and all the money need |
only be fetched-for-,hree thousand"
"Three thousand!" the banker yelled, start. |
ing in dismay from his chair. "Why, that
would make nearly four thousand dollars alto.
gether! Are you mad! Do you expect me
to pay that :" 5a...
"Dont r." the stranger asked in surprise.
Would You not have taken it if had lost :!
.Of course he would-of course. Do you
ask whether they would take it! Everything
they can get, and little more, too," shouted
the voices round the table. "He must payw
"Gentlemen!' the banker protested, in the
poor prospect Of turning their hearts; "Gen-
tlemen, this person staked every evening for
the entire week"
.And lost every time," another interrupted
him. II have been present several times, and !
have heard so from others, and he never made
The slightest objection"
But that was only eight and atKdal>
lars. !" va 80 49, S
sand if it had been so many thousands, all
The same."
But do let me finish," the banker shrieked,
with aspen lips and furious glances; "he only
shook out twenty eight dollars OF the table,
md kept the paper back"
"Prove that [ ever had cent more than
wenty-eight dollars in the bag," the stranger
Exclaimed, contempsuously; 'you won't get off
~ such excuses"
"Why did you not keep the bag as well,
?" laughed Spaniard, who stood
rear. 8 We always stick to everything that is
talked" at
.If he had lost again, no more than the con-
ounded dollars would have come out of the
,ag," the banker g.owled. II
Possible !; but it can't be proved" the sur
ounding players laughed. You must pay
'p."
Hanged it do," the banker shouted, and
truck the table with his fst. sThis is new
ort Of robbery you are trying upon me; bat
'ou'ye come to the wrong customer-I wont
,ay!" -
I've lost two hundred dollars 10 you in the
ast half hour" q tail, gigantic Kentuckian
houted, as he .elbowed his way to the table.
and was forced to pay up to the cent Hyou
efuse to pay that fellow. You must fork over
by money again. !" -. y .ss
.And mine, ,toor amultitude cf voices ejac-
Hated. sPve lost, tod, to0-ssen dollars
and twenty - .posnd d gold -ods