Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1855-10-06
Srlrtt Gale.
AN INCIDENT ON THE MISSISSIPPI
BY sYLvANUs COBB, JR.

For six mortal days had our boat been
ploughing through the turbid waters of the
great river on the down passage since came
on board. 1t was early in the morning when
We stopped Mt Matches, where We took on
board some twenty passengers, who came
dropping along, two and three or four at n
time, during the hour of our stop. Once
more we were off with the current, and short
ly afterwards the breakfast bell rung.
The day passed away pretty much rs days
generally do on board the Mississippi stea-
mers, and when evening came, the cabins
were full Of fun and sentiment. Towads
nine o'clock my attention was called to
table at which four men wereplaying twenty
deck poker The chief player was young
man not over six or eight and twenty, who
, handled the cards with aproiessional air, and
whose face betrayed the libertine and SEN
sualist. He was in some physical respects,
| handsome, but the reckless villain was so
plainly stamped upon his countenance, that
no gentleman could look upon him but with
pityand disgust. He was slightly built
man, and dressed gaudily. / had not stood
by the table ten minutes before the other
three players rose and the youth was loft
alone.
"Wholl take a hand p he asked, casting
his dark eyes around upon the crowd. "Comc
gentleman, I've few thousands to loose
Who wants it ?"
"Look here, stranger, I've got little mon
ey that's no use to me. What say YEP"
The new speaker formed striking con.
trast to the player already at the table. lie
was powerfully built fellow, dark and
gloomy expression and standing over six
feet high. His darkness was from exposure
and his gloom was surely from some recent
cause, for it was plain to be seen that his
bold, open features had not yet become used
to it. His hair hung in light colored ringlet;
about his neck, and his sharp grey eyes were
full of strange fire. His dress was mostly
composed of panther skins, and his cap wa:
of the same, with the tail hanging behind
| When he sat down to the table, | saw thai
, he did it with recklessness that was mo-
, natural to him and from that moment | be
came deeply interested in him, for felt thai
he was at heart, a noble, bold and generous
man.
snake your own game" said the young
man, shuilling the cards adroidly.
"Go ahead" responded the other. "a mai
don't hunt wild varmints for lifetime to b.
aleared of quarter deck ofcards. Go ahead
and lets have EN-"
"Ante up ten"
The hunter put up ten dollar bill, an
| the youth dld the same, the cards were deai
and the betting commenced. The latte
gazed sharply into his antagonists face as tn
bets were made, but he could read nothing
there. He seemed disappointed at this. an
"called" the hunters hand at the fourth bel
and won five hundred dollars.
The hunter smiled, and the youth dealt a
gain. This time the betting was commence
in earnest by the dealer but the other wa
Q not moved by it. The young man put up
5 thousand dollar note, but its appearance
seemed to have no effect upon his antagonist
/ Those open features did not change in eS
! PRESTON nor did the keen gray eye gro'
: more bright or dim. lie covered the not
and 'called," he had won.
After this the luck ran evenly for som
time. j watched the young mani call hin
: the young man because he was surely young
k er than the hunter, though not much, 70
n that individual was yet in the prime Of man
s. hood-but, us l was remarking, l saw tn
II more experienced gamester and saw hir
several times make the attempt to perforI
some of his tricks, but those two gray eye
were fixed too keenly upon him. At lengt
. the hunter began TO win rapidly, but not
. single ray Of satisfaction could be seen upo
his face. 1 was puzzled, for it really SCENE
to me that he would rather lose than win.
But my thoughts We're soon ealledfrom Il
players to the play. i saw the young ms
shuttle the cards, and l knew that he h
- stocked them" l slipped around behil
scs him, and saw that he held four kings and
jack.-lie had meant to have held four kin
and an ace, but double cub by his oppone