Volcano weekly ledger., 1855-10-27
Betting.


poor business at the best, if it is not some
what too closely allied to gambling to be al
together a moral or defensible transaction.
So that when we find a bitter bitten at
this sort of game, we confess that we look
upon the victim as not subject for much
commiseration. Here is very laughable
case 10 point; called, if you please, -" Charley
Maoaale1s Bel" 1t is an East India story,
and old enough to be new to nincty-nine out
of every hundred of our readers:
" AT seven o'clock the dinner was served
up, and better one was never given in Cal
cutta; but as every pleasure must come to
an end, so this excellent dinner was at last
finished. The dessert was served up, and the
hookahs began to emit their cultural notes.
Many were the subjects broached and got
rid of; many the toasts which enliyened the
fashionable feast.
AT length, by the most skillfull manGu-
vring and with infinite tact, Macauley brought
the beauty of the new tables on the tapis.--
Every one admired them, and felt grateful to
them for having so lately supported the rich
dinner of their host
They are of the finest mahogany ever
saw said Mai. Briscoe.
"'They are perfect said another 4
never saw any so well proportoned in my
life must have some made like them
They are too high chimed in Charley
Macauey, with affected indiiierence-just a
little too high. Don't you think so, Cor
don?'
On the contrary replied the host, if
any thing consider them shade too lOio'
a. You are mistaken, my dear fellow; /
have an excellent eye, and | am sure ! am
right No table should exceed twofeetSix,
and these are at least one inch higher
" You are in error; they are not more
than two feet and half
Don't bet, James, don't bet; for am
sure of the fact. / tell you / can not be de-
ceived; my eye is ai,cays correct
"' Not bet If the tables were not my
own, and consequently should bet on a GER
tainty, I'd lay you a lac of rupees that
they are not more than thirty inches in
height
Oh if you are willing viii make the
bet; but remember, gentlemen, tell you be-
forehand that am certain Of the fact / say
these tables are at least thirty-one inches
from the ground
%" Done! for lac of rupees! cried Cor
DON
+" Donel re-echoed Charley
The wager was duly registered A SER
want was ordered to bring in yard-measure,
when Macauley turned round with an air of
triumph, and said:
"' You may save yourselves the trouble of
measuring hap and he chuckled with
delight. 4 warned you fairly that bet on a
certainty so the bet must be binding,
James,
"'I stand to my bet said Gordon
"' Well, then pay me the money! meas
ured the tables this very morning while you
were shaving, and here is their memoran-
dun of height -thirty-one inches exactly?
"And the Colonel burst into roar Of
laughter, as he produced his pocket-book
with the memorandum in it.
"' l kno,o you did, said James; / salr
you do so, in my lookingglass,'
"The Colonel started
"' Yes, saw you do Il; and as soon as
you had gone away, knowing well your OBJ
ject had an inch Sateed eff ererg leg; so for
oaoe, my very knowing friend, the tables are
turnedp
"The roar that shook the table would have
drowned Niagara. Charley Macauley left
Calcutta the next day ten thousand pounds
sterling poorer than he was the day he ar
rived; and, what was still worse, the very
youngest ensgns in the army quizzed him
about it forever Afterwards. Perhaps he was
richer in the end, however, for it was his last
bet.