Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-01-29
I'll / st | la II u
AN INCIDENT ON THE MISSISSIPPI.
BY sYLvANUs COBB, JR.


For six mortal days had boat been plow-
ing the turbid waters of the great river on the
passage since ! came on board. 1t was early in
the morning when we stopped at Matches
where we took on board some twenty passen-
gers, who came dropping along, two and three
and four at a time, during the hour of our stop
Once more We're off with the current, and
shortly afterwards the breakfast bell rlng
The day passed over pretty much as days
generelly. do board the Mississippi Steamers !;
when evening came the cabins were alive with
fun and sentiment. Towards or near o'clock
my attention was called to a table at which four
men were playing twenty deck poker" The
chief player was d young man of six or eight
fessional air and whose face betrayed the liber-
tine and the sensualist. He was in some phys
zeal respects, handsome, but the reckless villain
was so plainly stamped upon his countenance,
that no gentleman could look upon him but with
pity and disgust. He was slightly built man
and dressed gaudilv. | had not stood by the
table ten minutes before the other three players
rose and the youth was left alone.
Who'll take a hand ~ he asked, casting his
dark eyes upon the crowd. " Come gentle
men, I've a few thousand to lose. Who wants
1t p
Look here, stranger, I've got little money
that's no use to me. What say ye?"
The new speaker formed strong contrast
with the player already at the table He was
powerful built follow, dark and gloomy in ex-
preston and standing over six feet high His
darkness was from exposure, and his gloom was
from some recent cause, for it plain to be
seen that his bold open features had not become
used to it. His hair hung in light colored ring
lets about his neck and his sharp grey eyes We're
full of strange fire His dress was mostly com
posed of panther skins, and his cap of the
same with the tail haging behind When he
sat down 10 the table, | saw that he did so with
a reckIessness which was unnatural to him; and
from that moment l became deeply interested
ia him. for | felt that be was noble and gen
erous man.
Make your own game said the young man
shufiine the cards adroitly.
Go ahead responded the other. a man
don't hunt wild yarmounts for lifetime TO be
afeared Of quarter pack of cards. Go ahead,
and lets have EN-"
Ante up ten
The hunter put up ten dollar bill, and the
youth did the same, and the cards dealt
and the betting commenced. The latter gazed
sharply into his antagonists face rs the bets
were made but he could read nothing there
He seemeed disappointed at this, and called
the hunters hand at the fourth bet, and won five
hundred dollars.
The hunter smiled, and the youth dealt
again This time the betting commenced in
earnest bv the dealer, but the other not
moved by it. The young man put up thou
sand dollars more, but its appearance seemed to
have no effect upon his antagonist Those open
features did not change in expression, nor did
the keen grey eye grow more bright or dim.-
He covered the note and called. He had
Won.
After this the luck ran evenly for some time
/ watched the young man, l call him The young
man because he was surely younger than the
hunter though not much, for the latter indlvld
ual was still In the prime of early manhood
+ but. as | was re larking, l watching tht
+ more experienced gamester, and saw him seyera
times make the attempt to perform some OF HI:
trick, but those two grey eyes We're fixed too
hSSiAAN MN, 81 tii0 hoiAttL 1SSsa
to win rapidly, but not a single ray OF satisfac
ton conld be seen upon his face. | was puz
zled, Tor il really seemed TO me that he weult
rather lose than Win.
But my thoughts were soon called from Ia
players TO the pay. l saw the young man shut
fie the cards, and knew he had stocked them
l slipped around behind him, and saw that b
held four kings and a jeck- He had meant t
have held four kings and an ace, but doubi