The Shasta courier., 1858-08-07
Playing old sledge for tn. Preslaency.

| ought to know it for the benefit of your car
ac-ter, for cuss me if you ever thought anything
smart awake
Thus bantered, Sut leaned against the rongh
board oodnter of the doggery with tumbler
of whiskey in one hand, while the other hand
sounded for the bottom ola hole in his breeches
BY courtesy called n pocket; took II small sip,
and began 10 tell his dream Hear him, reader,
speak for himself
Gentlemen dreampt an impossibility last
mite. ] wur in Washington city, an know
never will be thar, onless they take me thar tu
hang or erusify me for drinkin rot gut-in my
dream | was thar and no mistakes ,rtin sure
at thundrin big tavern, whar they rung lee
tie bells tn keep from hollerin after the niggers
an maxim a noise; whar they called you to
your mush by rattlin big still bottom Jest for
the sake ov maxim a noise an whar they took
thirty dimes day for DUN fur you; an whar
| they give you sass enough tu make you fite lat
home) fur nothin at all. Dern the seat of gov
ernment-and durn everybody, say"
"Tell your dream before you git drunk, you
long-legged cuss you or somebody II tell it for
yon."
Thus reproved, Sut steered into the channel
again.
"Well, arter supper awhile, nosed around
ontil got inter a room whar | seed lite, an
thar sot thr-e fellers payin owe ole sledge."
| "Old what 2"
"Seven-up, you drotted weasel-skin, forleg-
ged son Of kankaroo."
This was addressed to young specimen of
the order iatcnsimus 4nlericdnmus anti Propeafi
bus Bladeusimus who shone resplendent from
K, in tights, small cane, watch-rbbon
and had a laudible desire to learn something of
the hidden mysteries of old sledge He played
Only an asthmatic tombone "schess' when in
the city.
" They wur a playin seven-up with bran new
keerds, spank spun new, and no marks, every
feller for hisself, seemingly. Now. gentlemen,
believe l can smell keerds, if they are in mo-
ton, rs far as from here to the spring, or how
the devil did happen TO hit on that room where
gambolling wur gwne on? But thar did go
by instinct, reckin, and the three feers wur
nobody on vearth but Buckannon, Fillmore an
Fremont and they wur playin single game
of seyen-up for the Presidents cheer owe these
free an orful united + Pluribus States, thirty
one in number, an kiverin the whole yearth.-
Thar war another chap inter that room, with
wun hand under his coat tail totller strokin
owe his chin, walkin about sort owe keerless
like, but looking fust at one owe them and then
at tother. Then he'd tiptoe and try to peep
inter Bucks hand. But the old feller hilt it un-
der the shadder of the table, and sor:er looked
at it sorter sideways hissef, and was a watchn
the peepin feller too, all the while rite clost.-
| His name was Seaward or Hellward or some
thin owe that sort, no matter which. Now. gen.
tlemen, kin play ole sledge myself rite peart
an when seed that it game owe two
| pluck wun and Buckannon was bound TO be
skinned eff his hide didn't grow fast to his bones,
! | jest thought tmind, sed nothn,) I'd like to
knock enough off owe that chaps skull to make
| a bullet ade, ef dared 10. lie is derned snake
in the grass, sure.
Well, arter they had played out thar hands,
Mr.. Buckannon sez, bowin nifty perlite, be-
lieve, gentlemen, stand high, jack, and that
has sot me six, ef aint mistaken Then both
on EN-, Fillmore Fremont, spread all owe old
Bucks keerds out onto the table, till they seed
his ace of trumps and the jack of trumps which
he had kotched from Fillmore with the king, an
then they agreed that he WAS SIX Seward sed ,
| Yes, he reckoned that the state of the
game Fillmore, then, modest fifteen
year old gal, said, made low, you cotch my
JUICE with your ace, Mr.. Buckannon, and that
sets me three All agreed on that count and
Fremont. leanin on his char back, whispered
! behind his hand to me, An d-n low it was
too, d dn't you think so ? an his black mustach-
US twisted up like into eorkscrews; but all
agreed that Fillmore was hr:e an no mistake -
Fremont then sed, made game, and that s, t
me six wi Ii you, Mr. BuckanEoa.' Buck bowed
again to that; but Fillmore sed 'Sr-r, I'll
cum game with you; this is not accorlin to our
ondets andin, sir an for the lust time he looked
like he nlou. be made to fte- Seward frowncd
| shook his head, linked, and sweated nightly
| Fremont did so, 100, all ole Fillmore; but it
warEt no use /; count game he would, and Fre-
mont beat him one. SO that sot the game
Buck six, Fremont six, and Fillmore three, and
Bucks deal an Fremont's beg or stand.
s. Buck licked his thumb and dealt en- nifty
/ eli taar al lr.l l.. Il
as he got EN- from the deal, an it liked TO
knocked me down. Thar was the ace, the king,
the jack, the ten and the JUICE of trumps Thinks
|, . Lordy! and then looked at him, an thar
the ole feller sot. kiverin the cheer all over
tell ye boys, he looked jest like he had his fust
big horn owe whiskey for the mite, and felt it in
his boots. though o, Lcrdy, again.
Buck never turned up his hand, but axed
Fremont what he ment to do. He looked at his
keerds, sorted EN-, and then looked at EN- again.
then up at the lamp, then upa Buck, scratched
his year, shot up his eyes an very slowly sed-
beg BY the jumpn jchosephat Buck run
EN-, an thot no harm to take another look al
ole Fill. lie fotch Il low colliky sort owe grunt
an then he blowed. | swar the wind come
outen his nose, mouth, eyes and years, an like
to put the lamp out.
| lodged and took peep inter Fremont's
hand, an now swar, that when man is six on
big hand of seven-up, | never seed Jest such
keerds. He bilt tother three aces, bound to be
high let what would cum-an out an out Presi-
dent at that Thinks I, o, Lordy, Buck o.
Lordy, Fillmore watched to sec what suit
WAS to make the President outen that durn mu,c
eaten Fremont, when t:.ere is nary Dimicrat in
hell eff Buck didn't turn jack jest as easy as eff
there had been ffty-two em in the pack and
then only looked back and SMILED loud for q
President. Fillmore rared backwards outen his
cheer, an tainted as comfortable on the floor as
an ole man at quiltin wen the kissen begins.
Fremont's eyes turned green-the har on the
back of his head riz up like the teeth owe IL
comb, his most-touch-us turned up toward his
eyes, he brayed like n mule an ut wuu iump
kivered ole Fill he lay, and then set to beatin
an chekin au maulin owe him like the devil
beatin homminy. This sort owe excitement
fotched the ole feller to; an as soon rs he ielt
all the hurtin that WAS goin on all over him. in
size an out, he sot rite inter ftin like an ole
hoss, an thar they he'd it. looked at Buck
VINO still hilt the keerds in his hands. with the
JACK turned up on top, as much as to say, Shall
! part EN-! He shook his he'd an put my
hands in my pockets and kept outen thar way.
lhey mt some by this time tell yer-har.
Wool, iur and feathers flew, sorser ike ginning
cotton. Seaward cut dirt as soon as that orful
jack was turned, locked the door on the outside.
and went strait 10 a prayer meetin on Ninth
street whar reckon he is yet Well. thar they
and ,tn1