The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-08-05
NO. 80

the General, neryed him to the sticking
point, which was made manifest by bis
saying
i guess I'm just about as ready asI
over will be. Gencral-so how much do
you think ought to betl Don't be get
tin 1t tew high now. cause, you see Gin
eral, You have to bet me two to one.'
'Oh, that matters not. my dear fellow
said the General, we Arkansas Generals
only play for amusemeuts; so merely to
to make the game interesting, my larky,
| will try you with two thousand polars.'
Wall, General, seein' it's you, and on
iy for amusement, dew Jest Law down
them ar four thousand dollas of yourn
and I'll try aud raise the half ont
The general accordingly laid down his
four Thousand dollars on the boat willis
the Yankee placed the two thohsand dol.
lars in mpanionship.
Now Mr.. Gineral,' said Jonathan, 'jcst
hide them ar hands O. yourD, aud speak
it out plain so that l sban't make no mis-
take
The General cast his eyes towards the
landlord, winked, placed bis hands be-
hind him, then 10 a low distinct voice,
said
Open or shutl'
The Yankee looked at hin steadily for
some moments, without moving muscle
of his face, as tho BY some intuition. be
was about to divine the certain position
of his hands-when, with motion as
quick as lightning, he drove his brawny
fist slap between the Generals eyes,
which laid him PROSTATE on the deck.
Open! by goshl cried the Yankee, as
he saw the other hands flying through
the air, at the same time snstcbing the
money, cramming it into his pocket, and
hurting the Strengthened body of the Gen.
eral on the shore then giving the boat
sudden shove by means of pole, be and
his French Companion, to the great dis
comiture Of their enemies, we're soon gil
ding down the stream.
'Frev roared the General, at the top
of bis lungs, as soon as he could regain
his feet and turn to his host--'6re! l tell
you-you stupid fool'-blow out that in
dogs meat!
The frightened host endeavored to o.
bey, but it was no go-tbe more be tried
to shoot, the more be couldn 't-While 10
complete their cbagriD and add to their
vexation, the voice of the Yankee in the
real nasal twang, was heard calling out
L sag, Gineral, this 'ere's putty consid-
cradle kind of slick game of ofamusement,
aint iti Tell that ar chap on the stump
to blaze away--keep tellin him so--horn
gun fints are raal slick things to shoot
with amt they, General
L give it up said the General. With
an oath; that cussed Yankee has beat my
game dead open and shut, by loading
my gun with wooden nutmegs and putting
in horn flint
Il say, Gineral. called out the Yankee,
with a hearty laugh-placing his thumb
to his nose, and giving his fingers a few
extra fourishes-1 say, Gineral, jess
give my respects to that nigger of yourn
and don't get to playing that dead open
and shut with Yankee a asain;' and he
added to the flourish of bis fingers by
giving bis other arm the motion of crank
and keeping time by moving bis right
foot up and down as long as he was in
sight
Until the day of the Generals death
no severer chastisement could have been
inflicted upon him than to have simply
said-'horn fints, wooden nutmegs,' big
Yankees, French gentleman or dead
open and shut.