White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1858-08-26

presenting countenance so plteous that
1t might have melted hearts of marble to
tears. A pale and exquisitely beautiful
face peeped necessarily from the half
opened door of the ladies' cabin, weeping
all the while as if oppressed by some
dreadful sensation of immediate sorrow.
TWAS the merchants lovely wife weeping
her farewell to departing hope.
There was one spectator, also, whose
appearance and actions excited almost as
much curiosity as the players did them
selves. lie was tall, spare man, Of
about thirty, with handsome features,
golden hair, keen blue eyes of preternat-
ural brightness, and his firm thin lips
wore a perpetual smile-a mysterious
smile, of the strangest, the most inscru-
table meaning. With the exception Of
his red calico shirt. this person was dress
ed wholly in buck-skin, ornamented with
long swaling tassels, and wild figures
wrought of varicgated beads, after the
fashion of some Western Indians. He
stood close beside the card table, and held
in his left hand sheet of paper, in his
right large pencil, with which, ever and
anon, he dashed of few words, as il
engaged in tracing the progress of the
game.
Still the merchant and the gambler
persevered in their physical and mental
toll. The dial of the stars, with their
thousand fingers of golden fire, pointed
to the world shadows of midnight but
still they did not pause. 1t still was
"shuffle and cut, and pass, ante up, and
l call you, and rake down the pile
Towards the morning, tremendous storm
arose. The red lightning flashed awfully
the rain poured like frozen cataract
the great river rosred till it rivalled the
loudest thunders of heaven and the very
pilot at the wheel was alarmed. But the
mad players heard it not. What was the
raging of the elements. to them, whose
destiny hung on the turning of a card ?
And the smiling blue eyed stranger in
buckskin still stood by them with his
pencil and paper calmly noticing the de-
velopment of the game.
Finally the storm passed, as the beau
tiful day-break came out like a thing of
glory in the gray East Then the infat-
uated merchant. distracted with his heavy
losses, dared the climax of folly. He
staked five thousand dollars, comprising
his last cent of money in the world, on
"two pair of kings" The whiskered
gambler "'called him; they showed
hands the blackleg had two pairs Of
aces" and "raked the board" The mer-
chant dropped to the floor as if he had
been shot through the brain, and that
beautiful young wife few to his side and
fell shrieking upon his bosom. They
were both borne away insensible to the
ladies' cabin.
AS he deposited the winnings in his
pocket, the gambler emitted hoarse
laugh that sounded frightful as the chuckle
of iend but he instantly lost color,
as low, calm voice remarked in his
ear
Villain, you play a strong hand at
many different games, but here stands one
who can beat you at all of them"
He turned, and met the glance of those
keen blue eyes so preternaturally bright,
and shuddered. But he Immediately re
gained his presence of mind, for he was
no coward, and then he frowned till his
shaggy brows met like the coil of SER
pent, and demanded sternly-
Beogar, who are you, to banter a
gentleman thus rudely %
al am James Bowie, Of Texas" the
other answered, with ringing laugh ;
"and You are John LATTE, natural son
of the old pirate %
The gambler reeled in his chair, as If
he had been struck by thuuderbolt, but
recovered again from the shock in a mo-
ment, and asked in firm tone
What game do you wish with me 90
Poker first. and pistols afterwards, if
you play foul l'' replied Bowie.
Every WE'LL" replied the other, and
they took their seats at the table.
For time the success was about equal
ly balanced, the gain and loss being al
tentative. At last, the gambler ventured
OF one of his skillful maneuvres in deal
ing. Bowie smiled strangely, as his quick
eve detected the trick He said nothing,
however, but looked at his hand, and bet
five thousand dollars, stalking the money
in ten large bills. The gambler went
FIVE thousand dollars higher, which re-
suited in a "csll." Bowie held four
jacks, but the gambler with his habitual
fendish chuckle, shows 'four queens, %
exclaiming as he did So
"By heaven, the pile is mine p
Mot yet," shouted Bowie, as, with
both hands he raked the heap of notes, to
the tune of twenty thousand dollars into
his own pocket.
Choking and purple with rage and
shame, the gambler roared-
"To the hurricane deck, and let pis-
tolls be trumps this turn %
"Good as gold % replied Bowie, and
the two hastily assembled the stairs, and
assumed their separate positions-the
gambler over the stern, and Bowie over
the prov.
At this instant the sun was Just rising
in cloudless sky. Nature looked sub.
lime-a bride worthy of her Almighty
Husband and God. The woods and wa
tiers appeared as parts of one divine pic
ture, with the boundless blue of heaven
for its back ground. The broad bosomed
river rolled away like an immense sheet
of FURNISHED silver, speckled here and
Z Al II n L u.