Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-06-24
FREEHOLD, n. J, THURsDAY MORNING, JUNE "a, 1858.


head swelled with the passions <at work
within him.
"No more than YOURSELF" replied Ores,
say, in a measured determined tone, the
speaker still retaining his possession with
the revolver, nor as much, to strike an
%unguarded man."
"Ungarded." sneered Jackson, FAYE
but one who by knavery has deprived an
other of his ALL"
Again I denounce it as a lie. We
played fairly, and | won.
The Goodness with which he spoke rath.
er bafied the attacking gambler who
pressed his hand conyulsively upon his
temples and seemed ready to fall. But
he overcame the feeling, and appealed to
the bystanders, from whom he received
as far as they were aware, a correlation
of Cressay's statement at which the
winner gathered up the stakes. the ruined
man regarding the movement with a de-
moniac air, his eyes glazing wildly, and
his whole form quivering with emotion.
Hold" exclaimed the almost madden.
ed wretch, as Cressay swept We last coin
from the table, I've one thing else. The
odds are large, and I've never asked
them, but o | do"
Cressay turned towards him, and de-
manded what they were.
"Arline, the quadroon slave"
"She is not yours"
YES, she is and there"-he threw
upon the table a bundle Of papers" are
the proofs. Her will | wager against the
pile"
Whatl Airline the far famed quadroon
beauty of the mississippi, your prop.
erty?"
II am on my way to claim her."
The two men hesitated, and so did
those around, doubling whether Cressay
would accept the terms He ran his eye
over the papers, folded them up, weighed
them in his hand as he glanced at the en-
dorsement then with a smile, placed the
documents upon the board.
:. What shall it be?n askE nc, az hs
laid the gold upon them.
"Pokerl"
He pointed to the vacant seat; which
Jackson took. The stake now stood, a
purse against a woman.
Taking each a pack from the pile of
unused cards, the gamblers tore off the
wrappers and shufled then changing
packs, they cut, Cressay turning up the
card which gave him the deal, Jackson
looking on with fixed eye, as he followed
every motion, then taking UP his cards he
looked them over, and then with a half
suppressed cry, babe Cressay " show"
Three kings were laid before him.
He cast a whitening look upon them,
then gasped, and a sigh escaped him as
he turned his head away, and threw down
the cards then with a groan fell to the
floor, while Cressay turned up, from the
hand he had rejected three queens.
To raise him from where he had fallen
was the work of a moment With those
around him, and a glass was placed to his
lips but he rejected it, and beckoned to
the winner, who approached. He leaned
upon his elbow, drew the head of his late
opponent down and whispered something.
You shall, John ~Cressay-I swear
you shall y exclaimed he, as the latter
stood beside him.
1T would be worse than murder to
fight SO. If it's so bad, I'll give you back
part, or lend"
"Return me the girl them
II will not!' and Cressay turned away.
you'll play for it them" retorted the
agonized man.
"You've no stake to Offer"
Aye, equal to Iyours now-LIFE FOR
L1FEl"
A murmur rang among the assembly at
the thought of such a wager, and the re-
iteration of the words fell upoA the
ear as the awful presage Of his doom.
Yes, John Cr~essay," said be more
calmly, Live a beggar | cannot. be
branded by shame | will not. Play we
thus, one OF the other must be rid of a foe,
for | will pursue you till | wrench from
you acceptance of the terms | have pro-
posed
"Then be it so,r replied Cressay, with
apparent indifference, though there was a
nervous twitchiag of the muscles about
his mouth, which evinced something diff
%ferent, as he seated himself, waiting for
Jackson to do likewise.
~ Wds y desperate issue, wherein re-
manned at the mere dealing of the cards.
the hopes, aspirations and lives Of the
two most noted gamblers of the Mississip.
pi. Men who had ruined hundreds-had
themselves stood upon the very verge Of
ruin-whose skill and science had rem
dered them paragons at the game-whose
reckless daring had given their names the
notoriety of the stream-men who were
looked upon as invulnerable, from the
Falls Of St. Anthony to the Gulf Of Mex
ico-they had met to test their powers or
their luck-the might on one side. the
might on the other-and neither scale
sank below the other ; playing for life
were the renowned gamesters, while with
stihed breathing and scarcely beating
hearts, the gaping crowd looked on, as
jackson won the first hand of three, and
handed the cards to Cressay, who dealt,
his countenance ~betraying no sign of fear
his hand trembling not as he performed
his part.