The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1859-06-04
Furnishing a Desperate,
A scnE Oh mE mo nRAApE.

Amer tho splendid triumph Of lht Ameri-
can arms ou the glorious iiulds 0t faio Alto
and tesaoa de Ia Palma, the victorious force
hurried across the Rio Grlndc, and occupied
tho McKicnn town Of Mnlamoras, But un-
fortunately these we're not the Qnly inSndefs,
iOr, marching with the valiant bDldirry, or
following rapidly in fheir rear, came another
host Of small merchants, ol desperadoes, Of
FHmbiTrEl HHd every vHFtrry6r TttKieEg hd-
Yrnurers, Including sWarms uf assussins and
thleEeh Any one can readily Imagine The
Inevitable confusion, ahrays and mortal en-
counters which come from such hrter0gcnc-
Gus aFgrayaiiou uf int1mmahle human alnufs,
Among the numerous professors most eru-
ditc in The history Of the four queens, ~ also
the most deeply learned iu GycaHa Of hair
triggers were three brothers hl the uHmr nf
Allen, Their AZ aud drAterity, backed in
each emergency by the boWe-knilr and re-
yul,er. soou rendered them notorious, and
promised la briei period, 20 break every
bank Ia the vicinity, Meu.of the highest
courage trrmhlrd ut their approach, and even
officers, wearing the uniform of'hiVey, no-
corded % their desperation an external cour-
irs, aud respect which buiied the contempt
aud hatred ot their hearts.
A. thul lime there was o brilliant saloon
Kept open, Tor public amusement aud pri,uir
profit, hy one Fernando Rosa, o wealthy bot
ayhriciuus spluiatd The dealer at thr
monte table Nas his daughter Muln,u Young
gIrl possessed Of that Wild bcvitohug beauty
which so often disliuguishcs the fascinating
icmp Of her nation, ami Notwithstanding
her uniavOruhlr and doubtful situation as q
principal in Ne grutccl gambling hnnzG. ALG-
-'rrrrrr iTIr mine T1TT TyUlur us VcIl as iuleIit
gcucc, Indeed, report said, with what truth
! am unable 90 uilrW, till she drtrstcl the
position, md lilled II only from tho compusiou
ol phfcutul authority ~ dl events, tac
presided over the cards iu al the cNoluluus
ul tickle fortune with the ruTcst gruco oi
manners, aud the utmost honesty Ur conduct
As might Ice logically Inferred such ,arinus
and evident attractions combined 10 render
The establishment place Of general resort
for the dHc of the army, and all the most nc
,compIishrd eounoisseurs Of chance and 60
insulc the exclusion ot thc pchau class, the
role had been fixed that the lowest bet on
the board must amount 10 hundred dol
lara.
IL was iUc clear night ut the nll noon
Of May, when the three brothers Allen, haN-
I ing swept the counters Of oil the inferior
/ banks iU Muiamorus, with their pockets foil
[ Of Eo oAYud heavy sums iu paper, entered the
suls< Of Fernando Rosa, determined 60
/ cl6sH Il with sudden thundcrcrash OF for
tune Ct fear, Il the latter alternative should
/ become necessary, The apartment was
| crowded with juvenile lrulpuauts, who lost
/ their money and their hearts with equally la
/ m moilityi and nm sorry to record H., bat
/ the fact is ncycrthclcs, certain, that not
| few cpaulols of older aud more exalted rank
/ gliucrcd IN the gorgeous illumination OF the
silver chandeliers, and manifested symptoms
/ Of heA-6gc before the starry smilgs OF the
be1AiIul aud hcWitchiug Maria.
/ With that rude cIbowing impotuosity
I which, more than HrNthiUg ,l,g marks the
soul of the thoroughbred ruGln, the bold
bad brothers made their way 10 the moute
table. To sly the truth thry found little dii-
lculty ia doing 40, Us the throng hastily rr-
treated a their advance, With as much lrcpi-
dation az IT they had been Lyhmu lions lpsh
from thc desert Every body lcl back from
the board 10 a safe distance and lcn the con-
test alone 10 the three irltcrnal gamhlcrs.--
| Even the lovely dealer turned murglly pale
.t lhcir appearance, and her iiiy fingers
IQuNvrrd ucN uusy as sac Jbg'iirtj t'5r trHiift-
cd cards.
have stated that all the previous players
withdrew from the table, but the generality
OF the remark must be qualified bl a sulitnT,
cNssptiou, There was one stranger that had
arrived in town that eVrnmg,who maintained
his stand without so much az gllncug at
, the iutrudcrs. No person could look upon
this person aud fail 10 be struck with the
singular prestige Of bis couutcnuncc aud car
riagc. lie was q tall, rather sler,!st.-l~gi ed
man, some fifty years Of age straight as ut
arrow or Hn Indian, with very handsome iuu-
ttuttH, entirely A.elitutu- at Wrinkles, and rx-
tremely youthful in their aspect, scarcely in
dicutug half his years. His ,isagc Rcs-
lures, and oil his dcmearor, seemed grave,
diguiGrd, almost grand. aud exhibited a Ger
tain mir OF touching melancholy which
. htguul la ted nv la fin u
view of his fdultless form and lace. llis
eyes we're small, pcnctralig, and of yellow
ish brown, aud literally CLEANED like diu-
munds beneath hrows Of majestic dimensions
that looked alive with noble thoughts His
dress wos plain black, and displayed strong
contrast With the gay colurs, rich ruilleS,
hnd barharic ornaments ot the triuue Aliens.
The latter, at the outset, stukcd a thous-
and dollars each on the queen of hearts, and
lost, while the stranger having deposited n
. like sum on the ace of spades, proved to be n
, winner.
. "By heaven! that trick was foul swim
, ding exclaimed the eldest brother in toncA
OF brutal insolrnce.
e "Ihe c,priun and her paramour are CON
, fedcratc thieves cried the second Allen.
( " We must teach them righteousness at the
' mouth of the revolver" added hcthird
Muria trembrd so violently that the cards
I, dropped from her apltAttd hUnus
The gaze OF every behuldcr was Instantly
{ rivetcd on the Nisage Of the stranger, who's,
, piercing ewes flashed angdy MS he demanded
% in tranquil hut terribly dStinc, voice, though
c little louder than whisper -
= D." Gentlemen, do YOU intend to accuse th,
s lady Of unfair dealing, or me Of proiting by
her partiality ?"
? "Who the devil are YOU, that bandywordi
/ with US. the boys of Arkansas, the hraVes
/, among the brave p'
:. my name is Thomas Jefferson Dugan,
h answered the other, in the same low, thrilling
- accents, without any sign Of emotion, sov,
j. the awful flashing of the yelluV'-a brown
h eyes. 81 am from the State of Virginia. tht
y proverbial chivalry Of whose sons is neye
L fnlnhed hN any oct of mine.n