Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1859-04-06

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played and drunk deep and flpsbed viii
liquor ana excited by the vicissitudes of
Sno game had become boisterous in beha,
rioI ana reckless in betting. The most
strlking-looking individual of the group
was stout square built man, apparently
between nifty and sixty years of age, with
graylsh hair and whiskers, sullen brow
ana Keen eyes, peculiarly sinister in ex,
preston Everything in his mannor and
appearance betokened gross but vigorous
compound OF the bully, the blackleg and
the sensualst in his nature. He was less
NOISY than his companions, in fact had
iapsed INTO complete silence during the
last haltShour of the game and was eyi.
uently struggling to conceal or to suppress
some powerful emotion. The thick Inns
qulVered, the corrugated brows were knit
closely together, and the nervous tension
at the corners of the mouth DISPLAYED the
working OF intense and almost uncontrol-
liable passion. He had bet heavily and
lost constantly during the sitting, and was
eVluehtly suspicious that the game had
not been fairly conducted on the part of
MS opponents. He had staked and lost
ms last wager, very large one, when he
rose sullenly from the table, seized his hat
ana, without word of explanation, left
the room.
In less than half an hour he returned,
threw down a gingling bundle upon the
table, aud bantered his companions, who
still fingered in the saloon, for renewal
OF the game. They readily accepted the
challenge, and all four resumed their for.
mer seats at the table.
Now, gentlemen" said the challenger,
placing revolver upon the table close at
hand, fair play all round the board. |
have lost all my money, and want chance
to win some of it back. have here" he
continued, displaying, at the same time,
the contents OF the bundle he had thrown
upon the table, "a reserved fund upon
which | draw whenever cash gives out. 1t
consists, as you see, of an assortment of
trinkets of one kind or another, which |
have picked up here and there in my war
derings, and keep for rainy days, many of
which, you know, come round in the life
time of men of our profession. Some of
these pieces | have had for well-nigh
thirty or forty years. | have rarely had
occasion to draw upon this fund, and when
| do | alwas select the pieces last acquired
for use. The older ones have become
sort OF old acqaintances with me, and
hate to part with them. But have taxi
en- notion, don't know why, to put up
some of my very oldest pieces tonight
They have been idle long enough and it
is time they were of some use in the world"
Thus speaking he proceeded to select
from the bundle several golden and silver
trinkets and jewels, and deposited them
in pile upon the table. The remainder
he carefully wrapped up, and put in an
inner side-pocket of his coat.
These" said he, "are all that shall
risk tonight. If you are willing to stake
money against them, we can easily decide
upon the terms of the wager. fyou win,
no valuation of the jewels will be neces-
sary, for they will be yours whether they
be worth little or much. If win, then
you are to pay me so much money as will
be equal in value to the jewels staked;
that value to be determined by any jewel
Ter, of good credit, in the city"
The first reply made by his associates to
this proposal, was to draw each a revolver
and place it on the table. They were all
desperate men, accustomed to scenes like
the present and were, therefore, neither
intimidated nor surprised by the hostile
demonstration of their comrade. They as
sented to the wager of their money against
his jewels, upon the terms he proposed
for assessing their relative value, and the
game began.
The stakes were soon lost and won. The
jewels passed from their former owner to
new hands, and the loser satisfied that he
could neither intimidate his opponents,
nor match them in skill, bore his loss with
apparent equanimity, and announced his
intention to play no more that night. At
late hour, therefore, the parties left the
saloon, and sought their respective lodg-
ings.
The next day the winners exchanged
their jewels and silver trinkets, for arti-
cles better suited to their taste and neces-
sites, with an obscure dealer in that line,
who kept a small shop in the extreme
west end of Dauphin-street. The respect
able jewellers of the city refused an eX-
change, either not liking the articles, or
fearng--what is often done in cases of
barterage with unknown adventurers-a
reclamation of them as stolen property.
In few weeks after the occurrence of
the events just described, A. NJ visi-
ted Mobile, as most planters dealing in
that city do, to receive from his commits
sion merchants the proceeds of his cotton
crop, and to purchase his annual supply
of family and plantation groceries. On
his way down upon the boat, he was wait
ed on by sprightly, bright, colored cabin
boy, named Ben. These cabin-boys form
a peculiar feature in the economy of our
southern steamboats,. Their Office is to
wait on the passengers in their rooms and
at table, to perform the duties of the culi-
nary department and to do the almost
numberless little jobs and errands requir-
ed on passenger boat. Being confined
closely to the vessel during the business
season, they have but one means of re-
plenishing their pockets with cash, but
that they use with great assiduity aud sue
cess. Whenever the boat stops at land
ing, which it does very frequently upon
all our rivers, they dart out upon shore,
and, with great agerness-inspired by q