The weekly Anglo-African., 1859-08-06

| ing on a second card
On the second evening he came again,
staked as before, and lost Quite coolly,
however, without even look of discomfort,
he opened the bag, shook it QUIT con-
tanned exactly the same sum as on the last
occasion-then rolled it together, and,
thrusting it into his pocket, left the saloon.
On the third, fourth, and fifth evenings,
the same thing occurred. The gamblers
had got used to the man, and amused them
selves with his odd ways. Again he lost,
and behaved exactly as before, always
taking the bag away with him.
On the sixth evening and so exactly
had he kept his time, that the gamblers
said, laughing to each other:
I" 1t can't be eight o'clock yet; the eight
and-twenty dollar man is not come"
He appeared again, staked as usual ,and
once more lost. The barkeeper, who dis
pensed his wines and spirits just opposite
to this table, could not forbear laughing
aloud as the stranger shook out his money
in his cool, business-like way, as if paying
regular debt for some employer, rather
than gambling and throwing away his own
money.
The seventh evening met was a
full minute past eight o'clock, and one of
the gamblers said, laughing, to the other:
"We have used him too badly; we
have frightened him awayp when his CON-
rade pointed over his shoulder, and there
was the man in the black frock-coat max
ing his way to his customary place, where
some who bad happened to meet him there
before, readily made room for him, and
where he quietly took his seat, paying no
sort of attention to the whispered jokes
and laughter around him. Until precisely
a quarter to nine he gravely watched the
play, and then brought out the well-known
linen bag, setting it upon the deuce which
was that moment turned up. Two cards
were drawn, without the deuce appearing
now the ace fell on the left; and on the
right-a scarcely perceptible smile played
on the bankers lips-the deuce. The
stranger turned pale as death; but without
uttering word upon his change OF luck,
he stretched out his hand for his linen bag,
and was untying it, as usual, to count the
dollars, when the gambler said, laughing:
"Let it be, know how much there is
in it. Eight-and-twenty. Am l not
right Z"
"No," said the man quietly, and shook
out the silver upon the table, shook the
bag again, and after the silver came out a
roll Of closely wrapped bank notes and a
folded paper.
"What is this 7" cried the startled gam
bier, and the bystanders crowded up, full
of surprise and curiosity.
st is my stake" said the man, with
seeming indifference, and united the ribbon
that held the bank-notes together.
"Hold! That won't do" exclaimed the
gambler, throwing down his cards. "That
is false play. You have counted out only
eight-and-twenty dollars the other even
ingsp
threatening frown. " Prove it to be false
play. Did l not place the bag, just as it
lies there, upon that card. And did you
make any objection to taking it unopened"
"No, no. 1t is all right-it is all fair"
cried the bystanders, always ready and ca
ger to take part against the professional
gamblers, who they feel quite convinced
do not play fairly, although they cannot
resist the fascination of the gaming table,
but return again and again to be cheated
of their money, as long as they have any
to squander there
"He has staked and won it, and he must
have it," they said.
"Count your money. How much is
it?" said the gambler, who had whispered
a few hasty words to his comrade. How
much is it 7"
Firstly, eight-and-twenty dollars in sill
ver," he replied slowly, and the others
laughed; then here are bank notes-one,
two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, hun
dred dollars; and then, here"
"Whatl morep
"A small bill Of exchange upon Smith
and Penneken, as good as gold, accepted
and all, the money only needs fetching
for three thousand"
"Three thousandw shouted the gam
bier, starting up from his chair. care
you mad? That is, altogether, near four
thousand dollars. / shall not pay thatw
"Shall you not" said the stranger, in
dignantly. "Would you have taken it, if
I had lost?7
"To be sure he would"
"Of coursep p
"Would he take it2 Aye, all they can
get they take, and little more,' exclaimed
number of voices.
He must pay; there is no help for it,"
Gentlemen" protested the gambler, IN
the vain hope of obtaining vote in ms ia-
vor-" Gentlemen, every evening in the
last week, that gentleman. has staked-"
'And every time lost" interrupted one
/ of his hearers. 81 have been present sew
eral times, and have heard it from others.
also. and be has never made the least OBJ
lection to paying"
"But that was only twenty eight dol
lars"
And if it were as many thousand
Only let me speak, demonstrated the
gambler, who had turned deadly pale, and
trembled all over. "It was but eight-and.