The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1861-08-21

myself. I saw that / could count up
on these half dozen Of men to prevent
any criminal act against me, and, l
4 felt as If weight had been taken of
! my breast
q" Now" said the president or judge.
"against him Who speaks ?"
There was tumult of oaths, of
yells, of shouts of Hang him ~
death to the spy ~ Down with
him ~ which made my former impress
sion falter, and made up my mind
for the worst.
"Letus vote p shouted one or
No." said the president, as | shall
call him. 1--WE have no paper for bal
lots. Shall we throw dice or stake
his life on cards ?"
Lizards p said one party
"Diee ~ was the other cry.
/" All in favor of cards, hold up
their right hand" said the president
and cards were decided upon.
During this show of hands, the he
70 of the opera glass, inspired by that
success, as matter Of course, lug
ged in the gre y-headed joke of put.
ting his foot upon the table. | re-
joice to say that he was soon after on
the point of choking from the meeting
of a laugh coming up and liquor go
| ing down his throat. -
A new pack wss selected from quite
number at the other end of the
room; one of my partisans was selee-
ted "to pit" against one Of my OPP
ponents, and the game for life com
menced
The game they played was q pc u
liar one, having no name, hybrid be
tween forty fves," and eyerlast-
ing" as far as I could make out, and
it was nearly half an hour, during
which / was allowed to sit down,
before the finale of the game drew
near. Ny partisan had thirty-seven
points my opponent thirty-nine.
The next deal would decide-life
and death hung on the faintest thread
which thin piece of pasteboard was
to sunder or protect.
What I felt I cannot describe +; it
ives allied to the feeling of the ship
wrecked sailor, who swayed at the
mercy of the wind and wave on a
fragile plank, sees in the. boundlesS
| horizon faint speck, which he fears
is going away from him, when all his
heart is in the hope of It's approach.
ing. Or like the hunter aiming at
sons monster bear, which, If the cap
fails to serve him at the nick of time,
will crush him with single sweep Of
his gigantic paw. less aai
Few should scorn little things
they have decided the fate of empires.
notwithstanding the thoughts ag-
| itating within me-. ] contrived to keeF
all impressive face, even at the moment
| when I was allowed to make the first
cut. did It as in dream, and heard
indistinctly the explanations Of the
bystanders, who saw, some with anger
Others with pleasure, that / had turn
ed mp some card which gave FIVE
points in my favor Twas saved !
breathed more freely and the all
seemed to De pure, although it was
close and uncomfortable from its mix
ture with cheap tobacco smoke.
Suffice it to say, that my side hac
won, and I had no reason to feal
death being, portioned out of me, fol
there can be, and is. honor among
thieves"
/ was then made to give my wore
that I would not try to escape TO
three days, which ] gave, exaetine
only one condition, that my wif'
should be informed Of my absence,
The three days I passed in q room
! which was behind the one where the
above scene had taken place. Twas
furnished with papers and books, my
property was restored to me--all bn4
nv money-no considerable sum and
| food was given me on the second day,
lin quantity to saffice for the third day,
by which time the gang had removed
all portable goods and secreted them
| selves 49,. -
/ AS twelve O'Clock doomed from st.
Paul's, and was echoed in different
tones from as many different portions
/ of the metropolis, ] emerged fsoms my
retreat, and, Fastening to the nearest
/ station, obtained posse, with whom
HI reached the house and its extensions.
Is a few heavy yalnless articles of
4 furniture, couple of large presses
fol. stamping counterfeit money beds
and bedding, were all we found in the
house The underground passage
was explored; it was found to run to
a grating on the sidewalk which was
in front of house, the second from
the real place it conducted to, and
hence did not give birth to suspf-
Il -. .r 4sttls t44fs y