, 1864-12-23

him and held him up, just as he showed you,
until the steamers boat picked them both up,
and brought them on board again. The captain
came down on Rodden, but ROdden drew a bow
lie knife and showed fight The boat had
touched at Memphis, and before anything could
be done he broke away and was clear. His
mother, elegant and imperturable as ever had
their baggage taken ashore, and we were soon
on our way, like the river, and life and all that
sort of thing, and forgot all about the adven-
ture. One can't remember everything, as the
man said when he went to the woods to chop
and forgot his ak. got through with my bus
mess at New Orleans. 1t city then, full
of wealth and beauty, lying, a purple grape, in
the suR fpll Of luscious pulp and sweetness
Well it is just like grape skin now, sucked
and thrown under foot to be trodden on; but
we'll adjourn that subject
On the fifth of May left New Orleans to re-
turn North. I went on board that palace of a
boat, Black Hawk, and almost the first person |
saw was ROdden's mother. There she was with
the same statelypresence, the same shaven fore
head, and false front, the same rich lace ~and
moire antique: to which were now added flash
ing jewels; and there was the pretty little wo-
man, with her baby, and now about year old,
and both dressed in the same snowy manner; and
presently | saw the hard-faced gambler, Rod
den. The young mother and her baby looked
pale and ILL the old mother and her hopeful
looked flushed and eager for prey. | paid so
much attention to those people, and thought so
much Of what they had probably been doing all
winter in New Orleans that rather neglected
the other passengers but the day after we start
ed observed a particularly green-looking indi-
Yidual, with light haXen hair, an awkward
slouched hat, blue hOme-spun pantalOOns, and
a butternut-cOlOred coat, which seemed to me
both hOmespun and homemade; be had old
yarn gloves on, which he never removed except
- ! l., L. ] l.
the gambler, for it had somehow transpired that
this gawky, homespun individual had been to
New Orleans with a considerable cargo Of bacon
and cheese. thought of poor Greene and his
three thousand dollars. One day | saw ROdden
and the stranger-'Ike, so he called himself
together.
No matter about my name mister, said he,
call me Ike; I'll answer to that, till the cows
come home. You can't come it over me calling
me mister. How do know but you are one of
them fellows that plays poker, and allus winsY
q never played but three games of poker in
my life,' said Rodden, but III play euchre with
you for the drinks
No you don't Look o. here, mister, putting
down the lower eyelash, do you see anything
green there =?
Il see that you have cut your eye-teeth, said
ROdden. Il wouldn't undertake to cheat you,
if cheating my trade, which, am happy to
say, it is not
You don't say Good lookin' but ye can't
come in. shant play for the drinks nor for
nothing else. l promised Susy, when come
away, that | wouldn't itch a kaird the hull
time was off; an no more l won't. You see,
FIVE thousand dollars worth of bacon and cheese
wouldn't be no shakes at all to one o them fell
lers that plays poker
That's So said Rodden you are wise
Yes, an that amt the hull on t, for my mon
ey's in the cap'n's safe, and, what's more, it Il
stay there till half an hour atore | land.
'At=? said Rodden, suggestiyely.
'At-yes, 0t but where at is, you'll have to
find out, for told Susy I d keep dark as wood
chuck S hole, and not talk to nobody more'n
was rally necessary. As to you, | wouldn't
mind telling you, for took to you at wonst.-
You are smart but you can't keep hotel, or
you wouldn't come at me about kairds. You
might have known wouldn't play, by the looks
of me-
Rodden was perseyering; the man in home
spun was firm. The young wife seemed more
i'll, terrified, and miserable, every hour; the old.
mother more hard, proud, and mperious She
would take the baby, keep it from its mother,
and believe pinch it, simply to torture the poor
woman. Rodden never interfered to protect
her. What life that poor thing was leading,
and what a fate for her child One evening |
heard Rodden talking to the gawky man about
play
Look o here now, said the latter, 'ef you ey-
er say kairds to me agin, Pll pitch into ye.
am a man o. my word, specially whenmy words
given to Susy But have got pocket full of
dice, and they amt loaded dice nuther. Eff you
want to play enough to bet something handsome
agin my terbacker-bOx, I'll play with you
He drew out a very ancient silver box, of
about five dollars weight and laid it on the Ia
BILE Rodden sat down to business, with a CLEAN
in his dark eye that meant mischief. He won
t-then lost it. 1t was lost and won several
times, but rested at last in the pocket of the
countryman.
Smart fellow, but you can't keep a hotel, nor
win my terbacker-box, said he.
The next day they played again, and he lost
his box, and watch and thirty dollars but next
time he won again, and so surprisingly that the
gambler lost pretty nearly all he had to lose,
and then the countryman refused to play any
longer.
Not tonight, anyhow said he. 4 might be
willing to play tomorrow, but l want to sleep
with my pockets full one night I allus put my
own money in the capn's safe, but III keep this
ere that was yourn, in my berth tonight, to
sleep on, just for luck
THAT foolish fellow will be robbed tonight,
said to myself and may be murdered had
such presentiment of mishief, that I could not
go to sleep, and at midnight, when heard him
go to bed, knocked at his state-room door, and
said, will you allow me to speak to your
Il know what you'r re gonter to say, said he,
'but never you lay awake my account. l
amt baby, and l know what that Rodden is
gonter do, as well as you do. But he IS barkin'
up the wrong tree Look O. here, mister, said
be, and he drew out tremendous bowie knife
from the back of his neck, and showed me
der his pillow a six-shooter 4 reckon these
ere will do his business, if he comes arter me
and my winnins.
left the man, reassured, and returned to my
berth, but not to sleep. The boat went snort
ing and roaring on her way up the gloomy river.
1t was a high food, and if any accident hap
pened to the boat there was poor chance for
the passengers. More than once we had steamed
past the floating corpses from burntor exploded
steamers. As lay thinking Of all this, heard
a step. The countryman slept with his door
open. he would choke to death at onct, he
said, IF he didn't get the air. People brought
up in log houses are apt to feel So sprdng to
my feet, and crept towards his state-room. The
door was shut. There was the sudden explo-
sion of pistol, followed by a fierce cry.
opened the door. Rodden had fallen on the
floor, but he sprang to his feet with cut across
his hand, and one of his ears shot off He
dashed out Of the door the countryman ex~
claimed -