The mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1863-1943, 1865-03-18
A Came at Cards:

ming t9oleS ct AK 10 Chapeile In those
days, and the major looked in for two OF
three hours every afternoon ct Kursaal.
As rule, although q careless player, be
won largely; one night he carried away
5000 NapOleons; on another he broke the
bank which was limited to 5000. But il
was observed he never approached the
roulette table, addicting himself always to
the rouge ct noir or trente ct quarante-
game which, as you should know, is
played With cards, and In no way depends
upon the treacherous evolutiOns Of an
ivory ball.
After oil, these attendances at the Kur-
saal were only pour Sc desuaire. 1t was
in private that Major Sprott made his
largest gains. At lansquenet, at picquet,
at ecarte, at whist, at vingt. et-un, he was
unconquerable. He always won, and that,
too, by seeming the most Indifferent play
er. At loo he is said to have amassed
enormous sums.
1t was impossible to bring against him
the slightest accusation of foul play, but
at last the grand dukes and ambassadors
whose pockets he emptied began to look
with some uneasiness upon the terrible
American. He didn't play on a system,
he scarcely looked at his cards; and yet
he always won.
There was at this time at AK dashing
adventurer, Of Irish extraction, whose real
name is believed to have been O'Kelly,
but who called himself the Baron de Kolli
He had been mixed up in the mysterious
and diSreputable intrigue by means of
which the British government endeavor.
ed, but unsuccessfully. to release Ferdi
nand of Spain 0he Virgins petticoat en-
broiderer) from the clutches of Napoleon
at Bayonne.
The Baron de Kolli had come to AK on
the chance ofSomething turning up in the
way Of adventure or Of swindling, and
lived from hand to mouth like high met
tied gamester as he was lie could not
obtain admission to the patrician society
in which Major Sprott was welcome
guest, but the Kursaal was open to every
body who had decent coat on his back,
and TO the Kursaal, and to the trente ct
quarante table, the Baron de Kolli came
afternoon after afternoon, playing little
when the odds were favorable, but occu-
pying himself much more with watching
the game of the man with tho tortoise
shell Spectacles.
1t CHANGED one day that, as Maj Sprott
was bending across the green baize to
stake handful Of Napoleons on the red,
one of the strings which, beside the tor
toise shell, confined the spectacles to his
head, became loosened, and those append.
ages slid off his nose and fell on the ho3r.
lie stopped rapidly to pick them up; but
the Baron de Kolli had been beforehand
with him. lie had placed the heel of one
of his large Hessian boots on the glasses,
and crushed them into hundred frag.
ments.
Major Sprott (he had won the stake by
the way) looked extremely disconnected,
and turned towards the Irishman, as if
for an apology; but the latter coolly whis,
nered--
did it on purpose. You may pick up
the pieces and put them in your pocket, if
you like; think I've spoilt your little
game, my darling
Maj. Sprott angrily shrugged his shoul
ders, muttered something about an 'awk-
wark boor, and, pocketing his winnings,
turned to leave the room, when the Baron
de Kolli laid his hand on his wrist.
You'll just 60 on playing, my jewel,
he whispered-'just for one little hour.
| want to see how you'll get on without
those cat back barnacles of yours. If you
don't, l declare that I'll pick quarrel
with you, and blow your brains out be-
fore sunrise to. morrow
The Baron de Kolli looked as though
he could be as good as his word, and the
Major went on playing without his tor
toise shell spectacles. He staked low, till
the Baron whispered to him that, unless
he put on the NApoleons little faster, he
should be compelled to carry out his prom
Use. At the end Of about half an hour,
Major Sprott had lost eight hundred Ma.
poleons.
And now,' he said familiarIy, taking
the Majors arm. 'we'll just stroll to the
roulette room, and see what they are do
ing there
'Tush! don't want to be ruined, quoth
Major Sprott. 4 play to win, and not to
lose. Baron. Here, come this way and
we'll settle this little matter outside
They walked into the garden of the
Kursaal; and when they had reached Sc
cluded nook, the American said
4 suppose you are not overburdened
with worldly wealth, Baron?'
4 am as poor he replied, as Job, or q
gentleman could well be-
4 thought so. Well, you have broken
my spectacles, and spoilt, as you say, my
little game; and, besides, you have killed
the goose that laid the golden eggs |
could easily leave you ba1fled and uncer-
tain but like peace and quietness, and
would rather not have spy watching my
movements. Here are five rouleaux, each
containing hundred Napoleons, for you
to hold your tongue forty. y.eight hours, by
which time shall be across the French
frontier. Will that do?'
The Baron bowed and protested his
eternal gratitude. The MAJ or gave him
the money which he lost in fortnight at
roulette.
AS for Major Sprott, he discharged his
bill at the hotel, and, leaving a handsome
gratuity for the servants, left AK the
next morning in a post chaise for Bele-
ium. He forgot. however, to bid farewell
to the Princess Scheutsikoff and Made.
moiselle Catin; and, after his departure it
was found the rubies and diamonds he
had been so liberal disposer of were all
paste.
AS for his tortoise shell spectacles and
the connection between those apparently
harmless aids to weak sight, that mystery
was not cleared up till ten years after.
wards In 1925 man named Gougen.
helm was tried before the criminal court
Of assize at Cologne, charged with half q
dozen acts of swindling and forgery. He
made, after conviction, a clean breast of
it; and as is usually the case with repent
ant rogues, volunteered the confession of