The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1866-04-18
THE DUEL ON THE Dixie,
MODEL FOR A SENSATION STORY.


The grand saloons Of the steamer Kisci.
coquilas we're crowded with passengers.
The ladies in the after portion lounged
upon the luxurious diyaus, slipping cool
ing beverages or sleeping over recent lit
erature, and in aud out among them
played dark.eyed child who now and
then cried petulantly for his papa. The
latter sat in the dim, close forward cabin,
at one of the many card tables. He was
pale and agitated !, for he vas losing heav-
lily. Little by little Fortune had beck.
oned him on, and now that she was re-
cediug he gambled rtckl ssly +; but The
cool, clever gentleman, with curling hair
sitting opposite swept off the eagles with
out smile. The loser was wild, at each
misfortune he doubled his stakes, the
winner always closing with him, though
carles,ly; and it was not hard to read in
the formers darkening face that he
counted his losses seriously. 1t was a
game of poker, and there were many par.
ticipants, but these two divided all atten.
tion. Five cards were dealt to each, and
the players wagered upon the relative
values of the suits of sequences. If the
troubled man held lolr tens, the other
was certain to hold four knaves; twics
he held all these kings; the othei held
four aces.
Il don't own dime In tho world =
cried the pale gentleman at last, will you
place two hundred dollars against my
watehr
The person with the flowing hair bowed
politely. .
Il 60 the watch upon my hand + cried
the pale man, sanguincly desperate
i raise you two hundred dollars an
swered the cool person, gravely. you
have handsome emerald upon your fin.
ger-will you take 1t for that amountr
The pale man threw The ring down
with curse. il-- -f.. 4Nos iaHb
Il show four queens ? he said. @
'The ring and watch are mine replied
the other calmly. Il show four kings !!
The pale man sprang from his chair with
a howl Il call God TO witness that l
have been swindled ! he hissed. Il am
diszraced, ruined The money which l
have lost was not mine. That man has
made me a thief, and he wears upon bis
finger my poor Wifo's Wedding ringp In
another instant he had scattered his brains
over the bystanders,
The survivor wiped his Goa! compla
Gently and lit fresh cigar. ''H 3 '''
The steamer wOs pausing at some sta.
tion, and amid the haste and confusion,
he stepped pleasantly ashore. The lines
had been cast adrift; the wheels spun
round again; the boat moved on, when a
thrill, piercing scream arose from the
throng. Itwas the durk.eyed child, he
had found his papa, "
Come here, my little mars's,' said au
old negro steward Hitting the boy aloft
and wiping his. eyes. Does you see a
gentleman yoSder On the quay-a mos
respectable gentleman aswyn in de hack
Dat man has got yer pas golden jewels
The boy marked hercely through his
tears the shaped limbs and long brigh,
ringlets, and on the Strangers white hand
the glitter Of the dead m,n's gem. A
gush of grief drowned cut the scene, and
the steamer drifted slowly away.
Twenty years followed, and each yeal
witnessed upon the western waters is hos
of dupes aud blacklegs. Aut among The
latter class there was one siDguarity ex
centric and successful. He never lost.
There was no impossibilities ir the
games which he. played. He was nee
romancer; with soms there were chances
I-he made all chances a certainty. He
plundered the poor and the rich, vel
cast their purses back again with scorn
in his dark eyes, and he was invariably
searching for q gentlemen tourist with
flowing hair, upon whose track he seemed
to be forever, yet whom he never found
AT times he would leap from the gambling
table, as steamer passed, exclaiming
that he saw tho object Of his search and
Offering the captain his fortune to turn
ard overtake him. He remarked him
upon RATS, and landings, and in recedlng
villages and among the thousand faces
busy cities. Yet, with those glimpses,
the figure passed away, and the years
dragged by, and the travelling public
thouglt : the young man crazy though
not upon the subject Of cards.
| They met one day-the pursuer and
pursued-afier all those twenty years. II
was a fair afternoon upon the steamer
Kisiecoquiilas. They sat in the forward
cabin at one of the many tables, and the
floor at the feet of the pursuer was dark
| with ancient blood stanS.
4 beg your pardon be- said quietly
bending his dark eyes upon his opponent;
will you change places With me y. g.
| The flowing hair Of the other was very
grey, but he was calm, az winter, and fol
a moment he only falterpd, ul f,8s.
IF you insist, ,"he answered qpietly,--
1t can give you no advantage, sgg S,.
They were wonderfully matched, but
the young man won. They wagered OK,
travagantly, and they wlited deliberate.
ly / but the young man always won.l
| Twill play you my Natch,' said the
elderly person ] and the Iouug man again
"VVu.i .s 10y pi. f.ua I4flhi L16 ,iskl o
Here are sleeve buttols, and here 10
brooch he said again, qet Hs 60 on !
and the young man wen.
IT a.. so,L;,,, -, ,,oro ,rn;,.a A., ,h,,iS ~, /,