The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1869-06-20

Shall bring me one day near that
Bright day that has no end.
Z-A-----o1-e,-A--
HUNTED DOWN, TALE OF THE " EST,
BY W. SCOTT WAY.
The timeAa beautiful summers night
in the year of our Lord one Thousand
eight hundred and fifty. The scene
the social saloon of the beautiful steamer
Mercury, as she steamed swiftly down
the Missouri river. ~
sI'll play poker with ahy chap present,
ante" said rough looking customer,
walking to table and throwing a pack
of cards upon it; who'll play?"
elbow much ante did you say, stran-
ger?" asked green specimen of human
ity, on the long, lank, and bony order,
from, his seat in tho corner. = His cloth.
ing was of rough material and ft-him
poorly; his, hat was beaver that looked
as though it had seen much rough usage
and many storms; his forehead asihigh
and we'll formed, his nose prominent,
and his eyes dark and small. The re-
.naipder Of his face was covered with
thick, coarse hair.
,,sFiye, ten, fifteen, or twenty. is what
I said," the rough looking customer re-
piled, seating himself at the table and
running the cards through his fingers
"you know how to play, J. suppose?"
ttWal, l reckon Jim Brown knows
somethin' about keerds when his dad
drawed his last breathe q playin' all
fours! The last words he sed were right
'em up an shuttle 'em out, pardner !;
high, low. jack an the game for us, or
busted biler! Yes, stranger" the green
customer concluded, "I'll play yea poker
for ten dollars ante. I can't begin any
higher IAN that cause I'm rather scarce
o. tin"
"A green one," whispered the gambler
to friend, as Jim Brown seated himself
on the opposite side of the table, s'and if
I don't clean him out Of every cent he's
got, in less than two hours, my nome
amt Joe Sparks, that's ALL"
The cards were now shufled, cut and
dealt, the ante posted in the middle Of
the table, and the game commenced.
Brown ives allowed to win until he had
pulled abor; fifty dollars to his side of
the table, aid then the luck suddenly
turned and his opponent began to win it
rapidly back.
'sJingop' he exclaimed, ST never had
sich luck in my life. Can't git nothin'
but deuces an queens, an queens is the
durndes unluckiest keerds in the whole
pack. If my father was alive an here
now, he'd say to me, Jim Brown o.
Arkansas, can't own son O. mine
when he holds sich hands as them
jingo! I've lost aginP'
"Let US raise the ante to twenty dol
lars," said Sparks, pulling the money
from the centre of the table.
''Jingo its too much! You'll bust
mel" exclaimed Brown, half jumping
lii al G1,,,t k,.xv
raise in the ante II change the luck
Shuttle 'em up"
Sparks dealt the cards out, one ut a
time until each had five, and then placed
q twenty dollar bill in the centre Of the
table. .
"Jingov exclaimed Brown looking at
his cards, "I'll bet twenty five on her, if
I do lose" ..w T.:
'sSee your twenty and go one
hundred better, said Joe Sparks with q
smile.
''See your hundred, and put five hun
dred on top Of it; there's no use O. bet
tin without you bet, rs dad used to say"
Brown calculated, taking roll OF bills
from an inside pocket and laying the
amount he had bet on the table; and
then, turning suddenly round, he said to
q man who had been sitting behind him
from the time the game had commenced:
''Look here, stranger, I've seed you
lookin' into my hand twice, an then
wink at this chap am playin' with, an
if I see you do it again I'll smash you in
the face, that's ALL"
"I'll see your five hundred, and go one
thousand better" said Sparks, putting
up the money.
"Jingo! you:mean bettin'," exclaimed
Jim Brown, of Arkansas, "wal, I'm still
in, guess; I'll go ye five thousand bet
ter!'
ST call you," said his opponent, lay