New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-11-13

q Uni I'm sure dot he's BY Barsdise,W a4ilt
io a WISHING someoins ~ N ecFrY aooFr.
Into -----
WON HIMSELF. ~
} 9 was going up the Mississippi in lS4e,
Judge Underwood, Of kentucky, and Henry
Clay being on board. ""That's q tough
crew from Natchez," remarked the clerk,
who came upon deck as We were about g.
ing below. They play hard and high"
"Lets 60 and look on for awhile" SAID
the Judge. go -. 'lerl@'
We went down into the saloon, where we
found two parties at play. AT one OF the
tables sat four men, about whom were
gathered a large number Of loOkers-on; and
az those proved to be the heavy players, we
Joined the spectators. The game was
..twenty-deck poker" and money was
changing hands with starting rapidity.
whose face showed plainly the ravages of an
excess that was sapping his life, and who,
afterwards learned, was cotton planter,
had staked his last dollar and ''called" his
opponents hand. He held. four queens,
against which were laid down four kings.
And he was 'broke." He started to his
feet as if to leave the table. =
of the four kings" iillaD - y o.
Give me your note, and Ill lend ye."
NO" replied the planter with an oath,
81 can do better than that, Where's Mr..
Wackman p
: "Here.y answered dark.visaged man.
..Bring the girl and boy here that
bought ut Natchez. Hold on the game just
one minute, gentlemen, and Ill make o
raise"
The man went away and shortly returned
accompanied BY the "girl and boy" Said
.girl" proved 70. be a bright mulattO woman
Of five and thirty, or thereabObts; and the
hoy" WAS her son.. 81. r-izsa
The boy was not far from ten years Of,
age, with face lighter IN color than was
his motheFs-his featstes really handsome.
ter, srising, d'here's - likely q pair for o
girl and o brat - yon can SCARE up. i paid
eight hundred dollars for 'em. y Who'll give
siYFv s ~ l5ia sii--il9d ai,s iHg FGs ~ nals
"why not put them up separate ~ r. asked
: "Twon,t do to sell ,em separate. The gal
has sworn to kill herself ii her boy IL sold
she'll be sure to keep her word. But don't
| YOU see-the womans worth more than
ask for the pair. Now what d. ye say!
| Who'll take 'em ut six hundreds" &
The owner waited . few moments with
| out receiving an answer, and then said:
Unjust have the money, 20 hero goes for
q rattle. Twenty dollars 9 throw, and thirty
chances for the pair. Come, gentlemen,
them that buys first win throw first"
Here WIS excitement ~ we'll ~ . chance
| for profit. The players took two chances
each. Then the spectators surged up, and
| twenty chances were sold as quick ~ the
planter could take the money and write
down the names. 80 Then came alull.s The
| planter took two chances, whereupon his
compani0ms took each two, more. Then
three men in the crowd doubled up
l. Two more chances, gentleMen."o
4 Clay whispered apart to the, Judge, and
then made his way to the table and threw
down twogold eagles. re - r.
What name y - &
| Give it to the woman" So, ..,s .l ..-tt.t
"Eh; the gal herselfF' s..-..s.
Eyes; give her q chance"
"AIl right. One chance for Ninette."
Before the planter could call again, Judge
Underwood placed twenty, dollars on the
| table; saying as be did 60 :l1s 1-i,-,--
"This is for the boy"
! "GOod" cried the owner of the property.
| "Here's q chance for Tommy; and that
takes the lot. Where's the clerk p
Here" = Ar -..- .a.4
"Have you got blanks for this sort Of
business?"
H. 1Yes"j ...-5. AMI g..
.SThcn, won't you fill up bill of sale for
these two, Ninette and Tommy, and leave a
place to put in the winner! Now, then,
| for the dice, gentlemen" III ...,,,.i -
The dice we're brought on and the slnaking
commenced. There were three. dice, and
1 each player was entitled to three throws.
Of the first ten throws, thirty mine was the
highest number cast. The eleventh turned
up torty-twc. Then the scores fell again
till the twenty-frst throw, when one OF the
| uo,uoc<ny.o threw NIT fOrf mine
The crowd was now all excitement.
Forty-nine was q hard point to beat. The
lowest number that ,ould be thrown was
nine-and the highest-nine sixes-was
fifty -four; making what is called an average
throw, about thirty-one and 0ne-half. OF a
hundred throws the majority will fall below
,thirty-twO. -,
AGAIN the dice ratified ii the box as the
second gamester took his turn. But his
! throw was low one. The twenty-eighth
belonged to the clerk Of the boat, who had
I now returned with the bill Of sale. He
threw forty-nine-tieing the gamester.
>"Come, Ninette, it's your turn" The
i woman started, and quivered, and pressed
her handoyer her heart. Only the groan'
ing and putting of the engine broke the still
| ness of the place.
/ "yVill the gentlemen who paid for the
chance throw for me 7" she said in low
musical tone, earnest and imploring, and Of
the purest accent e. ~ s-..si-.
"Let your boy throw for you,' returned
| Mr.. Clay, who shrank from the ordeal. "His
| luck should be better than mine
Tommy came forward and took the box
His mothers hands were clasped and her
lips moved in prayer. The boy trembled
like an aspen. What world of veal OF
woe hung upon the tickle chance. He held
| in his hand the sealed book in which was
/ written the fate Of his mother and himself ;
and it was to be opened on the hazard Of q
| die. 3T@TT0Yr
He shook the box, and turned the dice
upon the table. Three aces! A moment he
gazed on the three single spots. and then
dropping the box, he sank back pale and
frightened.
'.Shake again, Tommy" said the planter
"Its no use, master, can't get forty,
| nine.' ......... ... d. .,-a-.-..
But you have got your own chance, my
boy" 7,..- -......,
AYE" cried the Judge, ''that was your
mothers chance. Now throw for the chance
! gave yOu-throw for y0urself-braee up
and take heart-and may Heaven help you.
That was not an assembly Of reigiously
inclined persons, by any means, but the fer
vent petition Of the Judge met with a warm
and impulsive response Of "Amen !" from
nearly all present.
Again the boy came forward and lifted the
box His lips were tightly shut, and the
old Quivering Of the limbs was hushed. The
u only sound in that saloon, above the deep
fReathing Of the spectators, was the clicking
b the ivory cubes. Presently the first
; throw was made.
4 ~ ..Hye--fye--six, are sixteen Y. announced
l Al. ~ ha