Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-11-30
Won Himself.


about going below. "They play hard and |
high"
Let's 20 and look on for awhile" said /
the Judge
We went down into the saloon. where .
We found two parties at play. At one of
the tables sat four men, about whom We're |
gathered large number Of lookCrs-on ; |
and rs those proved to Toe the heavy play !
els, we joined the spectators. The game |
was "rwenty-dcCk poker, y and money was !
changing hands with startling rapidity.
One Of the players q middie-aged man, .
whose face showed plainly the ravagos Of
an excess that was sapping his life, and
who, ! afterwards learned was Il cotton
planter, had stakcd his last dollar and
called his opponents hand. He had
four queens, AGAINST v hich were laid down
four kings. And he Wa. broke He
started Ia his feet as if to leave the table.
Are ye dead broke, Colonel ~ asked he
of the four kings.n
"Ies--tu the last picayune.n
Give Inc your note, and I'll lend ye."
No replied the planter with an oath,
II can do better than that. Where's Mr..
Wackman?n
Here" answered dark -visaged man.
Bring the girl and boy here that I
bought at Natche2. Hold on the game
just one minute, gentlemen. and I'll make
a raise
The man went away and shortly return
ed accompanied by the "girl and boy
Said "girln proved TO he bright mulatto
woman of five and thirty, or thereahouts
and the "boyo was her son.
| The boy was not fur from ten years ui
/ age with Il face lighter in color than was
! his mothcrs-his features really hand
some.
Look here, geutlemen,n spoke the plan
| ter, arising, =" here's ~ likely a pair for a
| girl and brat as you can scare up. paid
eight hundred dollars for 'em. Who'll give
! six ?'
"Why not put them up separator ask
ed one.
"Twon't do to sell 'cm separate. The
gal has sworn to kill herself if her boy is
sold away from her, and her old master
says she'll be sure to keep her word Bat,
don't you see--the woman's worth more
than | ask for the pair Now, what ii yc
say? Who'll take 'em at six hundred?'
The owner waited a few moments with
out receiving an answer, and then said:
al must have the money, so here goes
for 4 rattle. Twenty dollars a throw, and
thirty throws for the pair. Come, gentle
men, them that buys first will throw
| first
Here was excitement rs well as a chance
/ for profit. The players took two chances
! each. Then the spectators surged up, and
! twenty chances were sold as quick rs the
| planter could take the money and write
down the names. Then came a lull. The
planter took two chances, whereupon his
companions took each two more. Then
three men in the crowd doubled up
/ 1.-Two more chances, gentlemen
Clay whispered apart to the Judge, and
then made his way to the table and threw
down two gold pieces.
" What uame?N
Give it TO the woman
Eh, the gal hcrsclf?"
CiX 10 q tbon.a -
An right. one chance for Ninette.o
Before the planter ould call again, Judge
Underwood placed twenty dollars on the
table, saying ~ he did 50;
This is for the boy
" Good cried the owner Of the proper
ty. Here's chance for Tommy, and
that takes the lot Where's the clerk ~
" Have you got blanks for this sort OF
business ?'
d" Yes
" Then, won't you fill up a bill Of sale
for these two, Ninette and Tommy, and
leave place to put in the winner? Now,
then, for the dice, gentlemen
The dice were brought ON and the
shaking commenced. There We're three
dice, and each player was entitled to three
throws, OF the first ten throws, thirty
nine was the highest number cast. The
eleventh turned up fOrty-two. Then the
when one Of the gamesJcr4 threw out for
ty-nine.
The crowd was now all excitement.
. l'Orty-ninc was a hard point to beat. The
lowest number that could he thrown was
, niue-and the highe-t-nine siXes-was
hfty-four; making what is called an aver
age throw about thirty-one and one-half.
Of a hundred throws the majority will fall
below thiTty-tWo.
Again the dice ratified in the box as the
second gumestcr took h> turn But his
) throw was u low one. The twenty-cighth
belonged 10 the clerk oI lhe boat who had
, now returned with the bill Of sale. He
! threw fOrty-ninC-liciuu The gamestcr.
Come, Ninette, its your turn The
woman started, and quiyered, and pressed
her hand over her heart. Only the groan'
| ing and pulling Of the engine broke the
stiffness Of the place.
VIII the gentleman who paid for the
chance throw for me?'' she said i'm low
musical tone, earnest and imploring, ano
f Of the purest accent
Let your hoy throw for you returned
% Mr.. Clay, who shranI from the ordeal
" his luck should be better than mine
Tommy came forward and took the box
His mothers hands We're clasped and he
/, lips moved in prayer. The hoy trembleC
4 ! like an aspen. What world of veal o
4 woe hung upon the tickle chance. He hel,
b i'm his hand the sealed book in which wa
, written the fate of his mother and himsalf