The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1871-11-21
F O u r A C E s.
4 Thrilling California Gambling
Incident OF 1919.

the same principle his awkwardness soon
gave him notoriety Not this only
like One-eyed Tom, Spindle had made
one Of the happiest hits of the day
Young, passionate, ,elated beyond degree
with the sp!endor of his prospects, It
was no surprise that he should court the
favor of the pale-faced gamblers, who
were the aristocrats of the camp. 1t
was no wonder that they should discov,
er his weakness and determine to "salt"
him. Play2 No, no Spindle did not
play; he only came in to watch the
game; it was tiresome, sitting there in
the tent alone cry it; double your
stake on 'threes, triple it on full, "
said a pleasant faced fellow, who was
just raking in hundred slugs or more.
Spindle was inclined to listen. "rell
you what to do said the gambler, con
tinuine "go me halves for an hour, and
see how you come out Spindle did
so. At the end of the hour he had
won stake of several thousand doI-
lars Spindle was fascinated 81 will
double this tomorrow night" said he
mentally, as he left the gamblers tent
He doubled it. "This must be trippled,"
said Spindle as he sought the tent again ;
two nights after it was trippled, spin
die means to break or be BROKEN" said
the by ISLANDERS, one night, about week
after his original venture. ''Look at the
dust he is betting" He is. indeed, bet.
ting heavily The rattlesnake has charm
ed him. Bet after bet, till the winnings
of the week have left him :; bet after bet,
till its earnings are also gone-till the
last SLUG" is up,and he has but a single
sight for it Woe TO him,for he wins !!
The tide is floating again; and Spindle
is even. }"Safe, SAFE he remarks, bet
ting a hundred "slugs' as ''blind'' on
the strength of his confidence One by
one the cards go round to the players.
Spindle does not look at his, but gath
ers them under his hand on the table -
~ see your blind and 90 you hum
dred better" 1t was eagle nose" who
spoke-"Eagle-nose, the lucky" Spindle
looks at his cards. He has first class
hand-four queens and king; four aces
only will heat him. Eagle nose can
have but three of those, for he saw one
on the bottom of the pack, as the gam
bier laid the cards on the table the gam
bier meant that he should see it. see
your bet and raise you hundred bet
ter" replied Spindle. Eagle-nose is .un-
certain. He looks wistfully at the gold,
furtively at his antagonist, and very
carefully at the cards in his hand 'He
waits: he weakens," said Spindle to him
self. 81 thought he was 'bIulling.'"
Spindle does not see the smile on the
face of the bystander az the back of the
gambler, or he would think differently
Rising from the rough stool on which
he sits, Eagle nose steps back "a the
tent and opens strong wooden chest.
Two bags of dust are taken from it, and
the gambler staggers under the heavy
load, as he brings it toward the Able.-
Spindle sees $4,000 mark on each of
them. "Bet you them ere things" said
Eagle-nose, as he lays the two bags with
the other gold 1t is now Spindle's turn
to hesitate Can it be that he has the
other ace? No, he will not think it !;
but what shall he do2 He has not mon-
ey enough on hand to ''call' him. He
does not wish to do this; it would be
cowardlv. "Ha!' says Spindle, II have
it now; | will bet my claim and the few
thousands l have lett against his pile, if
it only be large enough" This TO him
self. Then to Eagle-nose, whats your
pile p i"rhere are five more bags in the
chest" said the gambler quietly; "what
do you do?" "Bet my claim against
your pile" said Spindle, intensely excl
ted The bet was taken. Spindle threw
his cards upon the table with half par
alyzed motions and face whittier than the
tent above him--four queens and king.
Eagle-nose fled his off, one by one
three aces, king, and an ace. Not q
word was spoken by either. Spindle
could not have spoken, and Eagle nose
had no reason for so doing. A few mo-
ments afterward the ruined miner stag
ger ed to the door of the tent, passed
out into the moonlight, and the game
goes on as ever.
Half an hour later Spindle sat in his
tent alone. Before him was the picture
of fair, sweet face, that had won his
love but Il few years back. Nobody
sees him weep viii he wa ches the play
OF light in its eloquent eyes. You could
step in, and step heavily, too, without
startling him. He is lost in reproach-
iul thought, leading down to despair
All that he had hoped to do has vanish.
ed Last night, rich in gold; tonight,
bankrupt Why should he live? lie
can hear the roar of the Yuka as it tum-
bles over the cliff only q mile above
him. He steps out into the open air !;
the cataract glimmers in the distance,
and the sound Of its waters soothes and
fascinates him. Nobo ly will miss him;
why should he hesitate
He moves toward it with eager bound
and determined purpose. Up the rocky
hill-up, up, up, till he stands on the
edge of the precipie,, far above the
fall. He looks at the white tents in the
distance; hate is blazoned on every one
of them. He looks at the wliite spray,
far, far below him; a hundred pbantoms
bescech him to come to them. A pause,
for an instant only a whispered some
thing-was it a prayer? A quick, .er-
rible leap-then the same soft moon
light as before on the fower-clad hills
around, on the white tents of the sleep
ing camp, and on the whiter face of the
cataract From Roses Bar" In tile
NoremJef Overland Moathly.
One of our vicinity deacons nearly
captured five boys who had been devas
tating his chestnut trees. Shaking his
fist after their ret.eating forms, he an
grily shouted "The sneaking little dev-
lis; if had hold of 'em one minute
I'd" and then, suddenly espying bis
pastor on the scene he impressively add
ed, I'D pray for 'em, ,"--Dunbury Ne'es