Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-12-09


Spindle WHs new arrival. The camp, With
customary propriety. had dubbed him thus
because he was 50 slim. On the same principle
hi spSss sss sG,
sionste, elated beyond degree with the splendor
OF his prospects, it was no surprise that he sbouI
court the pale faced gamblers, who we're the
they should discover his weakness and determine
TO ''sait" him. PlayP No, NO; Spindle did not
tiresOme sitting there in the tent alone. . Try
1t; double your stakes on 'threes, triple II on
.full,'" said pleasant faced fellow, who was
was inclined to listen. Tell you what to do y
said the gambler, continuing: ego me halves for
an hour, and see how you come out" Spindle
At the end of the hour he had won a /" stake,
of several thousand dollars. Spindle was fas-
c.nsted &c will double this tomorrow night"
a ne a ne left the gambler. tent
Spindle. as he sought the tent again; two nights
afterwards it was trippled. "Spindle means to
break or to be broken" said the bystanders, one
night, about week after his original venture,
" Look at tie dust he is betting" He is, indeed,
betting heavily. The rattlesnSke has charmed
him: Bet after bet, till the winnings of the
ing are all gone-till the lastr' slug is up, and
lie has but a sin gle sight" for it. Woe to him
for he wins! The tide is floating again, and
Spindle is even. ''Safe, safe" he remarks bet
ting hundred slugs' rs a {" blind" on the
sta, Myth of his confidence. One by one the cards
go round to the players. Spindle does not look
al bis, but gathers them under his hand on the
ta0le. % see your blind and go you hun
dred better" II was +" EaglenOse" who spoke
EaglenOse, the lucky" Spindle looks at his
card. He has a INST class hand-four queens
EaglenOse 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 gambler
meant that he should see it.
i a hat
ter" replied Spindle. Eaglenose is nAcertain
He looks wistfully at the gold, furtively at his
his hand. 3. He waits, he week.-mrs." said Spin
die to himself. 81 thought he was 'blufing.'n
Spindle does not see the smile on the face OF the
bystander at the back of the gambler, or he
would think very differently. Rising from the
rough stool on which sits, Eaglenose steps back
in the tent and opens a strong wooden chest.
Two bags OF dust are taken from it, and the
gambler staggers under the heavy load, as he
brings it towards the table. Spindle sees a
$40, 600 mark on each Of them. "Bet you them
ere things, says Eaglenose, as he lays the two
turn to hesitate. Can 1T be that he has the other
ace? No, he will not think il; but what sh all he
do? He has not money enough on hand to "ealr'
cowardly. 4" Hap says Spindle, az have it
now; will bet my claim and the few thousands
l have left against his pile, if it emily be large
What's your pile?'', There are five more
bags i'm tie chest" said the gambler ouietlv:
what do you dO?" 8. Bet INV claim against
your pile" said Spindle, intensely excited.
The bet was taken. Spindle threw his cards
upon the table with half paralyzed motion
ana a face whittier than the tent above him
four queens and a king. Eaglenose filed his
OF, one by one-three aces, king and an Ace
Not wOri was spoken by either, and EAGLE
nose had no reason for so doing. a few mo-
ments afterwards the ruined miner staggered
to the door of the tent, passed out into the moon
light and the game goes on ever.
Half an hour later Spindle sat in his tent
alone. b fore him was the picture of fair
sweet face, that had won his love but a few
years back. Nobody sees him weep while he
watches the play of light in its eloquent ewes
fOn could step in, and step heavily too with
ont startling him. He is lost in rerroachfnl
thought, leading down to despair. All that he
had hoped TO 10 has vanished. Last night rich
IN gold. to night, bankrupt. WHY. then should
he live? He ran hear the roar OF the Yuba as IL
tumbles over the cliff only mile above him
lie steps out into the open air; the cataract
giinln,ers in the distance, and the sound of its
waters soothes and fascinates him. Nobody
will miss him; why should he hesitate p
He moves toward II with eager bound and de-
UP, till ne stands on tie edge of the precipics'
far above the fan. He looks at the white tents
in the distance; hate is blazOned on every one of
them. He looks at the white spray, far, far be-
low him; hundred phantoms beseech him 70
come to them. A pause, for an instant only, a
whispered something-was it a praycr?
quick, terrible leap, then the same moonlight
AZ before shOne on the 1Ower-clad hills around
on the white tents of the sleeping camp and on
the whittier face of the cataract-Eron. "Rose's
Car" in the NOreBsber Overland Monthly.