The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-01-25

| my forehead, and a terrible dryness
seized my throat. A 6end like expires
sion of delight spread over the wretche's 5
face as he noticed these symtoms of
terror his thin lips were drawn back
in a devlish grin his greeuish eyes were
fixed on me With the malicious gaze of a
cat watching Gagged bird
Gathering all the resolution [ could
muster, replied
81 have heard of Silas Cass, but real
| " can't believe the stories they tell
about him. Some people are born un'
lucky, and it has been the misfortune
to Cass to be.placed in suspicious circum.
stances but there has never been any
proof of his guilt, and therefore pre-
fer giving him the benefit Of the doubt
in fact, think he is more sinned
against than SHINING.
The monster threw himself back and
roard with laughter at what he thought
my credulity, and pushing the whisky
bottle toward me, ordered me to drink.
I placed the bottle to my lips, aud
pretended to take hearty draught, but
very little of the fiery liquid entered my
mouth.
"Wal, you air queer cuss." said the
rufian. "Now, shouldn't be surprised
if those saddle-bag of yours held good
amount Of dollars?"
ga few," replied ; "aud there is a
tale belonging to them"
'.Jusi so" said Silas, pushing the
whiskey, bottle toward me. "S'posing
you take another pull"
took hold of the bottle, aud kept it
glued to my lips for such length of
time that Silas's eyes seemed ready to
start out Of their sockets.
"Guess you're tall drinker, stran-
GER" he said.
"Yes," 1 replied, in as drunken a
voice as I could assume; "that's how
came by those dollars"
"Bully for you" griuned Silas. "l've
heard of many boy drinking himself
out of { fortune, but ne'er a one that
drunk himself rich"
"Oh," sighed l, with drunken earn
estness, 81 once was honest"
"Once!" said he, opening his eyes
"Yes," 1 replied | held place 10
the Broadway Bank as one of the chief
tellers but took to gaming AID drink
ing, and lost all my money"
oval, that didn't make you rich p
mo; but in fit Of respiration | en-
ptied my till, and the dollars are there"
"Whew ~ whistlcd Silas. Il guess
you did it up pretty spry ?"
"You haven't any cards about you Z"
asked.
81 guess l have, though" he replied
''s'posng We have game Of poke" "
Ny heart beat with delight as he drew
pack from his pocket, and, grasping
the cards, commenced dealing them
with the assumed eagerncss of q regular
ganester.
saw the wretch cheat me every
time lost and lost; still, | continued
playing, onlj repentiug my losses 10 a
maudIiu drunken way, that made my
companion roar with laughter. lie con-
menced to thoroughly enjoy himself di-
rec,ly he saw my mysery; he lighted his
pipe, and began smoking He did net
puff out the smoke as an ordinary mau
would have done, bu: opened his mouth
and let the dense clouds roll round his
horrible tusks and long, thin tongue
Each time he won, he seized the bottle
and drank heavily Of the whisky. When
the bottle was finished, he produced
another from a small cupboard at the
back of the hut. This soon disappeared,
and was replaced by another; but the
more he took the better he seemed. As
he swept up my dollars he roared with
delight, fingius his huge legs about in
the most grotesque mauuer. He began
chanting bits of songs, certainly not fit
for respectable society. To make the
scene more horrible, the storm without
had become so violent that the hut
shook beneath the heavy claps of thun-
der, and the blue lightning flashed
through the cracks between the logs
that composed the walls perfectly paling
the red light of our FIRE. and nearly
binding me.
"Lost again !" shouted Silas, as he
swept up my last few dollars. Clear
how the boys are playing skittles up
above! l guess that bowling saloon
pays, they play pretty constant. What's
your next stake?"
81 haven't cent" Igroaued.
"l'll play you FIVE dollars against
your saddle-bags."
knew they would be his anyway, and
therefore staked them. Need l say |
lost?
As Silas rose to procure some more
whisky. l took the opportunity Of scrib-