The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-12-07
California Gambling Incident of I849.


patent in America for S45, 900.
California Gambling Incident of l84S.
Spindle was new arrival. The camp
with customary proprety, had dubbed
him thus because he was so slim. On the
same principle his awkwardness soon
gave him notoriety. Nor this only; like
One-eyed Tom, Spindle had made one of
the happiest hits of the day. Young, pas
sionate, elated beyond degree with the
| splendor of his prospects, it was no sur
prise that he should court the favor Of the
pale-faced gamblers. who were the aristo
| Gratis OF the camp. 1t was no wonder that
they should discover his weakness and de-
! termine to salt him. Play? No, no.
| Spindle did not play it was tiresome, sit
ting there in the tent alone. TRY it;
! double your stake on three triple it on
a full" said a pleasant faced fellow,
who was Just raking in hundred slugs
or more. Spindle was inclined to listen,
Tell you what to do" said the gam
bier, continuing; ego me halves tor an
hour, and see how you come out" Spin
die did so. At the end of an hour he had
won a ''staken of several thousand dol
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 triped,"
said Spindle, as he sought the tent again;
two nights afterwards it was tripled.
spindle means to break or be broken"
said the bystandels. one night, about a
week after his original venture. 'Look
at the dust he is betting" He is, indeed,
betting heavily. The rattlesnake has
charmed him. Bet after bet, till the win
nngs Of the week have left him; bet, af
ter bet, till its earnings are also gone
till the last SLUG" is up, and he has but a
single "sight" tor it. Woe TO him, for he
wins The tide is floating again, and
Spindle is even. ''Safe, safe" he re-
marks, betting hundred ''slugs' as Il
"'blind'' on the strength of his confidence.
One by one the cards 90 round to the
PLAYERS. Spindle does not look at his,
but gathers them under his hand ON the
table.
Il see your blind and go you a hun
dred BETTER 1t was "Eagle-nose" who
poke-"Eage-nose the lucky Spindle
looks at his cards lie has Il iirst-class
hand--four queens and king; four aces
! only will beat him. Eaelenosc can have
! but three of those. for he saw one on the
bottom OF the pack. as the gambler laid
the cards on the table; the gambler
meant that he should see it. II see Your
bet and raise you a hundred BETTER re-
! piled Spindle. Eagle-nose is uncertain.
| 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 himself. II
| thought he was 'bluiling'" Spindle does
not see the smile on the face of the by
ISLANDERS at the back of the gambler, or he
would think differently. Rising from the
rough stool on which he sat, L agile nose
steps back in the tent and opens stron 9
wooden chest. Two bags of dust are
taken from it, and the gambler staggers
under the heavy load, rs he brings it
/ toward the table. Spindle sees $4,000
mark on each of them. ''Bet yon them
ere things says Eagle-nose, as he lays
the two bags with the other gold. 1t is
now SpndleS turn to hesitate. Can it be
that he has the other ace? No, he will
not think it; but what shall he do? He
/ has not money enough on hand to 'call'
| him. He does not wish 10 do this; it
would be cowardly. 'IIar' says Spindle
II have it now; | will bet my claim and
the few thousand have left against his
pile, If it only be large enough" This to
himself Then to Elgle-nosc. ''What'S
your pile ?" There are five more bags
in the chest" said the gambler, quietly
what do you do? p BET my claim
against your pile" said Spindle, intensely
excited. The bet was taken Spindle
threw his cards upon the table with a
half paralyzed motion and a face whittier
than the tent above him-tour queens and
a king Eagle-nose filed his off, one by
one-three aces, a king, and an ace. Not
a word was spoken by either. Spindle
could not have spoken, and Eagle-nose
had no reason for so doing. A few mo-
ments atterward the ruined miner stag
gered 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 a fair, sweet face, that had won his
love but few years back. Nobody sees
him weep while he watches the play of
light in IFS eloquent eyes, You could
step in, and step heavily, too, without
startling him. He is lost in reproachtu
thought, leading down to despair. All
that he had hoped to do has vanished.
Last night, rich IN gold tonight bank
rupt Why should he live? He can
hear the roar OF the Yuba rs it tumbles
over the cliff only a mile above him. lie
steps cat into the open air; the cataract
glmmers in the distance, and the sound
Of its waters tascinates him. Nobody will
miss him; why should he hesitate.
He moves toward it with eager bounds
and determined purpose, Up the rocky
hill-up up, up, till he stands on the edge
of the precipice, 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 white spray, far, far be-
low him; a hundred phantoms beseech
him to come to them. A pause, for an
instant only; a whispered something
was it a prayer? A quick, terrible leap
then the same soft moonlight as before
on the fower-clad hills around on the
white tents of the sleeping camp, and on
the whittier face of the cataract. TOver-
land Monthly.
He Never Advertises.''
b,.;or 81