The Sweetwater enterprise. (Sweetwater, Tenn.) 1869-187?, 1872-01-11
TIE ENTERPRISE.
SWoetwatrr, Thursday, Ian. il,lS7@.
Thrilling California mGident in
1919.

AtA
Spindle was anew arrival. The camp
with customary propriety, had dubbed
him that because he was SO slim. On
the same principle, his aw;wnrdncss
soon gave HIM notuiety. Nor this on
| ly; like one-tyed Tom Spindle had made
one of the happiest hiss Of the day.
Young passionate, clatal beyond degree
with tie splendor of his prospects, it
was no surprise that he should court the
,ayog of the pala-faced gamblers, who
We're the arr;stocrats Of the camp. 1t
was no wonder that they should see his
weakness and daiermine to "salt' him.
| PMy2 No, no; Spindle did not play;
ne only come in to watch the game, it
was trcsomc, sitting there in the tent
alone, "TIy it; double your stake on
"threes" triple it on IL 'iul, said Il
pleasant faced fellow, who was just rak-
ing i'll hundred alugs, or more. Spin
die WAS inclined to listen. "Tell you
what yen do," said the gambler, coutiu-
ming; "Go me halves foran hour, and see
how You come out" Spindle did so. AT
the end of the hoUrhe had won a stake
of several thousand dollars. Spindle
was fascinated. 81 VIII double this to-
morrow night said he, mentally, rs he
IeiC the gamblers tent He doubled It
This must be tripled," and Spindle, MS
he sought the tent again, two nights at-
terward, 1t WAS tripled. spindle,
means to break or hc broken" said the
byslandors, ono night, about week aI-
ter his original venture "Look at dust
he is betting He is indeed, betting
heavily. The rattlesn0ko charmed hiln.
Bet after bet, till the winnings of the
week hEc left him; bet after bet, till the
earnings are also Sonc-till the last
"slug' is up, and he has bnt simple
"sigho" for it. Woe to him for he wins,
The tide is flooding again, and Spindle
is even "Safe, safe" he remarks, betting
Il hundred "s!ugs' us q "blind,' ON the
strength OF his confidence Que 10y one
the cards so round to the players, Spin
die does not lco.i at his, but gathers
them under his hand on the table. 81
see your 'bhnd' and go You q hundred
BETTER" 1t was Eagle-nose' who spoke
"Eagle-noac, the lucky" Spindle looks
at his cards. He has first class hand
-four queens and 1t king; four aces ON,
| ly will beat him. Eagle-noso can have
but three OF these, tor he saw one ol
them on the bottom Of the back, rs the
gambler laid the cards on the table; the
gambler meant that he should see it. 81
see your bet and raise you hundred
better" responded Spindle. Englc-uoaa
is uncertain. He looks wiStfully ut the
gold, furtiye ut his antagonist, and very
carefully at the cards III his hand. "FIe
waits, he weakens," says Spindlo'to him
self II thought he was bluiiIng." Spin
die does not see the smile on the face OF
the bystandcr back Of the gambler, or he
wolld thuk differently. Rising from
the rough stool ON which he sits, Eagle
nose steps back in the tent and opens Il
strong wooden chest. Two bags of dust
are taken Dou it, and the gamble stag
gere under the heavy load, as he brings
1t toward tie table. Spindle sees Il $l0,-
600 mark on each of them. "Bet you
them ere things" says Eagle-nose, as he
lays the two bags with the other gold.
1t is now Spindle's turn to hesitate. Can
it bo that he has the other ace? No, Ac
viii not think it; but what shall he do ?
He has not money enough on hand to
"cuil' him. He does hot wish to do this
It would be cow&rdly. "Ha,' says Spin
die, Il have it nov; will bet my claim
aud the few thousand have left against
his pile, il it only be large enough.
This to himself. Then to Eaglo-nosc.
"What's your pile?' There are five
more bags in the chest, said the gam
bier, quietly; "what do you do?' "Bet
my claim against your pile" said Spin
die, intensely excited. The bet was talk
en-. Spindle threw his cards on the
t ble with half paralyzed motion, and
u face winter than the tent above him
four queens and a king. Eagle-nosc
ii ed his off, one by onc--three aces, 4
kim, and an ace. Not word was spok-
en by either. Spindle could not have
spoken, and Eagle-noso had no reason
ior so doing. A few minutes aft-rword
the ruined minor staggered blind!y tC
the door OF the tent passed out into the
moonlight, and the game went on as
ever.
Half an hour later Spindle sat intent
alone. Before him was the picture OF e
fair, sweet face, that had won his love
but few years back. Nobody sees hm
weep while he watches the play of light
in its eloquent eyes. You could ster
heavily, too, without startling him. HC
is lost in reproachful thought, leading
down to despair. All that he had hoped
to do has vanished. Last night, rich il
gold; tonight, bankrupt. Why shoult
he live? he eau hear the roar of tho
Yuha "a il tumbles over the cliff only ;
mile from him. He steps out into thu
open ar; the cataract ghmmers in th'
sound of its waters soothes and fascinnte
him. Nobody will miss him; why shoul(
he hesitate?
He moves toward it with eager bour;
and determined purpose. Up the rock,
hill-up, up, TIL he stands on the edg
of the pr2cipice, far above the fall. IL
looks at the white tents in the distance
,, hate is blazoned or every one Of them
He looks at the white spray, fur, far be
low him; hundred phantoms bcseecI
him to come to them. A pause, for n
instant only; whispered something
: was it prayer? A quick, terrible leal
then the same soft moonlight as be
fore, on the flower clad hills around, ol
Al. Al \. ,.... -