Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1872-01-11

HATTIE, Wntcn the wafer 030 neGlecteo to
remove when he had cleared the :,ble that
evening. This Harris. with . caseless
and apparently (as be took his seas) scci-
dental movement Of his arm, drew Gloss
to his side.
All now drew near in eager expecta-
ton. Harris seized the cup, aud shaking
the dice violently for . moment. dashed
them down before him. I could scarcely
repress a cry Of exultatiou when saw be
had thrown double 6ves. within one ofthe
highest number that it 10 possible to make.
The professionals cast uneasy glances upou
each other, but Harris anaakcuks emily
smiled seornfu!:y, ~sd Adrsv tke ivdst
cubes towards him. Just, however. q
be was placing them in the box. they slip
ped through his fingers and fell upon the
floor /; he stopped and recovered them in
an instant, but as he reached forth his
hand to take the cup. Harris. whose face
had fixed and determined look. and
whose eyes had never for q moment been
of of him, suddenly seized the fork, and
with a movement quick as that Of the
deadly rattlesnake, stuck the sharp prongs
through his wrist. literally pinning it to
the table, at the same time he presented a
cooked pistol full at his head. There was
q yell from the wounded man, and q vo!.-
ley of imprecatiops burst from his associ-
ates dozen weapons were pointed at the
breast of Harris. He. however, was equal
to the occasion. Not a muscle of his face
moved and his voice was not raised the
least when he spoke.
"One moment. gentlemen" said he,
"You yourselves have declared that should
one Of your number be detected in foul
play, the stakes should be forfeited, aud
he summarily punished"
"If the dice under the hand now hold
imprisoned be not false, then do with me
as you will. If, however. | prove correct
in my assertion. I demand the fulillment
of your threat"
BY this time every male passenger had
collected around the table, and the gam
blers saw they were not to be triflcd with.
So they were forced reluctantly to admit
the truth of what Harris had said.
The gambler was held secured in his
chair, the fork Withdrawn. the dice exam
ined, and found to be loaded-the true
pair were concealed in his sleeve His
fate was sealed in spite of his desperate
resistance. Strong arms stripped him of
his weapons. forced him into a boat and
rowed him to the nearest land, low sand
bank entirely surrounded by the river.
and whose rapidly rising waters promised
soon to submerge it.
Upon this island. deaf to his piteous
appeals, they forced him aud the steam
er resumed her course down the rapid
river.
But long after we had lost sight of him
in the darkness. there came to US. out of
the black night. wild cries. that sounded
in our ears, hi Oh above the dash Of our
ponderous wheels and the rush of the
mighty river. Screams for mercy, fearful
imprecations. and chilling blasphemies
such as might have been uttered by lost
soul when it hears the dread sentence:
depart from me. ye accurscd, into
outer darkness. where there shall be weep
ing. wailing and gnashiug Of teeth"
Harris hid his fade in his hands and
wept like child. Strong men turned
pale, and the very gamblers look at each
other with whitened cheeks and trembling
lips.
Of his fate there could be no doubt
The strongest swimmer could not for one
moment stem that fearful torrent, and to
remain upon the bank was but to choose q
lingering and more fearful death.
There was no more playing on board
that boat on that trip. and at the frs,
landing most Of the passengers left her,
fleeing from it as from place accursed.
Among those who left was Harris.
Years had passed when we met again
but he trembled when he spoke of tha,
fearful night on the Ohio, and said be had
never touched card since then.