Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-04-30

who he is, where he came from, nor
where he lives. Some even say that he is
the--the devil!" And here the supersti-
tious Spaniard devoutly crossed himself.
But let him be what he may, wish he
would impart his secret TO mel"
Around the adjoining table the faro
players were gathered, where q smooth,
oily, cat-like Southerner dealt, huge
bowie with an inch blade sticking in the
table before him. Shutting the cards he
placed them in the silver box, then while
waiting for the players to make their
game he said, tapping the silver hilt OF
his bowie:
Gentlemen, you see this? play on
the square, and warn you all that the
first man | catch trying to confuse the
stakes will have his hand pinned to the
tablet"
As no remarks followed this blunt state.
ment, one would infer that such a trick as
" confusing the stakes" by suddenly shift
ing from a losing card the money staked
thereon was not entirely unknown. We
watched the deal nearly out, when, i'm
probable as it may seem, eedy-looking
"greaser" suddenly shifted his stake, his
quick eye detecting the losing card ere 1T
was fairly uncovered.
Thud went the knife swift as The
lightning's flash, true to the eye as Kit
Carson's long Hsrkins," and the greas-
er's hand was pinned to the table! In
stantly all was confusion around the Ia
BILE, each man instinctively shrinking
back as the glittering blade flashed before
his eyes, while, with a single sharp yell
of pain, the greaser bent low over the
golden-laden table,
His pain must have been intense, for
the broad blade had penetrated through
the back of his hand, severing one or
more of the bones, fastening the palm
upon the trifiing stake he had wished so
much to cover. And yet, as stood at the
end of the table, distinctly saw the ras-
cal slip his left hand Der eath his body and
clutch handful of the golden ounces
from the pile of his next neighbor, then
drop them unperceived down his wide
bootlegl The sharp jingle of the coins
he deadened by another shrek, and a
long. winded volley of all the curses in his
vocabulary, which would have put to the
blush The Oldest bull-Whacker" of prai-
riefreighting days.
The dealer politely cursed" the greas-
er for a few moments, then withdrew his
bowie, wiping ii upon the mans blanket,
then calmly resuming the interrupted
game. The greaser, swapping up his hand.
stole silently away, no doubt thinking his
wound paid for by his aGroit clutch.
j had been watching a young man, a
casual acquaintance, whom / knew was
junior partner in New Orleans firm.
He was playing heavily, and kept calling
for liquor, which the obsequious walters
promptly supplied. | would have spoken
TO him, but Don Jaime restrained me,
pointing to the cooked revolver lying be-
fore the man. And did not care to risk
a shot-ceTtainly an insult-by making
an effort to draw the young man away
from the table.
Every deal seemed to go dead against
young Cleveland, and then, when but one
more turn remained in the box, he flung
large pocketbook upon the table, NUT
tering hoarsely:
Its neck or nothing; If that loses,
then I'll
He did not finish the sentence, but
leaned forward watching the turn with
bated breath, pale as corpse, and then
the tray fell upon the losing side.
Scarcely was the result perceptible
than the room rang with pistol-shot and
Cleveland sank forward, his head resting
upon the pocket-book, his brains and
blood bespattering all around him.
Silence and death came at the same
breath.
Shuddering, heartsick, ] left the hell,
nor has my foot ever crossed the thresh-
old of gambling hell since that night.