Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-06-25

hnave winner!"l at intervals announce In set
| pntase 'he progress OF the game. The golden
stakes are transferred from hand, to hand Their
shaip' lnetale click contrasting with the soft
rapid shuiii OF the cards. But then the betting
unjust ceased, when man pushed himself for
wuu ana sealed himself i'll front of the benches
while a servant deposited an iron box bafore h,s
mastel' Nhen the lid was thrown back a gilt
teIihB mas OF OPP as appeared, causing even the
'nPeitnrbabic dealer 10 start with wonder, and
glance OF Joy TO MT across his face-two things
that mad not occurred before within the memory
| Of man.
Inc STRANGER played heavily, for the bank had
no llultl' anu ia less than an hour the banker
| uttered, "Gentlemen, this bank is closed - The
ordered his servant to gather up the Rolt
anu then scattering handful OF ounces among the
crowd, van he'd auHdst the confusion, by this
inan@uvrr escaping probable blow from a Gu
'hillo IN the alley without.
| " ihAt man is an enigma" muttered Don Jaime
| Win long drawn breath. This is the third
| time that have witnessed the same hing each
| ume he broke the bank, and then vanished inst
| now nobody could tell, though have heard that
! me hest cuchillo IN Mexico has BEEN hunting for
t nm .hS past month. 30 one knows who he is
"here he came from, nor where lie lives Some
even say that lie Is the-the devil" And here
| the supcIsttious Spauiard crossed himself "But
| ,et MN be- what he may, I wish he would impart
MS secret to me ~
Around the adjoining table tue faro PLAYER,
were gathered, where a smooth, olIy. eat.iiLt.
| S"uthernrr dealt, huge bowie knife with ten
men blade sticking IL the table before him.
HHuUIlhS the cards he placed them in the silver
uoN' thth whlIe waiting Tor the players TO make
| bowie,
tienileMen, You sae this play on the SQUARE,
ana warn You all that the first man eaten try.
.nS 10 confuse the stakes will have his hand pin.
ned to the table" r.
As no remarks followed this blunt statement.
one would infer that such trick IS "coufusing
ul' stakes by suddenly shifting from losluY
card the money staked thereon was not entirely
unknown.
We watched the deal nearly out. when, improt.
'ole Is IL may seem, q Seedy looking .gfeaset'
suddenly shifted his stake, his quick eye detect.
ing the losing card before 1t was larly uncovered
| lhuu went the knife swift as the lightniug's
hlsh' true to the eye as Kit Carson's long "har-
kins, and tile "grcasei >" hand was pinned to
tue lahir! Instantly all was confusion around
the tablr, each man lnstmctivey shrinking back
as Inc gIittering blade of the bowie-kufe flashed
before his eyes, while, with one single, sharp
yen OF pam, The 'sreasrr" bent low over the gold
laden table.
lis pain must have been intense. for the broad
blade hld penetrated through the back oil hl,
hAhd, seNeriug one or more oi the bones, lasteu-
ing the palm upon the trihing stake he wished So
much 70 cover. And yet, rs l stood at the end OF
Tue table distinctly saw the rascal slip his lett
hand beneath his body aud clutch handful OF
the golden ounces from the pile of his next
heiSAbor lhen drop them unperceived down his
Wide boot leg The sharp jingle OF the coins he
deAdeied by another shrek, and a long. W nded a
Holry u all the curses in his Vocabulary who h
would have put 10 the blush the oldest "buil-
"hneket' OF prairie freghtlng days.
/ Ihe dealer politely cursed tne Ereaser FOR a
lev moments, then Withdrew his bowie and theu
very calmly resumed the interrupted game The
Sreaser, Swapping up his hand stole stole silently
away, no DOUBT thinking his wound paid for bY
his ahroit clutch.
had been watching Young man, casual ac-
IHlIhtauee. whom l knew was junior partner
, IN New Orleans irm. lie was playing heavily,
aud kept calling or liquor. which the obseQ u.ou
iwaitcrs promptly supplied. would have spo-
ken 10 HIM, but Don jaime restrained me, point
ing 10 the cooked revolver lying before the mau
: Aud | lid hot tIIu to rlsl. "A shat certainly au
/ lnsut by making an enlrt II draw the young
man away from the table.
Every deal seemed to 60 dead against young
Cleveland, and then, when but one mole turn
remained m the box, he fung large pocket book
[ upon thr table, multeIing hoarsely
'tltS neck or nothing unw-it that loses, theu
IN
. lie did hot finish The sentence, but leaned for
WLrd. watching the turn with bated breath, pale
as corr-e, and hen the Tray felI upon the losing
side
? Scarcely was the result perceptbIe than the
room rang with pistol shot, and Cleveland sank
i forward, lis head resting upon the pocket boob
, aud us trains aud boed bespattered all around
: him. Silence and death both came at the Ia &
breath.
, Shuddctns and hearsick l Ieft lAe hell, nor
/ has my foot crossed tue threshold of gambiinl
hell since that night.