The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-27
BI0 CANE or DRAW.
An Interestins Incident OF Life on the Mis-
sis-ippi Durins the War.


They were sitting around the table In
Fifteenth Ward faro bank that Is Temporarily
closed through some misunderst nding with
the police, and having tired OF short cards they
fell to telling stories " You may have heard
this one" said a square Jawed, nrm-faced, gray
whiskered man, "for II was printed briefly at
the time; but was there:
ain the latter part OF 81 made n trip down
the river. There came on board at Cairo
young paymaster who was on his way TO pay
brigade OF troops somewhere In the Deighbor-
hood Of vicksbure. IL was very quiet on the
boat, and on the hrst night below Cairo the pay
master speLt a good deal Of his time after I'D
per walking up and down tho saloon. There
was also walking up and down the saloon
trim, square houldered man who seemed to be
suffering from the same tedlousness; and when
they had met few times the stranger smiled
little at the paymaster and said:
"'Dull'
"'D- dull,' said the pavmaster.
"'Suppose we have little game Of draw,
said the stranger.
"Good idea said the paymaster, and they
sat down and went at 1t.
"Both OF them were PLAYING merely to pass
time, at least the paymasier was, and the other
man seemed to be. Thew had II one way and
the Other for an hour or Two, PLAYING about s.
/ lOT u tpp Dtts unu ntllNtT ol tutn WHINING Ut
losing much but stll getting more and more in
terested. Finally each seemed to get big
hand. and they began betting heavy In the most
natural sort Of way. The IRE lad teen smoul-
dcring you see, aud Il broke out apparently
| without their knowing II.
"keither OF them seemed disposed to lay
| down, and they Kept on istug aud raising TIL
| they we're making bets OF Two, three' I'VE nun
| dred dol'ars, ana they got the pot up to about
| seven Thousand. Then the stranger rested his
| eye on the ymastcr tor moment and made
an C5timate Of the amount of his pluck and the
probauie size OF MS piie, aud the re- ut OF MS
uOservsiiOns seemed TO be a belief that he could
bun MN or freeze him our, for he threw nj
hand down On the table. ana leaned over aud
pulled a bowie knife out Of Ills b ct. and drove
the point Of II down through the carcs into the
table. Then he took iig wallet out Of his breast
pocket. and counted out twenty ono nve-nun-
dred d, liar notes. He saw the Iaymaster's st
bet OF Ave hundred, and then hauled revolver
OH his hip pushed the twenty other bills into
~ raise you ten thousand dollars
"1be plvmaster looked at the gambler about
two seconds. Then he bcckoned to his colored
boy, bright young fellow who h d taken tue
thing la from the start, and who would have
pened to look In his direction. which he had mt
Bat he Enlightened M when ne ard the word
aud walked straight on for the pavmaster's
stateroom. He disappeared moment, and
then showed ~ again, backing through the
down the shoon rolling that trunk along on rs
end. Just as handy as though he had smashed
baggage on through linc all his life. The nay
master took u key out OF his vest pocket, threw
up the lid of the trunk, aud took OF sheet OF
sole leather that seemed to serve as sort OF
binder for the bundles OF bills underneath. HI
took two zig pa kiges out Of the end aid laid
them up on one side OF the table. Then he be-
gan taking out the other bundles and stacking
them up on the table 10 front OF him. lie KEEP
taking out aud stack ng NJ TILL he bad built
big triangle shaped pile. like two pairs Of Stair
meeting at tie top and all nlled IN SOLID under
meath.
Then he threw his hand down on the table
aud pulled iwie-kn.fe out Of his boot and
spiked II down through the cards, and Will,
the handle was still shvenng he handed tire two
bundles into the middle Of the table aud said
/ see your ten thousand dollars'-here h,
braced himself back against the pile ana DegaT
showing It up the table, continuing to 1 Tx al
the tlme-'and l raise you hundred and sev
enty-n We thousand = and then (he did u so quich
that l couldn't see when 10 doIe) he had a
pistol on of each nip aud was resting an elbow
about naf way up on each SIDE OF the gree n
back stars, both shooters covering the gam
bier, aud hOldng them very straight and steady
Now. the gambler was an older man and
OF much more experience than the paymaster
he could have handled him ten TO one. and n,
knew II, aud had n thouglt OF laying dow
even then, and lie seemed to reyoive the thinl
IN his mind Tor about quarter OF minute
and when ne had settled whit to 90 he locke,
up ready TO act. hut one glance at tie paymaste
made him cbange his mind for he could Sc,
shining THROUGH the young mans face all tn,
accumulated unused grit OF years. aud ma
with half an eye could have seen that no mean
"ihe gambler realized that fact. He pulle,
his knife out Of the table, stack his pistol INT,
his pocket, and walked on down the saloon
whistliug Rosa Lee just soft and u asan
as though he was going for u cigar after dinne 7
lhen tue payma~trr booted his knife and stun
his shooters and packed his trunk, putung II
along with the rest the thirteen Thousand ode
OF the gamblers money; and he didn't take an
And I am old that he was so much i'm rresse
by the revelation To himself Of his own lck
bone anduerve that he made up his mind Their
was something better for him to do than wastiu
; his time ~ gambling, and he hasn't handled
card since.