Weekly Trinity journal., 1876-04-08

AT this time we were all considerably un-
der the influence of wine-the stranger
just enough to make the sanctimonious
shake of the head ridiculous in the ex-
treme. / said nothing had no objec-
tions that remem Der now. At length
Millbank suggested deal without ante
We each took our hands. Stranger held
the cards with three kings and ar ace
We dealt again, and again he swept US.
"By George he exclaimed, getting
excited ] will go ten cents on it,"
Little silver pieces appeared on the
table, and two hours passed with good
sport the piles alternately building up
and down along the board. Occasionally
the wine passed around. Stranger won
heavly-I won-Millbank won. Stakes
slightly increased. Wine increased
Stranger lost heavily. Millbank and l
won it. Then / won nearly every bit
they had, and | remember ordering wine
on account of it. Soon the fates switched
me off the track, fortune setting in stead
lily and strongly against me. l became
greatly confused. They also appeared to
be drunk. Memory is badly mixed here,
but remember taking out handful Of
exchange, drawn and accepted on East
ern corporations. The cash must have
been lost at times amounting to about
five thousand dollars. The first bill laid
down seems to have been a New York
gold check in favor Of Texas house,
How, / do not know, but fearful row
sprang up at this time. ! snatched the
bill, put it in my valise, and sprung the
lock. The ommotion that followed was
ended by other parties. AS to what took
place | never knew. We were all drunk
at least the other two appeared to be-
and it was late in the evening.
The next l remember was about three
in the morning. / awoke hot and fever
ish. The reflection sank into my mind
like a red hot bolt that | was defaulter,
for had no means to restore the money
lost. A reputation built up by ten years.
faithful labor was crushed and blasted -
Here was blight in the very prime of
life Besides that, Mr.. Hamilton, | had
recently buried lovely wife and child,
over whose common grave tombstone
was not yet erected. This was misery
heaped upon anguish. ] felt sick and
faint. The thoughts of my future condi-
tion of shame, made ten times more dire
ful by the darkness and imagery of my
wine stupor drove me to the depths of
! hell. i felt cursed. There was no escape
from ruin. The throb, throb of the great
engines below, the screeching of escaping
steam, the sepulchral voices OF distant
men, the rioting of fevcred blood-all
deepened my agony, and peopled my
poor brain with desperate thoughts.
AZ reached my hand under my head
and found there the valise in the US
ual place. Under it / felt the revolver
/ caresscd the smooth sivery handle, and
felt comfort in its presence. 1t was so
cool and quiet. How soon," thought /,
could this abasement be prevented"
"The weapon was laid silently against
my cheek 1t was refreshing-just then
a CLEAN at the foot of my berth. In an
instant l saw the door was partially open
then closed silently. All was still as
death. Again :caught the reflection
of that light-it came from dirk. My
heart stopped beating, but the revolver
was pointed in the direction of the fash
For moment not sound was heard. -
Then the door slowly opened and face
peered in"
"Sh-!' whispered the second face
She's going by, d-n her.; wait ?"
'Then the person who was inside peer
ed out, and | saw what was up outside
Not five rods from us abeam was the
great body of another steamer plunging
through the darkness. Then the strain
ing timbers and the tremendous thuds of
the engines told us we were racing. She
passed us, thank God for as she shot
ahead CLEAN Of light from her open
fireroom shot athwart my door and re-
vealed the two faces, the robbers
bank and the stranger.
"Then all was darkness. A shufflng
noise footstep was steathily approach
ing my bed. thought two murderous
eyes cleaned upon me-a bright streak
rose upward just above mel pulled the
trigger. There was cry, smoke, shouts
and curses.
"There was heaving of tim bers and
thunder-clap. Curses gave way to the
crash of a thousand crushed DEVILS
Smoke, steam, fire shot up like hot and
forked tongues, and the Belle Island
swan fiery wreck.
"Were you ever blown up, Mr.. Ham
ilton p | asked, eying him narrowly"
"'No, sir, he answered promptly.
"Woll, ! was and unlike a hundred
of my fellow beings, l came down all
right. My state room was directly over
the boilers, and received square press
ure. For moment | felt myself flying
through the air at tremendous rate, and
then as softly placed in n marsh about
ten rods off as if my mother had cradled
me for nights rest. 1t seems my berth
and many upright splinters had been
torn off together, and thrown in such a
manner that when these splinters struck
the boggy muck of the marsh I was left
facing the fire, at an easy angle Of forty
five degrees, my head being the highest"
livery wonderful, that"
"Yes, sir, very wonderful. saw the
steamer burn to the waters edge. Now,
what do you suppose became of Mill
bank Why, my shot took effect under
the eye' have lately discovered, and"