The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1876-03-09
was mot large for messenger to trans.

pOlt.
"At the insignificant swamp town O
Cairo gentleman with genteel, cult
waited appearance boarded the Belle an,
booked himself for the Red River coun
try. You see remember all the partic
ulars. He was active in making m,
acquaintance, at which I did not mucl
wonder, for the passengers were few ant
of the rougher sort. In the course o
two days we were very familiar with eacl
other, and had tired out almost ever,
game of cards known to us except poke
Ia game which occupied other table
constantly.
The second day we had been playing
euchre, cut-throat, with third gentle
man, who apparently came into our mids
accidentally. Millbank-hel you knew
him? No3 Well, that was my friend.
name-kept the sherry flowing around
pretty lively. You know that in thost
days every body drank wine and played
cards. Poker with trifing stakes wa.
popular enough. As we became pretty
jovial and somewhat noisy, Millbank sug.
gested the idea Of adjourning to the state
room, where we -conld make as much
noise as we pleased, to which l very
readily assented.
"s Hold on, Schwartz said he, as we
were passing down the cabin, you have
a stateroom by yourself, haven't you
There's a whopping big Hoozier in mine
now.'
All right said; for why should
have had any objection7 So we squeezed
ourselves into the box, and cut for deal
"s Now what shall we playT asked
Millbank.
"s pass said I.
"' pass repeated the stranger.
a. Don't suppose you care to try 8
hppenny poker-a game of poker would
make it lively
"The stranger instantly objected
Said he had funds in trust, and it would
be decidedly unbusiness-like to play fol
stakes, even for so small sum as half
dime. At this time we were all consid
erably under the influence of wine-the
stranger just enough tomake the sancti
monious shake of his head ridiculous in
the extreme. l said nothing; had nc
objections that / remember now. Al
length Millbank suggested deal. with
out ante We each took our hands
STRANGER held the cards with three king
and an ace. We dealt again, and agar
he swept US.
"By Georgep he exclaimed, getting
excited, l will go ten cents ON it.
"Little silver pieces appeared on the
table, and two hours passed with gooc
sport, the piles alternately building W
and down around the board. Occasion
ally the wine passed around. Stranger
won quite heaEily-I won-Millbanl
won. Stakes slightly increased. Wine
increased. Stranger lost heavily. Mill
bank and I won it. Then won nearly
every Bit they had, and / remembel
ordering wine on account of it. Soor
the fates switched me off the track, for
tune setting in strongly and steadil,
against me. became greatly confused
They also appeared to be drunk. Mem
ory is badly mixed here, but remembel
taking out handful of bills of exchange
drawn and accepted on Eastern corpora
tions. The cash must have been lost a.
times amounting to about five Thousand
dollars. The first bill laid down Seems
to have been New York gold check il
favor of a Texas house. How / do moi
know, but fearful row sprang up at thii
time. snatched the bill, put it in my
valise, and sprung the lock. The commo
ton that followed was ended by othel
parties. As to what took place / nevel
knew. We were all drunk-at least tht
other two appeared to be-and it wa.
late in the evening.
"The next / remember was abou
three in the morning. / awoke hot ant
feyerish. The reflection sank into my
mind like red-hot bolt that was de
faulter, for / had no means to restore tn,
money lost! A reputation built up BY
ten years faithful labor was crushed anC
blastedi Here was blight in the very
prime of life. Besides that, Mr.. Hamil
ton, had recently buried a lovely wifi
and child, over whose common grave /.
tombstone was not yet erected. Thi
was misery heaped upon anguish. / fel
sick and faint. The thoughts of my flu
ture condition of shame, made ten time
more direful by the darkness and imager,
of my wine stupor, drove me to tn
depths of hell. / felt cursed. There wa
no escape from ruin. The throb, throb o
the great engines below, the screechin,
of escaping steam, the sepulchral voice
of distant tiremen, the rioting of feyere,
blood-all deepened my agony, an,
peopled my poor brain with desperat
thoughts
/ reached my hand under my head
and found there the valise in the usua
place. Under it ] felt the revolver.
caressed the smooth, silvery handle, an
felt comfort in its presence. 1t was S
csol and quiet. How soon,' thought
could this abasement be prevented
The weapon was laid silently agains
my cheek! 1t was refreshing-jast the
a gleam at the foot of my berth. In a
instant / saw the door was PARTIAL
open-then closed silently. All was sti
as death. Again l caught the refectio
of that light-it came from dirk NJ
heart stopped beating, but the revolve
was pointed in the direction of the fasl
For moment not sound was hear
Then the door slowly opened and fat
peered in.
"Sh-p whispered the second fac
"she's going by, d-n her, waltz
"Then the person inside peered ou
and / saw what was up outside. N
five rods from US abeam was the gre;
body of another steamer plungir
through the darkness. Then the strai
ing timbers and the tremendous thuds
the engines told us we were racing. 81
passed us, thank GodI for as she sh
ahead a CLEAN of light from her opt
fireroom shot athwart my door and I
yealed two faces-the robbers, Millbar
| and the strangerl
"Then all was darkness. A shuff1iI
noise a footstep was stealthily approac
ing my bed l thought two murderer
eyes cleaned upon me-a bright sire.
rose upward, just above mel pulled Il
trigger There was cry, smoke, Shout
curses.
"There was heaving of timbers al
, thunder-clap. Curses gave way to &
crash of a thousand crushed devi
Smoke, steam, fire shot up like hot al
forked tongues, and the Belle Islal
SWIM fiery wreck.
| HkUTara Won arar bIoy.,, ~ N