The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-12-06


- Il sosssnr.-. sIess ssse captain Won s
| mas sFaEeF. 800
Isau francisco A sonanl !,
q Il say, Captain Brew y, tell us---is !
trnes they say you win every e13sou
70. q Yes, Colonel, said the Captain, smiling
q it Id quite true 1,
9 Nonsense ~ horused Dozen voices
= nc islf noiisesSss," SAID sne goi9ns'i
sfor I. am told on very good authorlsy-
named, bis old colonel, Q dear fffena q
mine, thet Is is true, lie TOLD Wpen " -" W.
tirss settled that Brown was 20 sxchang :,
and now you hear. be attests II h,mse 'sEl
4. PROOF. r,roef p, cried the others.
..AbI !, said the Colonel, !" proof. Come,
Brown. how is It you manage 1t You
worl't mind Telling, suppose r. "a,
q nh. deer. no.,' ssid Brown, smiling,
.r don,t mind telling. You see 1 study tbe
countenance OF tue man bet with, anu =
know beforehand how matters WIN De. !
can sead amap's face enough fof tns i,u pun
nose OF d wager ,.,.o5 ,ho
s !. You can read mine, theu?" ASKED tne
Colonel, cn1rkiing.
&C o,,. yes. - was The calm reply.
And the officers around the table grew
interested. .,,o,o,,
canaan Brown looked at him lntentiy JOE
a few moments, and then said:
.sWelI, for one thing, can read tnat tae
old wound on Jour back has broken oh'
WNonsense!u roared the Colonel.
never had a wound on my back"
The Younger officers exchanged glances,
ond the CoioneI saw it, and it made him
more angry. .ono,oa ,,
so;d CaDtain Brown, grayely. "Then we
will pass it over. beg your pardoh lol
toucbine so tender place"
Rut. confound it all, sirl" roared the
CsloneI. 81 have no wound on my back 70
break out afresb."
The Captain smiled.
"{;ome. then" said the Colonel, hehtine
hard to keep down bis anger, "you are |,
betting man; pil bet you two ten-pouno
notes 70 one that I have not got Wouna,
NOR vet even a scar OF Wound-eVen
scratch-upon my back. Will you bet!1
"With pleasure, II it pleases you' coo
nel."g ! I..ss ~ .2S nav.
this cleared up. A wound on my pack
Damme. sir, never turned my back 70
the enemy in my life! Now sir VIII you
bet?" ..a, =. 49,.
reluctantly, as il he were forced into IL )
while the Colonel was evidently growing
purple from suppressed rage.
"Good, them" said the Colonel; TWEEN
ty pounds to ten. The mess here are VIII"
nesses. Smith, lock the door"
A young cornet obeyed; ana, heatea py
in
show his new captain to be what he men.
taIIy called a humbug, proceeded to divest
himself Of all his upper garments, reveal
mo several bullets cars and sword-cuts
unou his chest and arms; but there was
not the vestiee OF a scratch upon his back.
I" Come. look all OF you |" cried the Col
onel; "Pm not ashamed. foull nno no
old wound upon my back"
One and all inspected the old gentleman,
and declared there was not scar.
"Now, Captain Brown" said the colonel.
&C perhaps YOU will come and look, sir, and
satisfy YOURSELF"
WTIl take the word of these gentlemen,
Colonel,n said Brown. II, have lost.
was mistaken" ....-,.
;UHumphi Pm glad Of that" said the
Colonel, snatchlng himself back into hls
clothes, and at last buttoning up his coat
"Pm afraid, sir, you could not read my
countenance."
aNo. sir, confess I could not; am
beaten. There are your ten pounds."
The Colonel chuckled and looked de-
lighted as he pocketed the money; for this
and the feeling that he had been too muct
for the new captain, put him in the best OIL
bumors. So jolly was he that he patte0
Brown a1ectionately on the back when they
parted.
"You couldn't read me, my lad, eh No,
no; rather too deep for you, eh? eh!"
"Much too deep, Colonel. was BEATEN
said Brown.
And from that day, for whole fortnight
Browns glory as better was under
eclipse. At the end OF that fortnight there
was o change.
The reason was this:
Colonel Rollin was so delighted at hav
ing. as be said, beaten the betting man, ina
he wrote to his friend the Colenel OF TIT
lancers regiment:
dear Warren: That was all gammor
abont Browns luck at betting. He said hi
could read peoples faces, and so won II
that way; and hang me il the first night h'
was here be didn't bet that had re
onened wound on my back. / bet him, o
conrse-two to one--proved to him that
had not, and pocketed his ten pounds. l
will be lesson for him. lie is nice fel
low, though, and we all like him very much
"Yours very truly, JOHN ROLLINS"
An answer came back In the course OF ;
| post or two:
:" Dear Rollins: Glad you like Brown
1 Hang him we don't. he has bitten us to-
| often, and has just bitten Us again. Con
found himl The night before he left US
was talking about what sharp officer vol
werc-quite a Tartar-and be laid wage
4 with me. that was taken, too, by half th
officers in the mess, that he'd do as he like
| with you; in fact, that the very first TIM
| you dned together he'd make you take OF
your shirt before the whole mess, and tina
| you would write and tell me. You may keel
| Brown. We don't want him back.
| sc OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES FRANK WARRENO