Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-01-29
How the Captain Won His Wager.

say, Captain Brown, tell us-is II
sruer Iheysa you win every bet you
Yes. colonel" said the captain,
smiling, lit is quite true"
Nonsense!" chorused n dozen
1t isn't nonsense, said the colonel !:
'" Tor am told on very good authority
namely, his old colonel, dear friend
OF nine, thatit is true. lie told when it
was first settled that Brown was TO ex-
cnange and now you hear, he attests IL
Proof, proof" cried the others.
Ahr said the colonel, "proof
come, Brown, how Is it you manage it!
You wont mind telling, supposeP"
ar Oh; dear, no, said Brown, smiling,
II don't mind telling. You see I study
the countenance of the man bet with.
and know beforehand how matters will
be. can read a mans face enough for
the purpose ofa wager"
You can read mine, then ?" asked the
colonel, chuckling.
Oh, yes" was the calm reply.
And the officers around the table grew
What can you read there, thenPn
Captain Brown looked Mt him intently
for few moments, and then said:
wei, for one thing, can read that
the old wound on your back has broken
out afresh."
"Nonsensem roared the colonel. 81
never had wound on my back"
The younger officers exchanged
glances, and the colonel saw il, and it
made him more angry.
You do not like the subject touched"
said Captain Brown, gravely. "Then
we will pass itover. beg your pardon
for touching so tender place"
O." But, confound it all, sir" roared the
colonel, have no wound on my back
to break out afresh."
The captain smiled.
Come, then said the colonel, fight
ing hard TO keep down his anger, you
are a betting man; I'll bet you two ten
pound notes 10 one that have not got
a wound, nor even n scar of a wound
you bet?"
With pleasure, If it pleases you,
-" 1t does please me, sir! Iwant this
cleared up. A wound on my back! |
never turned my back to the enemy in
my life. sir! Now. sir, will you betP"
WILL" said the captain, speaking
reluctantly, as if he were forced into it;
while the colonel was evidently growing
purple from suppressed rage
Good, then" said the colonel;
twenty pounds TO ten. The mess here
are witnesses. Smith, lock the door,
A young cornet obeyed; and, heated
by wine, the colonel. in his rage and
desire to show his new captain to be
what he mentally called n humbug, pro-
ceeded to divest himself of all his upper
garments. revealing several bullet-scars
and sword-cuts upon his chest and arms;
but there was not the vestige OF scratch
upon his back.
Come, look all of your" cried the
colonel; 80 I'm not ashamed. You'll
find no old wound upon my back"
One and all inspected the old gentle
man, and declared there was not scar.
Now. Captain Brown" said the
colonel, perhaps you will come and
look sir. and satisfy yourself2"
"I'll take the word of these gentle
men, colonel said Brown. Z" have
lost. / was mistaken"
| Humphi I'm glad of that" said
the colonel, snatching himself back into
his clothes, and at last buttoning up
his coat. I'm afraid, sir. you could
not read my countenance."
"No, sir, confess 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 much for the new captain, put him
IN the best of humor. So jolly was he
that he patted Brown affectionately on
the back when they parted.
| You couldn't read me. my lad. eh9 ?
No, no; rather too deep for you. ehP"
Much too deep, colonel. | was
beaten" said Brown.
And from that day, for n whole fort
night, Browns glory as better was
under eclipse. AT the end of that fort
night there was change.
The reason was this:
| Colonel Rollin was so delighted at
having, as he said. hcaten the betting
man, that he wrote TO his friend, the
colonel OF the lancers regiment:
DEAR WARREN-That was ali gam
mon about Browns luck Mt betting. He
said he could read peoples faces, and so
won In that way; and hang me If the
first night he was here he didn't bet that
! had reopcned wound on my back. /
bet him, OF course-two to one proved
to him that l had not. and pocketed his
ten pounds. 1t will be lesson for him.
He Is nice fellow, though, and we all
like him very much.
Yours, very truly, JOHN ROLLINS" !"
An answer came back in the course OF
a post or two:
| DEAR RoLLINs-Glsd you like
Brown. Hang himl we don't He has
bitten us too often, and has just bitten
us again. Confound himi The night be-
fore he left us was talking about what
sharp officer you were-quite Tartar
and he laid wager with me, that was
taken, too, by half the officers in the
mess. that he'd do as he liked with you
in fact, that the very Hrst time you
dined together he'd max : you take off
| your shirt before the whole mess. and
that YOU would write and tell me. You
may keep Brown. We don't want him
back. Faithfully yours,
| FRANK WARREN."
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