The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-03-09
Betting a Shirt off.


L it trueS They say you can win
every bet you make"
Yes, Colonel" said the Captain,
smiling, it is quite true"
Nonsense ~ chorused dozen voices.
"It isn't nonsense" said the Colonel
for I'm told on very good authority
namely, his old Colonel, dear friend of
mlne-that IL is true. lie told it when it
was first settled that Brown was to
exchange; and now, you hear he attests
to it himself"
"Proof, proofl" cried the others.
"Ahl" said the Colonel, "proof.
Come, Brown, how is it you manage
it2 You won't mind telling, l sup
pose ?"
"Oh, dear, no." said Brown, smiling,
" l don't mind telling. You see, study
the countenance of the man 1 bet with,
and know beforehand how matters will
be. l can read mans face enough for
the purpose of the wager"
"You can read mine, then ?' asked
the Colonel, chuckling.
"Oh, yes," was the calm reply.
And the officers around the table grew
interested.
"What can you read there, then P"
Captain Brown looked at him intent
ly, for a few moments, and then said:
swell, for one thing, can read that
the old wound on your back has broken
out afresh.'
+" Nonsense!" roared the Colonel. 81
never had wound on my back"
The younger officers exchanged CLAN
ces, and the Colonel saw it, and it made
him more angry.
"You do not like the subject touch
ed," said Captain Brown gravely-
" then we will pass 1t over. L beg your
pardon for touching so tender place."
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 betting man I'll bet you two ten
pound notes to one that have not got
wound, nor yet even q scar of wound
even a scratch upon my back. Will you
bet 7"
"With pleasure, if it pleases you,
Colonel"
"Damme, sir, it does please mel 1
want this cleared up. A wound on my
back Damme, sir, never turned my
back to the enemy in my lifel Now,
sir, will you betp
II will, said the Captain, speaking
reluctantly, as if he were forced into it;
while the Colonel was 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 prove his new Captain to be
what he mentally called humbug, pro-
ceeded to divest himself of all his upper
garments, revealing several bulletscars
auu sWOlu-CuIo upOn LIB CncSb anu drIuS,
but there was not the vestige of scratch
upon his back.
"Come, look all of you!p cried the
Colonel; "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 yourselfp"
en- take the word of these gentle
men, Colonel" said Brown. 81 have
lost. was mistaken"
Humph I'm glad of that,' said the
Colonel, snatching himself back into his
clothes, and at last buttoning up his
coat, F." Pm afraid, sir, you could not read
my countenance."
mo, sir. L confess 1 could not;
am beaten. Here are your ten pounds
The Colonel chuckled and looked
delighted as he pocketed the money, for
this, and the feeling that he had been
too much for the new captain, put him