The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-10-27
Ned Locke.

The story was told in the cabin
Of a river steamer. We had been
playing poker in a mild manner un-
til a large part of our loose change
had comfortably settled down into
the pockets of dark, lean member
of the company, and upon him we
now pitched to tell us story.
"Well, you remember last winter
me and Ned Locke was in company
together, and p'raps you kinder Won
der at not seeing him along with
me now. Well, poor feller, he's laid
under the sod. If you don't care
about playing any mere cards, I'l
tell you the yarn"
"You know Ned was queer sort
of cuss; he was Hingllsh, he said,
IN his way of talking, and he had
an extra sort of education, and was
quite the gentleman, but master
hand at cards.
Well, we was a going down the
old Mississippi one time aboard of
a regular first-class steamer, and the
boat was loaded with passengers
that were first-class too, and most
of them with plenty of money. He
was playing poker in the mems cab
in with some of the flush men, and
Ned, especially, was getting his
pockets full of money. After awhile
he got playing with a keen looking
chap, who seemed to be almost a
match for him; they began to play
very high, and in spite Of all l could
do there was crowd gathered round
'em. You see, I didn't want the
crowd, cause I knowed Ned would
be cheating presently, and it's hard
to have SO many eyes on feller
when he's trying to deal to suit him.
self. But even the men that was
playing with me raised their stakes
and went over, so all could do was
to make the best of it, and git 'em
watching the other chap. So says
/, in al undertone. 'That chap they
cali captain is feller that played
with me up to Boston last winter,
and took couple of thousand out
of me, about all l got for the load of
timber l had taken from home -
With that, the most Of 'ern felt sor-
ry for me, what had been cheated
out of my money, and they keeps a
sharp eye on this feller. He was a
takin' the change right out of Ned
but Ned didn't mind it, though he
pretended to. By and by the mon
ey began to pile up on the table.
Ned was getting in earnest, and
the stranger was pretty sure Of him
self. They bet heavy, and three
times Locke raked the pile. The
fourth hand was his deal, and the
captain accused him of cheating
When there was about $1,000 up
Ned threw down the cards and tried
| to rake the money; but the captain
caught him by the throat, and push.
ed the muzzle of a revolver in his
face. I jumped in and swept the
table; and the same time the two
went down on the floor, and the re
yolyer went off. That cleared 8
place around 'em, and I could SCI
that the captain was getting thu
| best of it, SO I went in too. I hadn'1
much more than took hold of him
when three big fellers jumped in ant
clinched me. In course / couldn't
do much more tnan kick arouni
and keep 'em busy, and while the,
was q trying to quiet me, Ned, h'
.yits the advantage of the captaiI
and takes the revolver away iron
him. Seem that, one Of the feller
let go Of me, and catching up
heavy chain struck Locke on TIL
head and. stunned him. Then th'
captain clinched the revolver, an:
saws the others to him, s'kill him ant
take your money! And now tw'
II