The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-04-28
THE LAST STAKE.
Exchange.

year f0S2. Recovering rom severe ana nearly fatal illness, was totally without means or any steady employment. Ed ucated as a gentleman, and having passed the greater part of my life among books as a scholar, l had no friends among those who might have assisted me in obtaining work and bread.
 1 How many in like circumstances may have passed away in death throughout the length and breadth of California, and whose sad stories and fate shall never be told. In dismal garret, assailed by the toruring pangs of hunger, l can never forget those long. weary nights. Yet dur ing all this period concealed my sui ferings, and none knew my destitute con- dition.
 had obtained work for few days and put few dollars in my pocket. but after the small sum was eked for bread an- other period of suffering came. All this had nearly broken my spirit. was al- most weary of life. In thls unfortunate state of mind was one evening walking along Tirane street. San Francisco. had half formed idea in my head that on reaching its termination should have al least the means by which l could ter minate present sufferings. Before reaching the end of the wharf. was aroused from my reverie by the confused din of many voices and sounds of music. Turning round found was Tn one oi the vilest and most notorious heils Tn the lower part of the city. As gazed within the large. crowded room, remembered that an acquaintance was employed as musician in the orchestra. and governed by the impulse of the moment. pushed my way through the mass of persons around the table to speak to him. After few moments conversation with the musician, he turned to me and said, in a quiet tone of voice: Whenever you come in here, never be tempted to risk dollar on any game played, for not square game is played here; and, more than that, the worst thing man can do IS to win money here."
 Saying this he resumed his occupation. gazed about al the scene. wfNked care lessly up to the roulette-table. and from the feeling of the momen, threw down as stakes the three dollars in loose silver had in my pocket. It was as quickly won by the gambler, and indeed afterwards met the very mechanic who made the table, and who explained to me its secret springs, by which other fools like myself were robbed.
 Passing along with the crowd. found myself at the centre of the excitement and attraction-a faro-table, around which were many newly arrived and very sue cessful miners, judging from the many ,h de rf toll .l sA~ table. Taking from my pocket ten-dol- lar gold piece, which was all had in the world. threw il on a card at random. It doubled and doubled. until at length even the half-drunken miners. who were playing for such heavy stakes. took an interest i'm my strange luck : and the marble-faced dealer. whose attention hitherto had been entirely devoted to them, turned his eyes with sinister look upon me. When my card won for the ninth time. took up from the table in com five thousand one hundred and twenty dollars, with stolid coolness have since wondered al, and putting i, in couple of bags given 10 me by one of the miners, thrust them into my ! pockets. As l stepped aside to leave the table. the dealer. turning round to some one in the crowd and giving him a pe- euliar look of intelligence said, with a laugh:
 That's heavy pile 10 carry. ! Not wishing ,o elbow my way through the crowd directly to the door, passed round behind the tables 10 the back part of the house. Leading from the room were number of badly-lgh,ed passages
 -one or two were quite dark. As lwent l by one of the latter. before turned round toward the strce,-door. man standing in the obseured light. nearly concealed be- hind the door-post. beckoned me toward him with a mysterious gesture. Without thinking. stepped through the door few within d few yards him. as l took an- other step. quicker than can tell. the floor passed from under my feet, and | was sinking many feet under the waters of the bay. With the instinct of self-pres- erva,ion l struggled for the life had held so cheap. At length. after what seemed long time to me, almost saffocated and weighed down by the fatal gold, l rose to the surface.
 \ light from dark lantern flashed down from what appeared to be square well, built in the waters of the bay. ard constructed ofsmooth panel-boards. Not withstanding all my pas, misery. could not. without struggle. die dogs death. l could see above me the pale looking faces of the two ruffians gazing down. One grasped in his hand long pole armed with sharp point. and directly opposite to me, in the wei. within a foot of my face. was the bloated. hvid face of a swollen corpse. In the iiiokesing light ii appeared to mock and jecr. Just then one of the men said 10 the other:
 Split his head and lab him under. or he will sing out.
 And down came the sharp spear. touch ing my head, but not injuring me. He then drew it up to throw il again with more deadly purpose.
 At that instant of time the report of pis- tols, shrieks of pain mingled with the va ried sounds of deadly conflict. came to my ears; the desperado above me, in haste. cast the spear, and then. with his rornnorson vuek>1 sx> sNn s<>,. of ,sh~~