The National tribune., 1890-05-08

While sitting in corner Of the car waiting
for the porter to arrange my bed he again APP
preached me and said, Gap, you have been q
| little hard on me tonight and / always feel
bad when am misunderstood by your kind OF
men. You people in the East don't exactly
understand this country down here, and, tC
show you how You may be mistaken j want to
| tell You little OF my experience when j first
| came on this rum 1t was the year after the
| war, and tho road was infested with gamblers
! There were so many of them in proportion to the
Othcr people that often thought none of them
could have been killed, while so many better
| men were. Well, there is a rule in this COMPANY
which prohibits gambling, that is we are order
| cd not to let people put money up where il can
be seen. | was fresh and set about carrying
ont tho rul cs, and soon found that was making
enemies OF not only the gamblers but of many
| others who used the road. Most of the people
| who travelled then seemed to be fond of betting,
and would bet on almost anything. The poo
| pic who live along this road have always been
so, and are yet One evening we were
| coming out of New Orleans, king this same
| trip, and there was a company of soldiers on
| board. They occupied car to themselves but
| the officer in Communications, they called
! him-had section in my sleeper There were
three Of the most desperate gamblers that fire.
| quent these parts in tho same car aud we had
| not been on the road long until game was
started-a game of euchre--tho fourth hand
being played by an old planter who had evil
IDENTIFY been down to settle with his commits
sion merchant and was king home with him
the proceeds of his crop. It wasn't long until
the betting commenced, Just rs il lid with YOU
But the old man was differently built from what
you are, and never seemed to dream that his
chance acquaintance were anything but what
they represen ted themselves to be- Indeed
one of the gamblers had imposed himself on
the old planter as a Kentucky mule grower,
who was also returning from New Orleans to
his home, having taken large lot of mules
down there by river boat. and having sold ont.
They were drinking rather freely, and the
old planter was betting rccklcssly, and of
course, losing whenever they wanted him to
lose. The game had been changed into poker
pure and simple. / knew he would be heeced
of all he had, and although / was in mortal
terror of the ruiiians who were sknning him.
/ could not help interfering. ! stepped up and
said Gentlemen, must call your attention TO
the fact that you are violating the rules of this
company in putting money up on your game,
aud you must ut once desst The first man TO
resent my interference was the old man him
self, who seemed TO think things had come to a
pretty pass when gentlemen travelling could
not amusc themselves by an innocent game of
poker without being sat upon in this manner
He wanted TO know if their game was un-
pleasant to ladies or others in the car: If 10
was, that was n matter 10 he considered, but so
far as any rules of the company were concerned
he did not care much for them. The gamblers
didn't say anything at this time, but they did
their share in looks
Although felt was in for IL badly, in
sisted that the money bo removed from the Ia
bic, and said that the table would be taken
away by the porter unless they complied with
the orders. At this the big hcrcc,lookin ing
devil, who sat beside the vi man. spraug to his
feet, and, as quick as a fash, drew q dcrringer
from his pocket and presented 10 to my face
Well, bad been through good part of the
war, but never was scared so badly in my life
was paralyzed. Looking into the barrel Of
that pistol, give you my word. it seemed rs big
as a cannon, ] wasafraid to move lest il should
20 off ! don't know how long ! would have
stared down that pistol had not felt n swift
motion coming from behind me and past my
right check. shad0wy something seemed to
pause lsttle to the front and the right of my
face. A glance at the gamblers eyes told mo
that he was looking beyond and not at me. A
glance 10 the right showed not shadow. but
real navy revolver at tho full cock held in "A
strong hand with the finger on the trigger.
Well, j just scrooched down a little, very
slowly, until saw the muzzc Of the dcrringer
rising; then / squattcd low and CFawled out
from under the arm that held the revolver and
stepped TO one side Well sir, there stood that
Army Major, proud looking az you ever see.
aud handsome picture. behind that re.
volvcr. He looked 10 me about Ii feet high.
and his voice, when bo said TO the gam blur,
whose pistol was now pointing straight up, III
take that, sir, was 20 me the sweetest music
ever heard. Tho dcrringcr was handed butt
foremost, 10 him and taking il in his left hand,
he commanded, Conductor, phil that bell.
cord. obeycd, mechanically; any other man
would have obeycd that voice in the same way
] suppose while | was gazing down the barrel
F.faf f,a L. L.
forward, for, rs the train slowed down, a Ser
geant and three or four soldiers hastily entered
the car. When the train came 10 dead stop
he gave this order: Sergeant here arc three
thieves pointing TO them. whom | wish to
have put off the train At once Use any vic.
lonce that may be necessary, and sec that none
OF them get on again
Well sir they didn't wait for the 'vio-
lence TO commence but they Just hustled.
We left them standing on the track, In the mid.
die OF the Long swamp about IL miles from
any house, and am glad 10 say havenot seen
any Of them since. OF course | thanked the
Major as best l could. / told him / was sure
he bad saved my life, but he didn't seem
b think he had lie said he thought they in
tended only "a scare ne. ] don't think he was
right In that II he was aud that was all they
Intended 10 do, ! know how well they sue.
cecded. Whcw. Chills run up aud down my
back yet when ! think Of thai dcrringer !
have not seen the Major since. but have the
satisfaction Of knowing that he never pays
fare on a Pullman sleeper. Ny chief made
report Of the incident 10 the headquarters of
the company, and that Major has been our
guest ever since when lie travels"
The story good, and his little flattery
OF me 50 insinuating, that torgave the couduc-
tor for his seeming neglect.
The reader would like the officers name?
Well, would rather not give IT, Should do
so / should forfeit valued friendship. His
modesty If OF that kind found among the truly
courageous, and he will blush like dobutante
when he reads this story, Of which he In the
hero. Besides, his conduct that day. though
most mcrforions, WAS not legal lie still wears
the uniform, bat. at tho War Department, they
write after his name Colonel roti red"
There Is hitch in his gait he uses n cane
when he walks and his shoulders are n little
stopped. BY these signs you may pick him out
OF the crowd on the Avenue almost any fine
day.
Homestead Entries.
Abe Patterson Post. No 4s9. Departmcnt Of
leuugylyauia hug drafteR Z. bfll 81, -,