The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-16
SIX ACES In THE PACK,
a MISSISSIPPI RIVER TALE HEARD
IN TIE BOWERY.

Mississippi since was youngster," said an
old man whom / met Just as he was drink
ing large schooner on the Bowery the
other evening. before the war, sir, those
boats were floating palaces, and the people
who Travelled on them were able to pay for
anything on earth that could be supplied to
them; ana they expected the best of every
thing, and they got it, too.
THE time TO see life then Thanks, I'll
take the same was about the last Of the
year, when the planters were travelling
home from New Orleans after selling their
cotton crops. They would have, every man
of them, a fortune in bis pocket, and not
one had the least conception of the value of
money. As matter of course, there were
gamblers on the boats. Where the car
cass is, there will the eagles be gathered
together the good book tells US, and it is
true enough. There was always game of
cards-poker usually-going on in the
saloon, and the gamblers seldom got the
worst Of it. l have seen many thousand
dollars change hands in a single game; for
there was no such thing as a limit recog-
nized, excepting on the old law that a man
had a show for his money. You couldn't
make him bet more than he had. Men were
very handy with knives and pistols, too. in
UuOS6 Gays, ana more IMAM once nave seen
! shots fired across the table.
81 never saw but one man killed. though
and in that case l said, as everybody else in
the saloon said, Served him right No.
body thought ne was entitled to any show
at all; for there was one thing that put a
man outside the reach of human sympathy
on the Mississippi when he was caught at it,
and that fellow was caught dead TO rights.
There was a mighty stiff game going on
hat mic hk
had dropped out enc after another when the
luck ran TOO heavily against them; but as
fast as one man rose from the table another
would take his place, and the game went on
steadily till long after midnight. Two men
sat in all the time, but luck ran against one
and toward the other from the first. Inc
lucky man was watched closely by more
than one in the room who knew him for a
professional gambler; but although he must
have kno wn it he did not finch. He played
on as steady as machine and took his win
ming as calmly as though they were pennies
instead of thousands of dollars.
The other man was younRster. He
couldn't have been more than % or %, and
although he tried to keep from showing his
excitement, he could not altogether hide it,
He grew paler as he kept losing and those
who watched his game saw that he got to
playing recklessly and trying to force his
luck
He lost over IS, 900 before he came to
the end of his money; but after a time he
called for show, putting $500 bill on the
| table and saying. That's all have
IN never forget the hands that
were shown in that deal.
Even the other players who lost took no
| pains to conceal their sympathy with the
| young fellow for his hard luck. One OF
them had small straight, one had three
| aces and another had flush. The young
ster had four sevens, and the lucky player
showed down four Fights. There was not
! the faintest show of emotion on his face as
he raked in the largest pot Of the evening
there was more then 5000 in it-as coolly
as he lad done everything else, and picked
up the cards, for it happened 20 be his
| deal.
| THE young man was good grit. He did
not say word in reply to three or four ex.
| CARNATIONS from the other players and by.
ISLANDERS, but rose from his chair and turned
to leave the table. Pale as he was before,
he turned paler yet, when he faced the man
who stood behind his chair. This was a
stern-looking gentleman some so years old,
| but well preserved, and, as we after ward
| found out, with the muscles of giant.
"'Why, father" exclaimed the younger
| man, Il didn't know you were on board
"I got on at Natchez, said the father
| briefly. How much have you lostm
"'All had, said the son in a low tone.
"'And your sisters money? said the faith
er, speaking still lower.
| "'All gone, too faltered the unhappy
| young man; and he would have passed out
of the saloon, but the father said very
sternly, Don't 60 away, Sir, and took the
vacant chair, with polite question to the
| other players as to whether he was welcome
in the game. 1t was a form strictly OBJ
served, but objections were never made in
those days to any gentleman joining in the
play when there was an empty chair at the
! table.
1.-THE son looked on with astonishment
"'Why, father, he said, 1 thought you
never played
"But his father paid no attention. His
| eyes were fixed on the lucky player oppo-
site, and l. who was looking on very at
tentively, thought l could see a slight
change In the latter's face.
1.-THE game went on, but not In the old
way. Whether l was right or not about
| the change Of countenance, there was GER
tainly change in the gamblers play. He
was far more cautious, and yet he began to
lose. Once or twice he fumbled the cards
as he had not done before, but l could de-
tect no other sign of nervousness.
zone thing soon became evident-that
the new conner was playing at one adver-
sary only. He betrayed no anxiety to win
money from any or the others, but lost no
chance to bet with the gambler. The others
! saw it, and one by one dropped out, leaving
| the two TO their duel. They all felt that
| some kind of story was being acted out
] and were all unwilling to interfere with it
after they were out the play grew
| higher, the father forcing it at every OPP
| portunity.
Twice he called for a fresh pack OF
cards, and the gamblers face showed his
annoyance each time. The luck was
| against him, but that of itself was not
| enough to make him nervous More than
| one man in the room had seen him play a
| heavier game than this with worse luck and
| show no sign of emotion.
| Suddenly the climax came. With mo.
| ton, SO quick that my eyes, at least could
| not follow it, the elder man drew a pistol
| and had it pointed at the others face.
| Don't move a hair or will blow your
| brains out, Jim Baisley,' he said as coolly
as he had asked for cards a moment be-
| fore.
"Im not moving, said the gambler, sui
| lenly. You've got the drop on me-
"'Yes, and I've caught you said the
other. / told you twenty years ago I'd kill
YOU il I ever caught you cheating
Its lie, said the gambler, angrily
but be did not move, the pistol was at his
ga lie, is itp said the other coolly, as be.
\ fore.
"In those days to give man the lie was tc
| provoke shot. and we expected to hear
| the report, but none came Instead the
| elder man reached over with his left hand
and suddenlV spatched the five cards the