The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-23


rather have been shot at than to have had such
o tongue lashing..
playing poker in the cabin when actually in
command of her. and in active service, WAS, l
think, what set mo thinking, IS l said, about his
thing TO inc then. because i was the first time !
ever saw It. But, though the, strangenoss wore
tho snmc thing. l never saw Foss play again,
though | believe ho occasionally did 60
with him after that, that he. always came into
the saloon in the evening and looked ut the play
that ,wns going on. And on one occasion got
an inkllng Of his reasons for doing this. II was
a part of his regular patrol OF the boat, and he
was as particular to sec that nothing was going
wrong Mt the card table rs no was to sec TINT
everything was right elsewhere on the boat. or
course, poker itself was not considerod wrong.
II was part of the regular routine OF HE :, a hh man
to anybodyelsc playing would have been as lone.
some US a prohibitionist in Kentucky,
Drunkenness was rare. II there were ladies
! among the passengers, MS commonly there were,
Til after they had retired. Then. II q man
wanted N drink while he was playing, ono of tho
ION the particular occasion that I speak of a
cards at a table with four older men. He was 9
a pleasant manner, who seemed well able TO
take care of himself eycn at poker, and who, In
Of tho game. The play went on. however, far
into the night, and a number OF drinks were
younestor grew flushed and began playing wild.
Capt. Foss noticed this, rs no noticed every
thing, but did not at once interfere. observed.
times between the saloon and the deck, and just
as ! had seen a particularly foolish play made
by tho youngster ] heard the Captain say quiet
y: Gentlemen. the game will have to be closed
for tonight
prise, and one or two attempted u remonstrance,
but. noticing the Captains expression, Thought
better Of 4. He was smiling pleasantly. but you
could tell by his face that he was In earnest.
The youngstcr himself was vehement and
vocferoIs, but the Captain only smiled at him
game must be closed for the night: II was easy
enough to manage such n case as that, but after
even tried feeblSy to buster Without any success,
another man. much older, of dark risage and
thin, sharp features. spoke up In ugly fashion:
assumption OF authority for tho Captain of "a
steamboat or anybody else. to undertake to stop
IA @hi'y quick S'n Change a p,nSs"o over ''t the captains aaG
face. The smile was gone, and the eyes con-
tractod n little as they seemed to shoot fire, so
keen and brilliant was the look in them:
1T Is not necessary, Major, to consider what
hero. The point is that this game is going to
stop now. Gentlemen don't ply boys with
the Almighty, nobody else is going to do it on
1.-THE Major was as angry now as the Captain.
He glanced at the other players, but they all
had su III cient grace 10 be ashamed. or, at least,
to appear so, and with a contemptuous smile, he
said: Il understand you perfectly, Captain, and
] suppose you will give me satisfaction. Nobody
else seems inclined TO demand 1t, but l am not In
the habit Of allowing anybody. to lie about me
without calling him to account
"No law on earth could have prevented those
nobody present to put the machinery of the law
IN operation, even II It had been Of any avail.
the Arkansas side in twenty minutes. he Said,
and we can step ashore alone, unless you pre-.
fer !o take e friend with YOU; ...,.uo,o.
The two salutcd and the Captain strobe out
Of the cabin, The Major. without ~deigning a
look or a word to any OF us, walked over to his
stateroom, entered it, and closed the door.
eoin nnG aS Tas a a i TUqs o Mhil g. but an'e no SonEe sssmed
TO feel called on-1 know / did MOTTO Interfere,
and sHHiot there ,ro,, Was t,i transferable n. a,pa sPScnlati"G as to
would be killed seemed certain, and 1t was my
own notion that the Major would be the one. Ii
was true that l did not know him, but l did
IL was right. When the boat slackened speed
and then slid her nose into the mud. stopping with
that queer, slow spddcnness with which a boat
does stop on a bank, we all went outside to SEE
the two men of. l was surprised to see that II
was daylight, for l had not thought il was Sc
late. But. looking around. ] saw the pilot had
chosen an excellent spot for the purpose in hand
to reach the firm ground.
Foss paused, and, addressing the mate. said. $,
that We could ali understand him, do not ALLOW
any one to go ashore for half an hour after I do
II neither ! nor Major Nevins should return il
Then he turned to Major Nevins. who was clos
beside him, and said something to him which n,
one else could hear. The Major nodded, and tn,
two steppcd ashore together.
Walking side by side, they disappeared anon
the trees. Almost breathlessly. 1t seemed to me
we all listened for n long time. ldon't knov
how long. though | noticed the mate kept hi
watch in his hand. Suddenly We heard two shots
almost together. Then there was a pause, thcl
another shot, then another, then silence.
Three or four minutes after this we say
Capt. Foss walking back alone toward the boat
Coming on board, he stopped beside the mat,
and gave him some orders In an undcrtOnc, the
passed on to his own room. The mate salute'
and, calling two men to him. went somewher
aft, presently returning with u folded cloth II
his hand which looked like a sheet. The tw,
men brought n cot with them. and, following
the mate with two men, to whom he called, the
went ashore and also disappeared in the woodS
hour later, there was a burden on the cot, whicl
all four men were carrying, and over this bun
den the sheet was spread, dccently and smooth
ly. 1t was carried TO Major Nevins's room an,
the key taken TO the Captains room.
The boat moved on. and when we reachc
Helena, which was the next stopping place
Capt. Foss went ashore alone. In an hours tim
town, the local undertaken and two or three q
his assistants. The burden on the cot was take
! ashore, and after a little time the boat went o
down the river.
"lf there was eyer any prosecution ] didn'
hear of It.. All ] know is that IL was then tn
custom in Arkansas to allow the survivor to &
ON his own recogni7nncc in any case in whic
the Coroner was satisfied that there had been
fair fight"
~, ~ ~,