The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-21
and challenged the whole company to

and challenged the whole company to
| fight him.
Upon one occasion Smith was cap
tured by a rowing band of Comanches,
many of whom We're well known to
him. They frankly told him that they
intended to make him run the gauntlet
and burn him to the stake when they
reached their village on Devil river.
The captive had a flask of whisky,
which the chief took away from him.
After taking several drinks the old
warrior asked Smith If he could play
seven up. Smith proudly boosted that
he could beat any man living playing
that particular game. This answer ap-
peared to put the Indian on his mettle,
and he at once proposed that they
should halt by the side of the Warpath
and play for the highest stakes that
mortal men ever Waged on a game
of chance-life. Smith eagerly agreed
to the proposal and they sat down
under a tree and dealt the cards on
blanket. The other warriors dis
mounted and anXiously watched the
game. The chiefs name was Big Laugh
so called on account of q natural grin
that marked his features. After a
short time they stood to 8, and it was
Smiths deal. He ran the cards off
and turned a jack from the bottom.
Smith had won his liberty, and Big
Laugh told him that he might go; but
the Texan had something else in view
He might easily have walked away, but
he had determined upon another act
which marks him as a generous soul
possessed of the highest courage There
was a young white girl tied or one of
the ponies, who was weeping in the
most piteous agony. Smith coolly pro-
posed to play another game, stalking his
life against the liberty or this young
girl. Big Laugh was evidently pleased
with the white mans courage, and af-
ter taking another drink he began to
shuttle the cards. The young girl was
cut loose from the pOney and made to
stand on the blanket, while the thongs
for binding Smith in case he lost We're
thrown at her feet. Again they played
a close game, and at the end of a short
time stood and 6; hut it was Big
Laughs deal. With what awful inter
est that poor girl must have watched
the turning Of that trump. The Indian
slowly dealt the cards, and, peepng at
the trump. a hideOus grin spread all
over his face.
Il was sure that all was lost. and was
just in the act of springing at his
throat says Smith, when he turned
the queen of hearts for a trump. He
could not give me, Of course. and I held
both the ace and deuce of hearts"
Big Laugh was by this time hilar-
iously drunk and n q most excellent
good humOr. He not only kept his word
and gave Smith and the young girl
their liberty but he furnished them
two ponies and allowed Smith 10 take
his gun. The liberated captives
reached the settlements in safety
where Smiths strange story would
never have been credited had not the
young girl bore witness that il was
true. She is still living on a fine plan
tation on the Brazos and is the widow
of no less a parsonage that Col. Sam
Jones' who was killed at the battle Of
Shiloh.
Wildcat Smith lives in a little cabin
in the woods and devotes his whole
time to hunting bear and deer and
sometimes smaller game When asked
for information concerning his fero-
cious name, he said: Oh, the boys call
me Wildcat cause l fit one OF them
varInints once without any weapons. /