The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-12-22

Sum niggehs is too low-down & crnery tn
be Wort bilin down fob deir taller. Dey doan
deserve tuh be considered cullud jentleme
& cooks, but orter rank wild white men
teamsters
Dat wuz de kind OBJ poll-evil fy-up-de
crick dat Meshack, de flip Majah's niggeh
wuz. Kase he happened tub be free nigel
beio de war, wuz boss barber, could piol
de banjo little, g. served de Majah, he pu
on mo frills dan a trick pony in circus,
wuz po sumptively onbearable tub rs jemmer
OBJ de rank and file. who wuz rayly carrin Oh
de wah & cookin foh de privates' messes
| De only time dat Mashack eber would So
chiate wild us wus when fede git n new deck
OBJ marked cahds or learned fresh gam
blin trick tub skin us outen ouah skads. Den
hede cum down back Of de mems tents, &
jinerally had his pockets bungin ont wild all
ouah wealth when he went away agin. Den
fOh weeks no one oh ouah gang would hob SO
much as a fve-cent shinplaster tub buy a
chaw oh terbacker wild.
done loss my money, de same as de rest,
in spite OBJ all de plans wild cold decks.
mahked cahds, 81 cahds up my sleeve dat l
could wuk tub beat Meshack's cheatin.
Finally, jest arter wede bin paid off arter
Antietam, & cherry odv had a wad Oh fresh
rattly greenbax, a yaler niggeh cum froo
camp selin packs oh sure-tuh-win cahds. l
got hold oh him befo he got tub Meshack's, &
done bought all he had. practised wild dem
dat night till | knowed ehery cahd by de
back as we'll as did by it's face.
De next ehenin, jest as / expected, Me-
shack came saunterin bv whar some oh us
wuz playin mild game OBJ five cents ante &
50 cents limit. As Meshack stopped in front
OBJ ouah fiah & begun tuh llok on, winked
at Sassafras Tom, & he got up & sez:
''WelI, Ime dead tired, 81 tink lie go &
tend tub my hosses. You plantation
niggehss too smaht cahders fob ME an emmy
way. Ennybody kin haD ny | lace what
wants hit"
Meshack he sunk down intuh de place,
sayin:
Il don't mind playin hand or two, jest
tnh put in de tins befo tattoo, but five cent
ante is too much like playia pins foh grown
man. Les make hit % cents Il no limit"
g Ime agreed F." seq l. for felt dead sartain
oh my sure-tuh-win cahds.
De udders dev scused deirselves, & got up
& passed ont, leavin me & Mesilacll foh hit.
We playel seberal hands wido, much rake
off eiier way We wuz jest feeln one
anudder Finally 1 deft myself three aces
& put de udder ace Jest 1har c1nld git hit,
& glib Meshack four kings & little cahd.
1 skinned my cahds ober lseerless like, &
sez: Sah
lie Jest play DIS hand & den quit. foh
hit must lie monty nigh tattoo. He go 81
blind. Just tut, MAKE hit fnteres'in."
/ could see dc twhte' in Me5hack s eye
brighten up, but he maize CRATE purtend %
not tiakin much OBJ hit, "a. he studied ober
bis ca'lds a long While, q den skinned a s.
bill often his roll.
Gle see dat & 81 81 betteh,n sez he.
prr ended tub be ner.ous, skinned ober
my cahds two or free ti3les, Whispered tub
Sassalras Tom, 81 den peeled $40 ohen my
monty sharp 81 seein dat | still had some
annuder $40.
dilient hab NJ mo money oh my own,
but / bad $40 what de Mornin Glory Mess
lad glib me tub buy pervisions wid. Bat !
felt 50 dead sariin oh nv sure-tuh-win cahd,
dat hauled hit out & planked hit down. q
called MIN, & reached around foh my razor.
Show youah c.his." F." sez Meshac@.
-Four aces & king" sez 1, spreadn dem
out. & reacain foh de money.
-Four aces amt no go,d, Z" sez he, spreadin
down bis eahd5 Il hab five aces, & dey
takes de money"
- Dis sen 10 low-down niggeh kin ring in
a COLI deck on me" sez fourishin my razor
befo his face
= Dis talks louder" sez he. shown a six
shooter undeli my nose. g & seq no plantation
bai'oon kin steal my hahd earnins wild marked
cahis. De money mine"
had tub let him take de scads, foh de SIX
shooter beats q razor ebery time
! had tnh beg, b'rry or steal all de ter
backer | chawei till de next payday, g. ]
afterwards found dat dat yaller niggeh had
sold Meshack -tuhwin cahds beio he cum
tub me.