The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-11-24
."Any orders about him 2"

Heath's?"
Gen. Heath will tell you. Ask him
II he remembers the casemate at Fort |
-"
Icoveted the letter he had shown |
me. Innocent or guilty, was inter
ested deeply in my general. and with |
that letter in my possession at least |
one point of evidence against him
would be Cancelled. caught at a
straw, or rather my intuitions served
me. Berante was plainly of Spanish
extraction, and there never was Span
lard who was not gambler. He had
used smile that told me he was famil-
lar with the game of poker. Perhaps,
being a natural gambler myself, knew
another by instinct.
Major" said. 81 have trnket that
| would like to play against that finger
ring of yours"
you impudent boy, what do you
mean?"
81 mean that | want that ring, and
| am willing to risk an equal value
against it,
"You have nothing to risk. Did you
not get a receipt for your effects when
captured?
81 did, but | kept one article"
was accustomed to carry with me,
ingeniously concealed for use in case
should be captured, a ffty-dollar
greenback. Ripping off button from
my coat, | asked the loan of the MAJORS
knife. Then, inserting the blade be-
tween the brass covering of the but
ton and it's base, drew forth a crum-
pied little ball. Opening IT, | showed
my bill.
The ma ior's eye glistened. He could
easily have taken it under preteKt OF
turning it in," but had judged him to
be one OF those men who would make
great pretensions to honor in order to
cover the blacklist dishonor, and for
appearance sake would scorn TO rob
me. Besides, if he sould win my
money, he would not be accountable to
anyone for it. My judgment was cor
rect. A dirty pack of cards Was pro-
duced, and, with the guard looking on,
we sat down at table, to play my
fifty dollars against the majors ring;
the game TO be euchre, the best fovr
games in seven to win.
Berante won the first two games.
the second two. He scored the fifth,
| the sixth, which left VS. the deciding
game to play. The major won two
points, forcing me TO win three in sue
eession. The cards ran well for me,
and | scored two. The NEXT hand was
dealt by Berante. Happening to
II, al 81, hfc Rp,
, as he dealt the cards, ] saw him turn
, jack" that is, having, in shutting,
placed knavs on the bottom of the
pack, he deXterously turned ii for the
. trump card. 1t would have been a
case of wolf and lamb" to notice the
irregularity, and | said nothing.
However, having peculiar hand that
: had learned to play in peculiar
way, | scored a point and my oppon-
t ent's ring at the same time. He took
it off his finger and handed il TO me
: | rose TO GO
wait bit" he said, feeling in his
pockets and drawing out two ten dol
lar confederate bills. 81 must have
! that ring back. It's keepsake"
e. Not against two confederate tens,
said, except on compusion. And
S am sure you would not use compul.
= sion, ma ior.'
Don't insult me, sir, by intimating
such a course"
I'll tell you what I'll do; III stake
( the ring and the bill against the letter
you showed me-"
The major smiled, a sardonic Mephis
l tophelean smile, and assented lie
$ laid the letter on the table; beside it
/, placed the ring and the bill. As be
fore, the games We're seven, four win
n ming. The major won three straight
S games, and il was easy to see tina
= turning jack" was not the only tricl
II at cards he knew how to practice.
e And now l am obliged to own to {
misdemeanor which, notwithstanding
the palliating circumstances, | blush a
: confessing. My interest in cards haC
4 led me to become expert at certain de
o vices employed by professional gam
I blers, though, in justice TO myself,
+ must say that, except for ipnocen
amusement, / had no use for them.
h must now confess 10 one exception
Il MY utSllc W EtN IlboS'HNlph VI 'lN ia
g eliminating letter oyerbore the re
q membrance that two wrongs do no
= make one right. ! won the fourtl
game fairly, the fifth barely, the siNtl
@, brilliantly, and carried off the seventh
triumphantly with a hand of bower
II and court cards that filled my oppon
ent with astonishment,
"a very bright boy" he said, rising
~ and smiling urbanely.
u "Thanll YOU
t picked up the letter and stuffed
h in my trousers pocket. Then, taking
3, the ring, | said: Keep it till you ar
Il in a position to redeem it, major; am
MS for the bill, permit me to make go
" a loan ON confederate terms; till 81
n months after ratification of a treat
o of peace between the United States an