The National tribune., 1900-02-15

| tim If the latter resented it, Tibbetts wa:
ready, to infiict any cruelty upon him. l
1ibbetts had gotten Shorty'3 money first
! he would probably have taken trouble to tie
! him and his com tades particularly tightly
and enjoyed the pain he inflicted.
But he needed money nightly that day
and as he saw that Shorty was obdurate he
proceeded to execute his orders Us gently as
he could. and still pass the inspection ol
! Capt. Wirz, should he come along. Shorty
was perforce satisfied, and opened his hand
| and let TibbettS secure the coveted note
! The squad were seated in a sem-circle al
| the foot of a Scrub-Oak, and in front of Z
shack which was Tibbetts's headquarters
One by one. he sent the rest of his guards
/ away on various duties, until he was left
| alone with the prisoners.
He was absorbed in reflections which
seemed morose and gloomy, and made i
ugly face uglier than ever. Shorty studied
him and made up his mind that, like mosi
of the men of his stamp, he was an inveter-
ate gambler. and consumed with hunger Il
| be the Smartest man with kyards in the
camp" but was continually meeting with
| soreSt humiliation in defeats at the hands oi
men who had a trifle more brains and skill
than he had. This is the CALLING bitter
ness in every gamblers life-high or low
His soul is consumed with a sense of his
own 'smartness, and desire to demonstrate
| it to his fellows. But whatever SatiSfac
ton he gains from beating those more
stupid than he is more than offset by tbs
| rage at being beaten by men who are only
a trifie more cunning. Shorty reasoned
correctly that TfbDetts had probably been
cleaned out Of every cent the night before
| by some cheap, "tin-horn gambler" who
was just a shade slyer and smarter than he
| Silent and morose, Tibbetts smoothed the
$40 Confed out on his knee. scowled at it.
and wrinkled his forehead in anxious
thought.
aHello, jeff" said another rebel, with
Sergeants stripes. approaching from the
direction of WirZ's headquarters. What yo
up ter?'
The newcomer was the same stamp of a
/ man as IfbbettS, though not so ill-favored
He halted little in his steps. He had
rolled a log over his foot to save himself from
conscriptiOn. How much injury he had
| inflicted was matter of dispute. He
walked much better when he thought him
self unseen than when under observation.
and actually reSorted to crutches when the
conscripting officers were pervading the
| land.
Hello, Wad." answered Jeff surlily.
| Got ter watch these hyah Yanks."
Bin a-trusSin some o they 'uns up" said
Wad Greene, with a casual glance at the
prisoners. Such sights were too common
| to excite comment from anyone. Say,
luck run a leetle agin yo' last night"
"Yes. dang it ALL" Tfbbetts answered
savagely. "Never did SO see kyards run so
in my born days. / believe they wuz be-
witcled. I'm tsst wonderin' whar | kin git
Il silver dime Or quarter ter give ter that ole
hump backed niger at the station ter
change my luck. They do say that he
kin conjure powerful"
| 81 done got silver quarter" said Wad.
Tuck hit from prisoner. And got a $50
greenback. too"
| He displayed the bill, with great pride.
and to 1fbbetts's consuming envy.
How w'dyo' happen ter git away with hit?"
| Tibbetts asked.
20. Jst by keepin' my eye peeled. The
| fu,t time | went down the line searchin' the
prisoners ole Wirz. the jabbcrin' Dutch
| villain, he walked right along behind me.
| and every time | done found Il greenback
he'd make me give hit ter him. The ow-
dashious ole hog. He wants everything
for hisself. He never kin git enough
But I'd spotted some fellers that thought
pickin'. when Wirz wasn't lookin'. but Jest
then Lootenant Bill Little cum along
He's even a bigger hog n ole Wirz, an he
made me give up every dollar I'd got. But
I'd noticed boy down near the eend.
stickin' bill inter his mouth ter hide hit
went down ter him, and choked him till he
opened his mouth. and got the bill"
"Gol dang hit" grumbled Tfbbetts.
"Why don't ole Wirz ever give me chance
ter search prisoners? ] don't have no fair
show in this outfit. Before kin git hold of
IL prisoner you pets of ole Wirz have gone
over him like fine-tooth comb. and thar
haiut nothin' left for decent man. who's
tryin' ter do his dooty."
"Yo' don't stand in with the right kind o.
fellerS. That's the trouble. Loot Bill Little
kin git Yo' appinted on the searchin' squad.
Give him S1OO and say you'll whack up
with him, and he'll fix it fer yo."
1t was one of the oddities of the guards at
A nd, bpt thaI- u-p1II ttll- hnf
the prisoners as freely as if the latter We're
really unreasoning animals.
"If only had the $780," said Tibbetts.
"I'd give hit ter him. I'll give him my next
wnnn's. if | kin set inter a game somewhar
and win that much. Yo' say you've done
got silver quarter? Le' me have hit for
ole QliaSh ter conjIre with"
Not much | won't. | aint sauanderin'
my money hathaway. But I'll tell yo
what III do. I'll put hit up agin s. Confed.
and play you two best out o three for hit"
Tibbetts demurred little at the Odds but
n silver quarter was then not very bad
exchange for S5 in Confederate paper and
besides he wanted the silver very much.
Wad produced a well-worn deck, and in
a little while walked off chuckling, with ali
of Tbbetts's money in his pocket
"That was the rankest stealin' ever saw.
Regler highway robbery" burst out Shorty
as Wad Greene disappeared. Lord, how
| despise to see a man rob another that
way"
what d'yo' mean?" asked Tibbetts
turning to him for consolation.
''Why that feller just stole your money
He didn't win it. You played straight.
honest game, and a much better one than