The National tribune., 1900-03-15

IHE HOLE WAS But VERY LITTLE
We've bin careful and only spent little
every day to git some little thing to help
out the boys rationS, but now we're Citing
near the end of our bank account; and j
don't know where more's to come from
unless Providence helps agin with a dumb
old SQUIRE who's just sold a niger, which
aint likely"
ST could give no consolation.
Monty Scruggs ransacked his clocu-
tionary work-basket in vain for some Sc
lection that would DO justice to the plague
Of vile creeping things that attacked him
and his companions as they were lying
there. while the sun climbed up in all his
fierce strength, and the interior of the
prison gccthed under the burning heat.
After exhausting all his boyish expletive5,
:c remarked:
Boys, tho worst Thing that want done TO
jeff Davis. after we bust the rebellion and
month right here in this tent, without
boirg allowed TO move or stir. If that
don't make him repent OF his treason,
rothiUg ever will"
After roll-calI Scrg't IibEctts came in
in Il high state Of citation.
Say, that conjure yo' done give me
was icSt great" he said, as soon as lie got
within speaking distance of Shorty. Pm
hits a powerful sight o trouble. Done
used hit this mornin'. See my hands"
Look like hams o corned teef," said
Shorty, inspecting the great, red, hairy
paws. "And not WELCOMED. neither.
'.About the only thing you're fit for" he
not good soap-grease neither. I'd prefer
Il razor-back hog" Then aloud:
well. it worked well, did it?'
"Yo' done Jest bet hit did. F'ust class,
See hyah."' And he produced a great wad
Of "Confed." Il done jest cleaned Wad
Greene outen his boots, I did. Didn't
leave him enough ter buy him n chaw o
tcrEacker. The cussed ole hog-thief. Bin
gassin around all this time as to how all
fired smarter II me he wu2, and stealin' me
blind. But did Mt git ell o this from him.
Thar was Il lot o them other buZzards
that's bin pickin' my bones: They cum
around, an wanted some o the pie, an
thcy'uns done got hit. Raked in every
sk2d any o they tms ID dar' put up. o,
tell yo', FIn the smartest kearder in these
hyah camps. ! alluz knowcd ! wuZ, if |
could only git a leetle bulge. But they y'uns
9 had hit on me all along. Now I've got
hit on they'uns. an I'm a-gwinc ter keep
with any man who shuffles pasieboards.
I'd like ter take little turn with yo'. !
think Eve done got pints that yo' amt up
Nothing would suit me better" answered
Shorty, looking at the wad with glOating
eyes. fDtt tCNil DtTp. anu We III nave
Il mcetin' o the trustees o the school fund"
Shorty folded up the blanket to make 4
taElc for them 10 play on. and produced n
pack of cards from his breast.
Not with them! Not on yer life,"
calculated 1ibbetts. you've got yer own
conjme on them; Yo'n play with my own
kCardS, or not at ALL
you want me to play with cards that I've
learned you to know as well by their backs
as their faces. All right. Come on.
Wen find out who goes before the Coroner
first"
They cut for deal. and Shorty's quicker
eyes and fingers caught deuce, while
Tibbetts only got a six-spot. In fumbing
the greasy cards in his capacious hands,
Shorty managed TO slip most of the face
cards under the edge of the blanket, where
he could have them for future use.
Strange muttered Tibbetts,. after
several hands had been played, and con-
siderable portion of his wad had passed
over 10 Shorty. THAT conjure don't seem
ter work RS we'll as hit did last night. Kin
hit he something inside the stockade hyah
capture him: is TO give him a straight
that busts hit:"
"No. / guess not" said Shorty, busily
engaged in fixing up the cards. "Oughtn't
10 be. Hands. and cards are the same.
That's the main thing
But he decided that it was wisest to let
Tibhetts win pot or two. This encour-
aged the rebel.
After he had raked back considerable
portion of his losings. he took the cards in
his hands. arose. turned his back. pulled
a rabbits foot from his pocket rubbed it
on them, mumbled something to himself
turned around three times with the sun,
spat in his hat, and then sitting down
again, said:
Say. this S boys play. Les make hit
worth while. Les make the ante $50.
ard $50 limit"
"All right" said Shorty. covering Tib-
betts's ante with five SO Confed
1'ibbetts fumbled around with the pack,
until he could deal himself the four kings
which Shorty had let get back into the
deck. and gave Shorty three queens and
an ace.
Shorty let Tibbetts see momentary
look of eXultation on his face as he skinned
his hand, and then laid another $40 on the |
pile.
While Tibbetts was getting at his roll |
TO see the raise and go it $40 better. Shorty I
quietly slipped his three queens under
the blanket, and replaced them by three !
aces, which he had on storage. awaiting
this crisis.
The betting then went on. with apparent
moods of shrinking and courage on the
part of Shorty, both hid up $100. and un'ii |
called. for all his money was bet. |
He grinned tri,,mphantly. as he showed
down his four kings, but his face turned
yellow when Shorty laid down. one after
another, the four aces.
"Whar in the livin' world did yo' git
'em?" he asked. 81 haint seed but one ace
all the time we've bin playin'. and was
wonderin' whar they wuz"
You must've punched 'em in your
raked in the pot. "And then give 'em to