The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-04-07

crawl back" he said hurriedIy. licking
his dry lips at the thought.
"Yo' can hev' it when yo' win it,"
answered the rebel sternly.
Blu it's cold" pleaded the tall man
nervously, For Gawd's Sake, let us
hev' some whiskey."
But yo' amt got nothing to lose :"
began the second rebel.
The thoroughly honest man sprang
unsteadily to his feet and fourishej
his red skinny fists.
Don't you say that again" he CRIED
out ~wrathfully, suffering his words,
W amt povertieS. Get out yer whiS-
key. Me an Dan'n play We for the out
post. We amt no poverties."
"One game?" asked the amazed
rebel.
lone game" the honest one snarled.
The tall man shuddered and looked
behind him into the darkness. Then he
moved his stockinged feet upon the
damp earth and muttered to himself
that 1t was cold and growing colder.
They drew up the blinking lantern.
The first hands were played in silence,
save when the great guns booming
would batter the stiffness. The men
were as earnest as if life itself depend
ed on their skill. Each play was care
fully weighed before the card fell in the
circle of light. At last the score stood
six to six. One poik would decide it.
4ShC lColllSl liz Sol lC
ing at the small patch of yellow on the
ground. The tall soldier seemed frozen.
the rebels feigned an air of non chal-
ance, the honest man blinked his eyes
stupidity. The score stood six to six.
It's my deal?" said the ragged rebel,
stretching out his hand for the cards:
Six an six, yo' say?-Then it must
be my time to turn a jack"
Hurry" muttered the tall man, the
guard is nearly due"
The ragged one shuff1ed the cards
m~ethodically, his face staring as a
craven mask. He dealt out the cards,
slowly counting them half aloud, and
when the last one had been given to
himself. moistened his broad thumb up
on his lips. The tall soldier leaned for
ward eagerly TO see the trump card
"tNatch out" yelled the thoroughly
honest player. The ragged dealer
thought this cry a trick to draw his
attention and he did not raise his eyes
But the others, looking into the black
dome above, saw a tiny train of spit
ting fire trail across it, from which
small glowing sparks dropped away
and falling, falling down through the
murky veil of cloudland.
For an instant the three men hud-
died together as frightened sheep. There
was a ~shuddering labored CONFUSION
of the earth then the tall man
raised himself slightly on one arm, and
brushed weakly from his breast a COW.
ering of shredded sod. The sound of
footsteps came to his ears.
Put away the cards, boys" he called
out softly, speaking to a mound of
heaped and shattered clods, We'll hev'
to crawl back. the guards com
ing, Who won-the
"A shell must have played the deuce
abut here" said a soldier of the relief
guard several moments later. He held
up a lantern to light what seemed to
be a strangely contorted pile of earth.
Look another cried out, See
there's a mans hand-they were play
ing cards Oh post"
1t looked very much like a gnarled
claw, the thing that grasped a greasy
deck of cards. From the top OF the
pack the thumb had partially slipped
! aside one card. The soldier bent down
and drew it out from the nerveless
| clutch, and turned it face up in his own
! warm palm.
"CIubs are trumps," he said quietly.
The Jack" exclaimed his companion,
"Who wins the gamer"