Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1919-09-05


served to brighten my thoughts.
turned back along the deserted deck,
only pausing a moment to glance care
lessly in through the front windows
of the main cabin. The forward por-
tion was wrapped in darkness, and un-
occupied, but beyond, toward the rear
of the long saloon, a considerable group
Of men were gathered closely about
small table, above which a swinging
lamp burned brightly, the rays of light
Illuminating the various faces. Gam
bling was no novelty on the great river
In those days. gambling for high
stakes, and surely no ordinary game,
involving a small sum, would ever
arouse the depth of interest displayed
by these men. Some instinct told me
that the chief players would be Kirby
and Beaucaire, and with quickening
pulse l opened the cabin door and en-
tered.
No one noted my approach, or so
much as glanced up, the attention of
the, crowd riveted upon the players.
There were four holding cards-the
judge, Kirby, Carver and McAfee; but
1 judged at a glance that the latter
two were merely in the game as a pre-
tense, the betting having already gone
far beyond the limit of their resources.
they held my eyes sought the faces
of the two chief players, and then Wis
ioned the stakes displayed on the table
before them. McAfee and Carter
were clearly enough out of it, their
cards still gripped in their fingers, as
they leaned breathlessly forward to
observe more closely the play. The
judge sat upright, his attitude strained,
staring down at his" hand, his face
white and eyes burning feverishly.
That he had been drinking heavily was
evident, but Kirby fronted him in ap-
parent cold Indifference, his feelings
completely masked, with the cards he
held punched in his hands and entirely
concealed from view. Between the two
rested a stack of gold coin, a roll of
crushed bills and a legal paper of
some kind, the exact nature of which
l could not determine. 1t was evident
that a fortune already rested on that
table, awaiting the flip of a card. The
silence, the breathless attention, con-
vinced me that the crisis had been
reached-it was the judges move; he
must cover the last bet or throw down
his hand loser. S..t.
Precipitation beaded his forehead,
and he crunched the cards savagely in
his hands. His glance swept past
the crowd as though he saw nothing
of their faces.
Another drink, Sam," he called, the
voice trembling. He tossed down the
glass of liquor as though it were so
much water, hut made no other effort
to speak. You could hear the strained
breathing of the men.
"Well," said Kirby sneeringly, his
cold gaze surveying his motionless
opponent. "You seem to be taking
your time. Do you cover my bet?"
Someone laughed nervously, and a
voice sang out over my shoulder, "You
might as well go the whole hog,
judge. The niggers won't be no good
without the land ter work 'em on
Fling 'em into the pot-they're as good
as money"
Beaucaire looked up, red-eyed, into
| the impassive countenance opposite
His lips twitched yet managed to make
words issue between them.
"How about that, Kirby?" he asked
hoarsely. "Will you accept a bill OF
sale?"
Kirby grinned. shufiing his hant
carelessly.
why not? 'Twon't be the first tim,
I've played for niggers. They are
worth so much gold down the river
What have you got?"
Il can't tell offhand," sullenly
about twenty field hands,"
"And house seryants?"
"Three or four"
The gamblers lips set more tightly
a dull gleam creeping into his eyes.
"See here, Beaucaire," he hisseC
sharply. "This is my game. and
play square and never squeal. l know
about what you've got, for I've locke,
them over; thought we might ge
down to this sometime. can make ,
pretty fair guess as to what your mig
gers are worth. That's why | ius
raised you ten thousand and put Il,
the money. Now if you think this i
bluff, call me-"
"What do you meanT'
"That will accept your niggers a
covering my bet"
"The field handsT
Kirby smiled broadly.
"The whole bunch-field hands an
house servants. Most of them areGbld
| doubt If altogether they will brin
that amount, but I'll take the risl
Throw in blanket bill of sale, an
we'l turn up our cards. If you won
do that the pile is mine as it stands.
Beaucaire again wet his lips, starin
at the uncovered cards in his hand!
He could not lose; with what he hel
no combination was possible whic
would beat him. Yet in spite of thi
: knowledge the cold, sneering conf
dence of Kirby brought with it
strange fear. The man was a profei
sional gambler. What gave him sue
!, recklessness? Why should he be S
eager to Bisk such a sum on an II
ferior hand? McAfee, sitting nel
him, leaned over, managed to gai
r swift glimpse at what he held. an
eagerly whispered to him a word
3 encouragement. The. judge straigh
' ened up in his chair, grasped file
v glass someone had placed at his elboN
2 and gulped down the contents. tt
!. whispered words, coupled with IL
!. fiery liquor, gave him fresh courage
: by heaven, Kirby, I'll do itp' /
= blurted out. "YOu can't bluff me {
4 the hand I've got. Give me a she
y of paper. somebody-yes, that wi
: do"
He scrawled a half-dozen line
fairly digging the pen into the she
in his fierce eagerness, and the
signed the document, flinging the p
per across toward Kirby.
il %rhere. you bloodsueker," he cri,
v insOlently. as that all right? w
= | TINT dO3"