Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1922-10-05
mr. exclaimed brace

That case of wine was addressed to
Stepho la Vitte at Farnum's Landing,
Mississippi. That wine is going to
Stepho on the Bumblebee. And so
are wer'
An hour later Drace sat with Shot
tie on the deck of the Bumblebee,
watching the ever-changing panorama
of the Mississippi and musing upon
the sudden shifting of his quest.
Liberty" asked Drace presently,
how far up is this Farnums Landing?
Do you recall it?"
Yes said Liberty. 81 know this
river. Farnum's Landing is-by gol-
E!" he exclaimed, breaking off, Ear
NUNS Landing is the next stop
below Bethpages Landing! And GEN
eral Bethpage is my uncle! Wen go
there
But" Drace said obviously, ''he's
not my uncle and I'm afraid it would
be intruding somewhat on his hospi-
tality to-"
Nothing of the sort" averred Lib
erty. "Any friend of mine would be
doubly welcome. You can't know
much abour the General. Tanning,
now, but he used to be the most re-
markable character, in quiet way,
along the river. And when l tell you
about him, Virgil, you'll laugh. Before
the war he was professor at Newsome,
little college up in the scrub-oak
country. He entered the army as a
colonel and came out as d brigadier."
Il don't see anything to laugh at in
that"
mo, but wait. He had considerable
money, and at times used to come
down to New Orleans to enjoy him.
self. On one occasion he lost all his
money at roulette"
"Still nothing to laugh at"
mo? All the property he had with
him was a bodyservant, Guinea ne
gro named Dip. So what does he do?
He says to the proprietor of the gam
bling house: L wish to play this ne
gro, sir All right ;. I'll take off the
limit and let you play him. How much
is he worth? says the gambler. L
don't want to play his value in money,
but him, I tell you says the General.
Say the word, and I'll bet him on one
of these numbers He had been los
ing every bet, and the proprietor knew
that it would be safe. So he says:
All right, go ahead
''The General wasn't sober, so he
calls the darby and says: Dip, stand
here with your forefingers on number
twenty, right here The darby did so,
and they turned the Wheel everybody
laughing Well, sir, if twenty didn't
win, the world is puffball Won, and
the owner of the place turued pale !
He knew that he'd have to pay or close
up his house So he says: 'All right,
get at his value, and I'll pay the bet
'Valuer cries the General 4 didn't
bet his value, but him. want thirty
five Guinea negroes. Size them up to
him.
"What farce y commented Drace
"Was it? Well, l reckon not. They
had to go out and buy thirty-five
Guinea negroes. It took quite while,
but the General waited. And when
they had all been sized up, the General
went up the River, with his thirty-five
Guinea negroes trailing after him..
Now Drace could see the picture of
it, and he laughed This was the man
he was going to visit!
The Bumblebee was jointly owned
and operated by Major Pewitt and a
young fellow named William Hawkins.
1t was a fine steamer, but while 1t was
cunningly masked as a public carrier
was in truth nomad gambler, profuse
in entertainment that taxed not the
giver. But the entertainment sought
by this pelican, as the gamesters
termed Shottle, was not of wine from
France, the fish-egg from Russia or
venison from Americas native woods
but spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs
And while the Bee still lay at the
wharf, breathing low and blubberously
through her nostrils, Shottle had put
in operation a quickly contrived
touch" presenting himself to Major
Pewitt before he had taken the time
to introduce his friend to that we'll
known character.
Now, however, Major Pewitt strolled
up; and Shottle, keen to get to the
gaming table, introduced Pewitt to
brace and then moment later him
self slipped away.
eve are on our way to visit Shot
ties uncle, General Bethpage," ex-
planned BRACE.
"What, my old friend and fellow
soldier, Bethpage! Never nobler
man drew sword in defense of what
he conceived to be right. If you like
genial atmosphere and company that
never tires, you will remain with him
as long as possible and still too short
time. l earnestly hope that you may
find inducement to settle among u.s."