Year: 1874

The stranger played heavily, for the
bank had no limit, and in less than an
hour the banker slowly uttered: "Gen
tlemen, this bank Is closed" The
stranger ordered his servant to gather up
the gold, and then scattered handful OF
ounces among the crowd, vanished amid
the confusion, by this maneuver escaping
probable blow fom q cuchillo in the
alley without.


THAT man is an enigma" muttered Don
Jaime, with long-drawn breath. "This
Is the third time that l have witnessed
the same thing; each time he broke the
bank, and then vanished, just how nobody
could tell, though l have heard that the
best cuchillo in Mexico has been hunting
for him this past month. No one knows
who he is, where he came from, nor
where he lives. Some even say that he is
the-the devill" And here the supersti-
tious Spaniard devoutly crossed himself.
But let him be what he may, wish he
would impart his secret 10 mel Z"


Around the adjoining table the faro
players were gathered, where a smooth,
oily, cst-like Southerner dealt, 8 huge
bowie with an inch blade sticking in the
table before him. Shutting the cards he
placed them in the silver box, then while
waiting for the players to make their
game he said, tapping the silver hilt Of
his bowie:


Gentlemen, you see thisH play on
the square, and l warn you all that the
first man l catch trying to confuse the
stakes will have his hand pinned to the
tablet"


As no remarks followed this blunt state.
ment, one would infer that such trick as
confusing the stakes" by suddenly shift
ing from losing card the money staked
thereon was not entirely unknown. We
watched the deal nearly out, when, i'm
probable as 1t may seem, a seedy.looking
"greaser" suddenly shifted his stake, his
quick eye detecting the losing card ere it
was fairly uncovered.


Thud went the knife swift as the
lightning's fash, true to the eye as Kit
Carson's long Harkins," and the greas.
er's hand was pinned TO the tablet In
stantly all was confusion around the ta-
BILE, each man instinctively shrinking
back as the glittering blade flashed before
his eyes, while, with single sharp yell
of pain, the greaser bent low over the
golden-laden table.


His pain must have been intense, for
the broad blade had penetrated through
the back of his hand, severing one or





upon the trifling stake he had wished so
much to cover. And yet, as stood at the
end of the table, l distinctly saw the ras-
cal slip his left hand beneath his body and
clutch a handful of the golden ounces
from the pile of his next neighbor, then
drop them unperceived down his wide
boot-legi The sharp jingle of the coins
he deadened by another shrek, and
long. winded volley of all the curses in his
vocabulary, which would have put to the
blush the Oldest bull-whacker" of prai-
rie.freighting days.


The dealer politely cursed" the greas-
er for few moments, then withdrew his
bowie, wiping II upon the mans blanket,
then calmly resuming the interrupted
game. The greaser, swapping up his hand,
stole silently away, no doubt thinking his
wound paid for by his adroit clutch.


/ had been watching young man,
casual acquaintance, whom knew was
junior partner in New Orleans firm.
He was playing heavily, and kept calling
for liquor, which the obsequious walters
promptly supplied. would have spoken
to him, but Don Jaime restrained me,
pointing to the cooked revolver lying be-
fore the man. And did not care to risk
a shot-certainly an insult-by making
an effort 10 draw the young man away
from the table.


Every deal seemed to 60 dead against
young Cleveland, and then, when but one
more turn remained in the box, he flung
a large pocket-book upon the table, NUT
tering hoarsely:


Its neck or nothing; if that loses,
then I'll


He did not finish the sentence, but
leaned forward, watching the turn with
bated breath, pale as corpse, and then
the tray fell upon the losing side.


Scarcely was the result perceptible
than the room rang with pistol-shot, and
Cleveland sank forward, his head resting
upon the pocketbook, his brains and
Silence and death came at the same
breath.


Shuddering, heartsick, l left the hell,
nor has my foot ever crossed the thresh-
old of gambling hell since that night.