Year: 1872

i u


BILE, but also swiftest, and the time


was important to me. 1t was
known that / carried large sums
of money with me, and l was al.
ways apprehensive lest Sturdivant
should ask me to play. I had
fully made up my mind to refuse


him, and if he attempted to draw
me into quarrel, to shoot him
without mercy, as l knew that
the only chance for my life lay in
getting the advantage of him
Strange to say he. did not make
any such proposition to me, and l
gave him no chance to do so.


One night we had started out
for Vicksburg, and were heading
merrily down the river when
Sturdivant came up to the group
which had gathered around the
stove. He had been drinking,
and was smoking fine cigar as
he approached. All made way
for him.


"Well, gentlemen" said he in
an unsteady tone, "you seem to
be terribly dull. Who wants to
play for twenty dollars antee 2"


There was no reply. All pres
ent seemed to know the man, and
no one cared to volunteer to place
himself in his clutches.


"Umph!" he exclaimed, with
an expression of contempt. ga
fraid to try your luck against Dan
Sturdivant, eh? Or maybe you
want little coaxing. Some of
you must play with me- can't
stand such treatment. Come, let's
see who it shall be-"


He glanced around the crowd
as if to select his victim. For the
first time | noticed the gaze of
one of the group fixed steadily
upon him. He was a stranger to
me, and was dressed in a plain
suit of homespun, and his face
was partially concealed by a wide
brimmed sombrero which was
drawn down over it. He was a
small but powerful made man,
and in the decided expression of
his we'll shaped head [ read an
unusual firmness and intensity of
purpose.


care you Daniel Sturdivant, the
gambler p he asked, in a calm
tone, without rising.


Sturdivant flushed darkly, and
gave the stranger a fierce glance.


"Some persons call me that be-
hind my back" he said insolently;
''but no one would dare to apply
thai term to me before my face"


Nevertheless replied the
stranger quietly, 81 want an an
swer-yes orno?'


''Well, then," said the gambler,
81 am. What of it?"


"Simply this replied the stran-
ger. 81 have heard it said that
you claim to be the best card play
er in the Southwest. Ihave come
two hundred miles to prove you
liar"


Sturdivant strobe forward a !
step or two, and thrust his hand
in his breast asi if to grasp weapon.


''Stop," said the stranger. eff
you shoot me you will simply
prove yourself afraid of me-
Take your seat at the table, and
will make my words good"


There was something in the
calm stern manner of the stran-
ger that seemed to render the gam
bier powerless. He hesitated for
a moment, and then said bully
ing


81 never play with a man whose
face | cannot see."


"Never mind my face, said the
stranger. eff you are not afraid
Of losing, you shall see it when
am done with you"


''But how do l know you have
enough for such sport 2"
persisted Sturdivant. "You look
seedy enough, my fine fellow"


"There," said the stranger, pro-
1ucing a large pocket book. 81
have ten thousand dollars. there.
IF you can win it do so.


With an oath, ,Sturdivant placed !
himself at the table and bade his
challenger do likewise. Those
IF us who had listened to this
singular dialogue, now gathered
around the table, expecting to
witness a scene of more than usu-
al interest. The stranger had not
yet raised his hat brim, and none
Of US had seen his face, but we all
felt from his general air and man.
ner that Daniel Sturdivant had at
last met his match. It did not
take long to show that the stran-