Frank James in St. Louis OR The Mysteries of a Great City

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume v, Issue 1430, 14 September 1905, Page 4

Frank James in St. Louis OR The Mysteries of a Great City

! iZ OHAPTEUXVJI /; '.; ON THE NBW ORKANS PACKET ii-.-CloEer rashoßthe toonstor that breathes :! smoke and fire; tholittlo boat is directly t in its path, and no matter how strenuous ;-;the effort, nothing would keep back the i ; bolli«on; it is bound to t«lte place, ':■'■ • The man calculates the distance. v.- His muscles are set, and just as the v prow of the New Orlonns packet is about w ; to strike the ogg-sboll of a boat, ho makes •v a leap. • :.' ; Much is tmaled to hiclt. ' • :>• Still, ho calculated tho die twee rightly, ;:! and his fin;ers arc set like tlio claws of an 'V eagle, eager to clutch something to which p.tbey rtiay cling. ;:; : 'A chain hangs from the bow. ; :'; To this chain ho clings with a desperation :';'born of despair—tho era«h tint sjimdoil, £' the death kpeil of his litilo craft tills his ?::ears, and bnt for his agility he would ero i ; this have passed into tho other wmM. ; l i Keoovering his breath a«oinin a decree, - he throws one leg over r.ho chain, and then 'k begins to work himself up so as togain a. V; .better positiqn. : ; It is a dizzy situation. • H'i The steamboat.is makiog Iremondous P time, under tho iniluonoo ot both tho curintent and.ber own very powerful engines, £?.'.. : No;orW notices him, .; There Bre.soujo coloured deck hands and close by'iho stokers are pitching s/coal into the fiery depths under thi boilers :s•■ Here is a combination of circumstances wonderful ; ho could Hot leave $ St. Louis on a steamboat without running 'i): the risk of discovery, and yet horo ho is on ■;H board, a packet. recovors himself, aud then %:■ makes his way up to the oabiti. steamboats'are geuorally well ad a largo crowd was to bo f: found on beard, ■ %fi Many had retired to their cabin 3, t-'.' There was not accoriimodation for all, the passengers showed no ; Aligns ofigoing to bed. '?' Inoldendays, before lln war,thc-ro was ■\; BQUeh gambling done on thosopacKebj. v;l r 'Begular gamblers haunted the boat.. s&■ Games : were in progress the livelong ' $M- Many, a fortune was won and lost whilo ffltii&i river, headed for New Orleans. [ P4- Nor were the stikes always money. 0-. Human flesh was battered—slaves wsro 'k-;'' , .ptitup.idtVstakes and played for, ■ ; -);.'.'; Scenes'have transpired upon tlicso boa's |:|'that need the pon of a Mrs Stowo to do *"'them justice. . . K< Norisit.altogethcrchangodnt tl|otimo ■::.;.wei write—in the seventies. ,• 'p:-i : When Prank Jamca enters the cabin, & the first. thing ho boos is a paok of men % gathered around a table near the boat's ':•''. j $& ■ A gomo is in progress. ' , ._ All who .gather round aro iulensoly in' f) ■ tereßted in'tbo James has never known a chanoo hiin where he might enjoy.a hand % at the oards, and. he soon pushes his way anJobg those who' surround the table. % '.'• (He finds two men playing. ?j£:" One is a Bolemn-faocd fellow, who might ij'fbb mistaken for a parson under other cir-?-i:'(Cumßtances,' but Frank James knows him oas Silas; Wagßtaff, tho groatest gambler ol 10.; - Mississippi Valley. f s?:■ The atakes run hifih. |i■:''.••Piles'of greonbtelie aro on tho,table, :f C: Watching[the play, Frank James befcilieves the gambler has an oceoujpli'cc/whc fe, is behind tho merchant, and who in sorni : tolograplis what is in tho man's hand ■•■. ; ;TbOß,,whcn tho merchant has a goot |« hand, the gambler throws up, but when i 1 vb?vib a bluff be slicks to it a large ainoun].. !$:. The faciarouses bis indignation. W: If be could only prove it in some way !ilj;vihe is ready to. denounce the Bwindlor. 'Before he can get tho facia the game ii t|jidone.; i: o •',■• tiif '•'/f he merobant loaves tho tables, Perhaps |ho, goes to seek detfh in the sl;.-river.';more than ono poor dovil has dom IJikt after losing all he had in tho world at thi river sport begins to put away hi ss£. winnings, at tho same time looking around $/s?■ .Uponhis faco.is a smile that h really a any ono to slop up and take placo of tho man who nn' j' l ■! vacated ifis natural for lookers.... io bolicvi |;w"ihey cati do better than the ono who plays, S'K:lVthore no onewhomhe canchallongo: With Just at thia momont hiseyos rest upor :*||lhe countenance of Frank James. ' li^fi-Thelatterscowls. , E'''lmmediately the gambler holds up Ibi sv. cards. .; ■. - ■■ * fe;';; "Play■?"■ he asks, with a sneer, !!;';:'ln the .bull-fights of Mexico andSpait 7s-they use a rbd flag to arouse the flagging of the ton in tho ring, and a bright of it the animal bellows and foam 1 rage. , fe'- : , So this action of the gambler serves thii ,;;>■: man, 5c. : ; He has not dreamed of playing before. ■ S;' *NoW ho bis wild for it, ,:';^'The terrible scenes of the night. thai ' ;! culminated not more thaiiihalfan hour I '. ago in his loap for life, are forgotten, -; Ho. will play. , ■ : ;-- : .' For the timo being a desire to down thi .7, river sharper seizes upon him, ;ij; ; Tbo money be carries Ins boon easilj ' V earned, at any rate, and be does not hcei ./tale to risk.it upon the turn of the card. ;'■: Very few honest toilers gimblo.; as'a ;■■' general thing 'it is those who come b; V: their money withoit much effort who are 7 ; ready to'risk it upon the turn of a card. "I don't mind," he roplios to tin , fellow. ' .. 'A grin settles over the gambla's face, :!•: ■ ;.'• He soes his pile, already of generous pro ;■.■'■ :. portions growing ap'co under this now in l\' flnonoe. ■ Frank James has already decided tha ho y/ill moot tho other on tho square. ■•■■"' He draps tho tahlo closo to tho sido 0 A the cabin, and takes his scat with his bad !.'■'against tho wall. No one can now got behind him. ■ At this action ho fancicß he can seo .black frown comd over the gambler' ':•;';'"f«8i The man dares not object.

BY W. B. LAWSON.

He replisos that to do such a tiling wil arouse suspicion, and aorovd on a. Mississippi steamboat doo.i do) hesitate long about tossing overheard a irnn found cheating in cards. So tho game begins, ; Tho gambler is uneasy, Ho can play a good game hut Has de* pended so much upon tho information given by his unknown that he is nervous now. Frank Janes is determined to beat him, , LTo k coidiiiatil)