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Show 150 HlC'II :\ HD HUBDIR. '!'ill;~ Ol.:'I'I..A WS. "-'l'hey nrc u lnwltJss Urooll, But. rough in form 1101' ;ui\J in mood; Aud (:\'i't'Y Crl'£'J null C\'Cl')' mcc, With th<!nl hnth found -may find n plnce."-UYROX. \Vt~ had not well departed from the dwelling of the debtor before it was occn1Jicd by the two gamblers, whoso merits we hnd discovered in Tuscaloosa, and the third person whom wo had scC'n with them on the l'Oad-sidc. They had watched and followed our steps; ancl by a better kuowlcdgc of the roads than we possessed, they h:ul been cnnLlcd to arrive at the same spot without being seen, nnd to lurk in waiting for the moment of our departure before they made their appearance. No sooner wrrc we gone, howcvt·r, than they emerged from their place of conce<~lment, and made for the house. A few words sutliccd to tell their story to their associate, for such he was. "Do you kuow the men that have left you 1 'Vbat was their business with you1" 'l1hey were answered; nml they then revealed wl1at they knew. They dwelt upon the large sum in biUs which 'Villi:un hal\ incautiously displayt•d to their eyes; und, exaggerating its amount, they insisted not the less upon tho greater atnOlmt which they assumed, nay, asserted, to be in wy possession-a prize, both sums being considered, which they coolly enough contended, would be sufficient to reward them for the most extreme and summary efforts to obtain it. " \Vc must pursue them instantly/' said the scoundrel, who had sought to bully us at the tavern. "'There are four of us, and we can soon overhaul them." "They arc armed to the teeth, George," said our debtor. TlH~ QU1'LA WS. 151 " 'Ve have seen to that," was the reply. "13cn lLnd an op}> ortunity lo inspect their pistols, which tl1cy wisely left in their chamber when they went down to cat; and witl1 his usual desire to keep his neighbors from doing harm, he knocked out the priming. and for the old Hints, he put in fine new ones, fashioned out of wood. T hese will Uo no mischief, 1 warrant you, to anybody, and so let us set on. lf my figures do not fail me, these chaps httve money euough about tl1cm to pay our way, for the next t\n·ee months, from ' l'cnncf.;scc to New Orleans ancl back." His t;ropo!:ial was secondcll by his immediate companions, but tl1e dcLtor, with more deliberateness and effectual judgment, restrained them. "l'm against riding after them now, though all\Jc true, as you say, about the mouey in ll1eir hands." u 'Vhat! will you let them escape us 1 Arc you growing chicken, 1\Iat., in your olll days 1 You refuse to be a strikc1·, do yon 1 It's beneath your wist.lom and dig11ity, l suppose 1" said our bullying gambler, who went by the name of George. "Shut up, George, and don't Ue foolifllL," was the cool rc· spouse. "You oug:bt to know me Ly this time, and one thing is certain, 1 know enough of you! You talk of being a striker.' 'Yhy, man, you mistake! You're a cl1ap for a trick--formaking a pitfall-but not for sho,•ing tho stranger into it! Be quiet, rtn{ll'lliHlt you at your best business. rl'hesc men come bad..: here at mid-day to-morrow!" "l[a!-thc devil they do!" "Ay; they dine with me, aud then return to Colonel Graf-ton's. 'l'o one of tlJem, as 1 told you - the younger of the two, a full-faced, good-n<ttured looking fcllow-1 owe a hundred or two dollars. He hopes to get it Lycoming. Now, it's for yon to say if he will or not. 1 leave it to you. 1 can get the money e~~sily enough; and if you've got any bclt<'t' from that campmeeting that you went to, on the 'Bigby, you will probably say I ought to pay him, but if not.-" "Pshaw!" was the universal answer. "\Vhat nonsense! Pay the Uevil! 'rhe very impudence of the fellow in coming here to make collections, should be enough to make us cut his tl1roat." |
