Reminiscences of the old fire laddies and volunteer fire departments of New York and Brooklyn. . ad of aformidable band of brigands, that infested the mountain fastness, andmade war upon all who happened to pass that way. His passionfor gambling grew with years, and often he would spend wholenights at the table at a single sitting, never rising save to light acigarette. He was seatedone night, wrote a friend ofmine to me from the cityof Mexico, with a partyof six others at a gamingtable in the city of Mari-quita, when fortune, whichhad favored him, was fastdeserting him, and he waslosing rapid
Reminiscences of the old fire laddies and volunteer fire departments of New York and Brooklyn. . ad of aformidable band of brigands, that infested the mountain fastness, andmade war upon all who happened to pass that way. His passionfor gambling grew with years, and often he would spend wholenights at the table at a single sitting, never rising save to light acigarette. He was seatedone night, wrote a friend ofmine to me from the cityof Mexico, with a partyof six others at a gamingtable in the city of Mari-quita, when fortune, whichhad favored him, was fastdeserting him, and he waslosing rapidly. Caramba ! he exclaim-ed, fortune has forsakenme, curse her. And he rose ^and lighted a fresh cigarette, :|then resumed his seat, andagain played fiercely. His face grew pale andhis fingers trembled as hethrew upon the table, with an oath, his last doubloons, golden ones—which had once helpedto fill the coffers of some victim he had robbed. He lost. Caramba! Ive lost all! he cried, looking around upon thefaces of the winners. Senor Rinaldo has a beautiful pair of silver-mounted pistols,. io8 Reminiscences of the Old Fire Laddies. said one of the caballeros, eyeing the superb weapons with a desireto possess them. Louis drew them from his belt and toyed with them. He lovedplay, he loved his weapons; but well he knew that he could get nomore doubloons, for he had plundered every hacienda within manymiles of Mariquita. The pistols were beautiful ones, and had seen service, they having,?as their owner expressed it, tapped many a pious head. Come, senor, stake them ; you may win, continued the caballero,and he threw a handful of gold upon the table. The jingle of the bright metal decided the brigand — the weaponswere staked and lost, and with a sigh he beheld them thrust into thewinners bosom. His sword followed the pistols, the gold-embroidered sash, and atlast a diamond ring taken from the finger of some fair lady, and, asit glistened on the tip of the winners little finger,
Size: 1265px × 1975px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookidldpd63166850, bookyear1885
