The Prince rushed up. The house was full ;
surging and excited men with their hats knocked
off, their faces red with passion, and their open red
shirts showing their strong, hairy bosoms.
"It is Long Dan," some one called out; and this made the Prince, who was his neighbour, push his way more eagerly through the men. He reached the wounded man at last, and the crowd, who knew the Prince as an acquaintance of the sufferer, fell back and gave him a place at his side.
The proprietors of the Howlin Wilderness had set up the monte-table, which had been overthrown in the struggle, and laid the dying Dan. gently there with an old soldier overcoat under his head.
When the Prince took up the helpless hand of the poor fellow, so overthrown in his pride and strength, and spoke to him, he slowly opened his eyes, looked straight at the Prince with a smile, only perceptible, hardly as distinct as the tear in his eye, and said in a whisper, as he drew the Prince down to his face :
"Old fellow, Prince, old boy, take off my boots."
The Prince hastened to obey, and again took his place at his side.
Again Long Dan drew him down, and said, huskily,
" Prince, Prince, old boy, I ve won the cigars ! I ve won em, by the holy poker ! "
And so he died.
