[654] won over cards, so that there was that feverish, explosive condition of things which always follows large winnings or losses at games of chance, although there had as yet been no disturbance of a serious character. At one of the little gaming tables, John Foster, county clerk of Victoria County, and another person, named Lew Phillips, who had been one of the Andersonville prison-keepers during the war, but had drifted out to Victoria and had secured charge of a large livery-stable there, were engaged at a game of poker, when Foster was heard to quietly say:
See here, Lew Phillips, you stole that card!“You're a liar!” was retorted, with an oath. The two men were up over the card-table in a twinkling, looking at each other, and both very white. “Apologize!” demanded Foster, still quiet, but with a terrible earnestness in his voice. “ I don't do that sort of business, you white-livered coward!” shouted Phillips. Without another look or word, the two parted, one passing out one door and the other out of another, while the crowd in the hotel canvassed the matter as coolly as though there had been no difficulty worth mentioning, while a few quietly laid wagers on who would get the first shot. In about fifteen minutes more, Foster was seen returning with a double-barreled shot-gun, and Phillips, who had a wooden leg, came stumping up
