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Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi

by George H. Devol · English · Gutenberg #23587 · 573,576 chars · public domain (US)

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Title: Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi

Author: George H. Devol


        
Release date: November 22, 2007 [eBook #23587]

Language: English

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23587

Credits: Produced by Ed Ferris


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FORTY YEARS A GAMBLER ON THE MISSISSIPPI ***




Produced by Ed Ferris




Transcriber's note:

  Typesetting errors have been corrected, but what appear to be the
  author's spellings have not been changed.

  LoC call number:  F353.D4


FORTY YEARS
A GAMBLER
ON THE
MISSISSIPPI

BY
GEORGE H. DEVOL.

A CABIN BOY IN 1839; COULD STEAL CARDS AND CHEAT THE BOYS AT ELEVEN;
STOCK A DECK AT FOURTEEN; BESTED SOLDIERS ON THE RIO GRANDE DURING
THE MEXICAN WAR; WON HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS FROM PAYMASTERS, COTTON
BUYERS, DEFAULTERS, AND THIEVES; FOUGHT MORE ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE FIGHTS
THAN ANY MAN IN AMERICA, AND WAS THE MOST DARING GAMBLER IN THE
WORLD.

ILLUSTRATED.

FIRST EDITION.

DEVOL & HAINES.
CINCINNATI:
1887.


Entered according to Act of Congress, the 6th day of October, 1887,
by
DEVOL & HAINES,
In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C.

[All rights reserved.]


PREFACE.

The author of this book has written the stories as they would recur
to his memory, and no effort has been made at classification.  They
are not fictitious; many of the persons named are now living, and
they can and will testify that the stories are founded on facts.

He belongs to the celebrated Devol family of Marietta.  His
grandfather, Jonathan Devol, was an officer in the Revolutionary
War, and was well known to the pioneer history of Ohio.  He was
one of the passengers on the _Mayflower_, which he constructed for
the use of the first company of emigrants to Ohio.  He erected a
house on the Campus Martius in 1788, and was joined by his wife
and six children in December of that year.  He was one of the
committee to explore the country in search of suitable places for
mills and farming settlements.  In 1791 he repaired to Belpre with
his family.  He succeeded in clearing a patch of land, and built
a log cabin not far below the house of Captain William Dorce.  The
news of the Big Bottom massacre reached him while attending court
at Marietta, and he hurried home.  Mrs. Devol, hearing that the
Indians were on the war-path, ordered the children to lie down with
their clothes on, ready for the danger signal.  He became famous
by building the floating mill.  In 1792 he built a twelve-oared
barge of twenty-five tons burden for Captain Putnam.  The author's
father was Barker Devol, who died at Carrollton, Ky., on the 8th
day of March, 1871, at the age of 85.  He was a ship-builder, and
worked with his father at Marietta.  He left a widow and six
children, who are all living, except one, the youngest being George
H. Devol.

  The Author.


CONTENTS.

A Religious Captain
A Cold Deck
A Woman With a Gun
A Shrewd Trick
A Paymaster's Bluff
A Crazy Man
A Good Night's Work
A Euchre Hand
A Good Stake-Holder
A Mile Dash
An Honorable Man
A Bull Fight
A Duck Hunt
A Hard Head
A Square Game
A Coward
Ancient Gambling

Boyhood Days
Blowing Up of the Princess
Beat a Good Hand
Butler in New Orleans
Broke a Snap Game
Before Breakfast
Bill Would Gamble
Bill's Present

Caught a Sleeper
Collared the Wrong Man
Called a Gambler
Control Over Suckers
Caught Again
Caught a Whale
Caught a Defaulter
Canada Bill
Close Calls
Cheap Jewelry
Cold Steel

Didn't Win the Bags
Don't Dye Your Whiskers
Didn't Win the Key
Dicky Roach and I
Detectives and Watches

Even the Judges Do It
Eight Hundred Dollars Against a Pistol

Fifty to the Barkeeper
Fight With a Longshoreman
Foot Race
Forty Miles an Hour
Fights

Got Up Too Soon
Got Off Between Stations
Good Luck
Governor Pinchback
General Remarks
George, the Butter

Home Again
Hard Boiled Eggs
He Knew My Hand
Her Eyes Were Opened
He Never Knew
He's One of Us
How I Was Beat
He's Not That Old

Indians Can Play Poker
It Made a Man of Him
I Had Friends
It Was Cold
I Raised the Limit
It Shook the Checks

Jew vs. Jew
Judge Devol

Knocked Down $300
Kickers

Leaving Home
Leap for Life
Lost his Wife's Diamonds
Lucky at Poker
Lacked the Nerve
Left in Time

My First Keno
My Jew Partner
My First Love
Marked Cards
My Crooked Partner
My Partner Alexander
Married His Money
My Cards
My Little Partner
Mules for Luck
My Visit to Old Bill
Monumental Gall
Mule Thieves
My Partner Won
McCoole and Coburn
Mobile

Now a Gambler
Nipped in the Bud
No Play On This Boat
No Money in Law
Narrow Escapes
No Good at Short Cards

On the Circuit

Put Ashore for Fighting
Pittsburg's Best Man
"Pranking" With a New Game
Posing as Nic Longworth's Son

Quick Work

Red and Black
Rattlesnake Jack
Reduced the Price

Saved My Partner's Life
Sold Out by a Partner
"Snap Games"
Sinking of the Belle Zane
Snaked the Wheel
Stolen Money
Signal Service
Settled Our Hash
She Kissed Me
Salted Down
Strategem
Saved By His Wife
"Short Stops"

The Game of Rondo
Ten Thousand in Counterfeit Money
The Frenchman and the Horse Hair
The Chicken Men and Their Silver
The Hungry Man
The Big Catfish
The Sermon on the (Mount) Boat
The Monte King
The Daguerreotype Boat
The Black Deck-Hand
The Juergunsen Watch
The Cotton Man
Taught a Lesson
They Paid the Costs
The Boys from Texas
The Quadroon Girl
The Captain Spoiled the Game
Too Sick to Fight
The Gambler Disguised
The Best Looking Sucker
The Alligators
The Big Sucker
The Crazy Man
The Brilliant Stone
The Hidden Hand
The Three Fives
The Killer
The Deck-Hand
The Black (Leg) Cavalry
The Paymaster's $3.500
The U. S. Detective's Bluff
The Young Man From New York
The Yellow Jeans
The Jack Fish
The Black Man
The Persuader
The Lap-Robe
The Preacher Away From Home
The Cattle Buyer
The Green Cow-Boy
The Police Signal
The Good Deacon
The Natchez and the Lee
The Trick Knife
Two Forty on the Shell Road
The Arkansas Killers
The Englishman and His Gun
Traveling Keno
The Two Judges
Tapped the Till

War With Mexico
Was in With the Judge
Won and Lost
With a Poker
William Jones (Canada Bill)


Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi.


BOYHOOD DAYS.

  "I'll serve his youth, for youth must have his course,
   For being restrained it makes him ten times worse;
   His pride, his riot, all that may be named,
   Time may recall, and all his madness tamed."

My Dear Reader:  I first saw the light of day in a little town
called Marietta, at the mouth of the Muskingum River in the State
of Ohio, on the first day of August, 1829.  I was the youngest of
six children, and was the pet of the family.  My father was a ship
carpenter, and worked at boat-building in the beginning of the
present century.  I had good opportunities to secure an early
education, as we had good schools in the West at that time.  I had
very little liking for books, and much less for school.  When my
parents thought me at school, I was playing "hookey" with other
boys, running about the river, kicking foot-ball, playing "shinny
on your own side," and having a fight nearly every day.  I hardly
ever went home that I did not have my face all scratched up from
having been in a fight, which innocent amusement I loved much better
than school.  When I was hardly ten years of age, I would carry
stones in my pocket and tackle the school teachers if they attempted
to whip me.  My father was away from home at his work most of the
time, and my mother (God bless her dear old soul) could not manage
me.  She has often called in some passer-by to help her punish me.
I can now see I richly deserved all the punishment I ever received,
and more too.  When there was company at our house, and my mother
would be busy preparing a meal, I would get my bow and arrows and
shoot the cups off from the table, and then run away.  I guess I
was about the worst boy of my age west of the Allegheny Mountains
that was born of good Christian parents.  I have often heard the
good old church members say:  "That boy will be hung if he lives
to be twenty years old."  But I have fooled them, and am still on
the turf, although I have had some pretty close calls, as you will
see by reading this book.


LEAVING HOME.

In the year 1839, while at the river one day, I saw a steamer lying
at the wharf-boat by the name of _Wacousta_.  The first steward
said I could ship as a cabin boy at $4 per month.  I thought this
a great opportunity, so when the boat backed out I was on board
without saying anything to my parents or any one else.  My first
duty was to scour knives.  I knew they would stand no foolishness,
so at it I went, and worked like a little trooper, and by so doing
I gained the good will of the steward.  At night I was told to get
a mattress and sleep on the floor of the cabin; this I was very
glad to do, as I was tired.

About four o'clock in the morning the second steward came up to me
and gave me a pretty hard kick in the side that hurt me, and called
out:  "Get up here, and put your mattress away."  I did get up and
put away my bed, and then I went to the steward who kicked me and
said:  "Look here!  Don't kick me that way again, for you hurt me."
He let go and hit me a slap in the face that made my ears ring; so
into him I pitched.  I was a big boy for only ten years old; but
I struck the wrong man that time, for he hit me another lick in
the nose that came very near sending me to grass, but I rallied
and came again.  This time I had a piece of stone coal that I
grabbed out of a bucket; I let it fly, and it caught him on the
side of the head and brought him to his knees.  By this time the
passengers were getting up to see what was the matter; the pilot
and first steward soon put a stop to the fight.  I told my story
to the boss, and he took sides with me.  He told the officers of
the boat that I was the best boy to work that he had; so they
discharged the second steward at Cincinnati, and you can bet I was
glad.  I remained on the _Wacousta_ for some time, and thought
myself a good steamboat man.  I knew it all, for I had been there.

The next boat I shipped on was the _Walnut Hills_, at $7 per month.
You could hear her "scape" (whistle) for a distance of twenty miles
on a clear day or night.  I would get up early in the morning and
make some "five-cent pieces" (there were no nickels in those days)
by blacking boots.


PUT ASHORE FOR FIGHTING.

I quit the _Walnut Hills_ after three months, and shipped with
Captain Patterson on the _Cicero_, bound for Nashville.  The first trip
up the Cumberland River the boat was full of passengers, and I had a
fight with the pantryman.  The Captain said I should go ashore.
They brought me up to the office, and the clerk was told to pay me
my wages, which amounted to the large sum of one dollar and fifty
cents.  I was told to get my baggage; but as two blue cotton shirts
and what I had on my back was all I possessed, it did not take me
long to pack.  My trunk was a piece of brown paper with a pin lock.
They landed me at a point where the bank was about one hundred feet
high, and so steep that a goat could not climb it.  They commenced
to pull in the plank, when the steward yelled out to the Captain,
"that he could not get along without that boy," and asked him to
let me go as far as Nashville.  I was told to come aboard, which
I did, and I remained on that boat for one year, during which time
I learned to play "seven-up," and to "steal card," so that I could
cheat the boys, and I felt as if I was fixed for life.  I quit the
_Cicero_, and shipped with Captain Mason on the steamer _Tiago_.
Bill Campbell, afterward the first captain of the _Robert E. Lee_,
was a cabin boy on the same boat.  He is now a captain in the
Vicksburg Packet Line.  During the time I was on the _Tiago_ the
Mexican War broke out.


WAR WITH MEXICO.

  "Lands intersected by a narrow frith
   Abhor each other.  Mountains interposed
   Make enemies of nations who had else,
   Like kindred drops, been mingled into one."

When the Mexican War broke out, our boat was lying at Pittsburg.
The Government bought a new boat called the _Corvette_, that had
just been built at Brownsville.  A cousin of mine was engaged to
pilot her on the Rio Grande.  His name was Press Devol.  He was a
good pilot on the Ohio, from Cincinnati to Pittsburg, but had never
seen the Rio Grande, except on the map.  I thought I would like to
go to war, and to Mexico.  My cousin got me the position as barkeeper,
so I quit our boat, and shipped on the _Corvette_, for the war.
Jack McCourtney, of Wheeling, was the owner of the bar.

There was a man aboard, on our way down, who took a great liking
to me.  He was well posted on cards, and taught me to "stock a
deck," so I could give a man a big hand; so I was a second time
"fixed for life."

When we got down to New Orleans they took the boat over to Algiers,
took her guards off, and part of her cabin, and we started across
the Gulf; and you bet my hair stood up at times, when those big
swells would go clear over her in a storm.  But finally we landed
at Bagdad, and commenced to load her with supplies for the army.

I soon got tired of the Rio Grande, and after cheating all the
soldiers that I could at cards (as there was no one else to rob),
I took a vessel, and came back to New Orleans.  When I landed there,
I was very comfortably fixed, as I had about $2,700, and was not
quite seventeen years old.  Here I was in a big city, and knew no
one; so I went and got a boarding house, and left all my cash, but
what I might need, in the care of an old gentleman that looked
something like my father.  I thought he must be honest, as he looked
like him, and he proved himself so.

I then picked up courage, and said to myself, "I believe that I
will go home."  But to pay passage was all foolishness, as I was
such a good hand on a boat, so I shipped on the steamboat _Montgomery_,
Captain Montgomery, and Windy Marshall (as they called him) Mate.
I shipped as second steward, at twenty dollars per month.

The boat was full of people, and the card tables were going ever
night as soon as the supper tables were cleared.  We had been out
from New Orleans two days and nights before I picked up a game.
One afternoon in the texas, I beat my man out of $170; and as there
was no "squeal" in those days, I was all right, although they did
not allow any of the crew to play with passengers.

We got to Louisville, where the boat laid up and paid off her crew,
and I came on to Cincinnati.


HOME AGAIN.

  "Be it a weakness, it deserves some praise;
   We love the play-place of our early days."

"Well, now I'll go home to the folks," I said, "and see if they
will forgive me."  I thought I would take home some presents, so
I bought about $400 worth of goods, including coffee, sugar, teas,
etc., and took the old steamer _Hibernia_, of Pittsburg, Captain
Clinefelter, master.  You ought to have seen me when I stepped on
the wharfboat at Marietta, my birthplace, dressed to death, with
my gold watch and chain, and a fine trunk I had bought in New
Orleans for $40.  I got my groceries off the wharfboat, and hired
a wagon, and I took it afoot, as in those days you could not get
a hack except at a livery stable.

My mother knew me at first sight.  Father was working at the ship-
yard at Port Homer, on the other side of the Muskingum River, and
did not come home until night.

I stopped at home a year, and had a fight nearly every week.  I
then came to Cincinnati again, where I met my brother Paul, who
was working at calking steamboats.  He coaxed me to stay with him,
saying that he would teach me the trade.  I consented, and soon
was able to earn $4 per day.  We worked together a few years, and
made a good deal of money; but every Monday morning I went to work
broke.  I became infatuated with the game of faro, and it kept me
a slave.  So I concluded either to quit work or quit gambling.  I
studied the matter over a long time.  At last one day while we were
finishing a boat that we had calked, and were working on a float
aft of the wheel, I gave my tools a push with my foot, and they
all went into the river.  My brother called out and asked me what
I was doing.  I looked up, a little sheepish, and said it was the
last lick of work I would ever do.  He was surprised to hear me
talk that way, and asked me what I intended to do.  I told him I
intended to live off of fools and suckers.  I also said, "I will
make money rain;" and I did come near doing as I said.


THE GAME OF RONDO.

After shoving my calking tools into the river, I went to keeping
a "Rondo" game for Daniel and Joseph Smith, up on Fifth Street,
at $18 per week.  Hundreds of dollars changed hands every hour,
both day and night.  At the end of six months I was taken in as a
partner, and at that time the receipts of the game were about $600
every day.  I had money to sell (or throw away), and, for a boy,
I made it fly.  In a short time the police began to raid us, and
we would be fined fifty dollars each about once a month.  Then they
raised it to $100, and next to $500.  This was too much, so we had
heavy oak and iron doors put up; but the police would batter them
down, and get us just the same.  One night they surrounded the
house, broke down the door, and arrested my two partners; but I
escaped by the roof.  The next day I went up to the jail to take
the boys something to eat, when they nabbed and locked me up also.
They put me in the same cell with Kissane, of the steamer _Martha
Washington_ notoriety, who was living in great style at the jail.
They fined us $500 each and let us go, and that broke up "Rondo."

After retiring from the "Rondo" business, I took passage with
Captain Riddle on the steamer _Ann Livington_ bound for the Wabash
River, to visit a sister, who lived near Bloomfield, Edgar County,
Ills.  There were no railroads in that part of the country in those
days.  My sister's husband bought 3,000 acres of land near Paris,
at $1.25 per acre, and the same land is now worth $300 per acre.
During my trip up the river I formed the acquaintance of Sam Burges,
who was a great circus man.  Captain Riddle and Burges got to paying
poker, and the Captain "bested" him for about $200.  I told Burges
that I could make him win if he could get me into the game.  So,
after supper, they sat down to play, and I was a looker-on.  Burges
asked me to take a hand, which I did, and on my deal I would "fill"
his hand, so that he soon had the Captain badly rattled, and he
lost about $900.  The old Captain was getting "full," and I looked
for a fight sooner or later.  Burges invited all to take a drink,
when the Captain refused, and told Burges that he was a "d----d
gambler."  Burges called him a liar, so at it they went.  The
Captain was getting the best of it when we parted them, and it was
all we could do to keep Burges from shooting.  I got one-half of
the $900, and no one called me a gambler either.

As the boat was going through the "draw," at Terre Haute, she took
a "shear" on the pilot, and knocked down her chimneys.  The Captain
went up on deck, cursed the pilot, went down on the lower deck,
knocked down two deck-hands, and raised cain generally.  Burges
expected he would tackle him again, but the Captain did not want
any of that gun.  When we arrived at the landing, I got off, and
went to my sister's.  I remained there about one month, and had a
good time shooting wild turkeys and chickens.  On my return trip
I got into a game of poker, and took in a few hundred.  I stopped
off at Louisville a short time, and then shipped for Cincinnati,
where I remained until I was very near broke.


NOW A GAMBLER.

  "If yet you love game at so dear a rate,
   Learn this, that hath old gamesters dearly cost;
   Dost lose? rise up.  Dost win? rise in that state.
   Who strives to sit out losing hands are lost."

I left Cincinnati for St. Louis; and when I landed there, I had
just $40 left.  I secured a boarding house, and started to take in
the town.  I made inquiries for a faro bank, and at last found one;
and I bolted in as if I was an old sport.  I stepped up to the
table, and asked the dealer for $40 worth of checks.  I then
commenced to play, and won; and, pressing my good luck, in two
hours had $780 in checks in front of me.  I told the dealer to cash
my checks, and I walked out.

The next day I was on my way to St. Paul, as at that time there
was a great emigration in that direction.  I took passage on a
steamer that had nearly 300 people on board, going there to buy
homes, and, of course, they had plenty of money with them.  After
the supper tables were cleared, a game of poker was commenced; then
another, then another, until there were five tables going.  I sat
at one of the tables looking on for a long time, until at length
one of the gentlemen said to me, "Do you ever indulge?"  I said,
"Hardly ever, but I do not care if I play a while."  The bar was
open, and they all appeared to enjoy a good drink, but I never
cared for anything stronger than a lemonade.  The result was that
they all got full, and I thought I might as well have some of their
money as to let the barkeeper have it, and I commenced to try some
of the tricks I had learned.  I found they worked finely, and at
daybreak the bar and I had all the money.  I got about $1,300,
which made me $2,000 strong.

When we arrived at St. Paul I struck another bank, and to my sorrow.
I found one conducted by Cole Martin and "King Cole," two old
sports, who soon relieved me of my $2,000.  I then was without a
cent, and too game to let the gamblers know I was broke.  After I
had been there about a week, one of them stopped me on the street,
and asked me why I did not come around and see them.  He said:  "I
don't ask you to play, but come and dine with us."  I accepted his
invitation, and went around that evening, and had as fine a bird
supper as I ever sat down to.


MY FIRST KENO.

  "'Tis not enough to help the feeble up,
   But to support him after."

The next day I visited another club-house, where they had keno
going at fifty cents a card.  I had seen it before, and took a
great fancy to the game.  I inquired how much an outfit would cost.
They said they had two keno sets, and if I wanted one they would
sell it to me for $250.

Now came the tug of war--how to get the keno.  I at last thought
of a plan, and that was to borrow the amount of one of the dealers
who had won the $2,000 from me.  So I made a bold front and told
him what I wanted to do, and he gave me $300 in cash, saying at
the same time, "Pay me when you are able, as I like to help a young
man who tries to help himself."  I bought the keno set, and had
$50 left, which paid all my debts and started me in business.

Cole Martin, one of the men who loaned me the money, said to me:
"Now, after the faro bank closes to-night, at my house, if you
bring your keno over I will help you get up a game."  "All right,"
I said; so I took it over, and opened on the billiard tables, and
he brought all of his players into the room, and said, "Let us
start this young man's game."  They commenced playing at $1 per
card at twelve o'clock, and at six in the morning they were playing
at $20 per card.  I was taking out 10 per cent.  They all got stuck.
That night my receipts amounted to $1,300.

The result was they put the carpenters at work to fit up a nice
room for me, and in eight months my part of the game was $33,000.

Then I began to think I was a blooded boy, and soon began to take
the girls out riding and to wine suppers, and to play the bank
higher than a cat's back, as the old keno game was a great producer.

About this time the town of Winona was looking up.  There were but
two or three little frame houses, but a great many people got off
there, going back in the country.  So I went down there and bought
a raft of great lumber, hired carpenters, and put them to work
building houses.  They soon had five or six done, and in about a
week after they were finished, you could stand outside and throw
a big dog through the cracks.  But they were full every night at
$1 per head, bringing their own blankets and sleeping on the floor.

I sent and got another keno set, and opened a bar room, and was
making money like dirt, when one day a man walked in with a bucket
of water, and commenced pouring it on one of my billiard tables
that I got in Chicago, and which cost me $500.  I walked up to him
and asked him what he was doing?  He told me to go to h--l.  I let
fly, caught him on the neck, and down he went, and he lay there
for some time.  Finally they took him to where he and his wife were
stopping, and that night he died.  Then I commenced to think about
getting out of that hot box.  I got together what money I could,
and carried a canoe to the river, and started for Dubuque.  There
were no telegraph lines at that time.  I had been there but a few
days before the news came to me that the doctors had held a post
mortem examination, and decided the man had had delirium tremens,
and could only have lived a short time.  They sawed open his skull,
and found his brain a jelly in the center.  So I went back and
found his wife, gave her one of the houses which I had built and
$700 in money.

I then put a man in charge of my business, and went back to St.
Paul, where my keno games were still going on.  But the man I left
in charge of my business at Winona sold all he could and skipped
out, and that was the last seen of him till I went up the Missouri
River two years after, when I found him in Kansas City.  At that
time there were but three or four houses and a hotel down at the
river bank.  It was a great point for the Santa Fé traders.

I became acquainted with a man named McGee, who owned the largest
part of Kansas City.  He was a great lover of the game of "seven-
up," so we commenced to play at $10 a game, and I beat him out of
five lots (as he had no money), which I afterward sold at $10 a
piece.  Twelve years ago, as I passed through there, I saw those
same lots bringing $600 per foot.

I went from there to St. Joe, Omaha, and Council Bluffs, and broke
a great many fellows playing poker.  I then settled down at dealing
faro in St. Joseph, Mo.  After staying there one year I went to
St. Louis, where I remained two or three months, and then went to
New Orleans.  I landed there in 1853.  The yellow fever was raging,
there being 300 deaths per day.  Then was the time, if there was
any fright in the young gambler, for it to have shown itself; but
I made up my mind that if I had to go I might as well go then as
at any other time.

I was taken down with the fever, and nurses were scarce; but I got
an old colored woman, and told her to stick to me, and I would give
her $25 per day as long as I was sick, and if I handed in my checks
she might have all I left.  In twenty-three days, by the grace of
our good Maker, I was up eating chicken soup.  They watched me so
close I could get nothing else.

During this time I got an answer from a letter written to my partner
at St. Paul, telling him to sell out as best he could, and to send
me my part, which he did.


INDIANS CAN PLAY POKER.

The year I was in St. Paul they paid off a lot of Indians a short
distance from the town.  I was told that the Red Man was a good
poker player, and was always looking for the best of it.  They paid
them in silver; so I got some of the hard money, hired a horse and
buggy, got some whisky, and started out to give them a game, more
for the fun and novelty of the thing than to win their money; for
I had the old keno game running, and she was a good producer.  When
I got among the savages, they were having a war dance.  After the
dance they smoked the pipe of peace and drank my whisky, and I
smoked their pipes.  After the friendly smoking was over, they
started in to playing poker.  They invited and insisted on me changing
in, so at last I sat down and took a hand.  One of the old bucks
soon began to cheat.  He had an old hat in front of him, and inside
of the hat he had a looking-glass, so that he could see on his deal
every card he dealt out.  I knew he was after me, so I told him to
put the hat away and play fair.  He saw that I was no "sucker," so
he put it away.  We played for some time, and it was all I could
do to keep even by playing on the square with big "injins," as I
found them very good card players.  I held out a hand, but had to
wait some time for the "wild man of the forest."  At last there
was a big "blind and straddle," and I kept raising it before the
draw.  They all "stayed," and drew two or three cards (I do not
remember which).  I took one, and when we came to "show down," I
was the lucky fellow.  This was too much for the bucks, so three
of them dropped out, and left an old chief and myself single-handed.
As I was over $150 ahead of the game, I played liberally, to draw
the old chieftain on; and as he had one of his bucks walking around
behind, and talking "big injin" all the time, he was getting the
best of me.  I knew that my hands were being given away, but I did
not let them know that I was onto their racket.  I waited my chance,
and clinched onto four fours and a jack.  I kept "going blind,"
until the chief got a good hand, and then he came back at me strong.
We had it hot and heavy.  I let the buck see my hand until it came
to the draw, and then I shifted the hand, and came up with the four
fours and the jack, but the warrior did not see me get _that_ hand.
I then made a big bet.  The old chief called his squaw, and she
brought him a sack of silver.  He then "called" me.  We showed
down; the money was mine; and then you should have seen the fun.
The buck that had been giving my hand away started to run.  The
old chief jumped up, grabbed his tomahawk, and lit out after him.
I jerked off my coat, dumped all the silver into it, jumped into
my buggy, and lost no time in getting out of that neck of the woods.
As I was going at a 2:40 gait, I looked back and saw the buck and
old chief going through the woods.  I never knew whether the old
man caught the buck or not, but I do know he did not catch me.  I
took desperate chances to win that pot, and I was very lucky in
not losing my scalp.  I never inquired when the Indians were to be
paid off again, for I had no notion of paying them a visit.  Any
one who has a desire to play poker with "big injins" has my consent;
but I would advise them to play a square game, and keep their eye
skinned for the big "buck" that talks to the chief.


A RELIGIOUS CAPTAIN.

I was on board the steamer _War Eagle_ going from Dubuque to St.
Paul.  The Captain was a member of the church, and did not allow
any gambling on his boat; and any one caught at that innocent
pastime would be put ashore.  While walking over the boat I met a
gentlemen who I thought had money (and I hardly ever made a mistake
in my man).  I invited him to join me in a drink, and then steered
him into the barber shop.  I told him I had lost some money betting
on cards, but I did not mind very much, as my father was wealthy.
While I was showing him how I had lost the money, my partner came,
and after watching me throw the cards for a little while, he wanted
to bet me $100 he could pick the card.  I threw them again, and
told him to put up.  He "turned," and won the money.  Then, turning
to the man, he showed him one of the corners turned up, and wanted
to bet me again.  I told him I would not play with a man that beat
me.  The man then asked me if I would bet with him.  I said I would,
providing the other fellow would not tell him which card to turn,
which was agreed to.  The man then got out his big roll, and put
up $100.  I told him if he won I would only bet him the one time;
and if I won I would only be even; and that I would not bet less
than $500.  He put up the $500, and turned the wrong card.  After
putting the money out of sight, I began to throw the cards again;
for I saw a diamond stud and ring worth about $1,000.  While the
cards were on the table I turned around to spit, and my partner
marked one of the cards with a pencil, and let the man see the
mark.  He then bet me $500, and won it; then he walked away.  The
man began to get nervous and feel for his money; but he had only
about seventy-five dollars left, and wanted to bet that.  I told
him I had just lost $500, and would not bet less than $1,000.  He
insisted on betting the $75, but I told him to keep it for expenses,
and that I would bet him $500 against his stud and ring.  Up they
went, and I put up $500.  Over went the marked card, and he lost
again.  Out he went, and when I saw him again the Captain was with
him.  I knew what was in the wind, and I stood my ground.  The
Captain said to me, "Have you been gambling on my boat?"  "I do
not know what you mean by that question," says I.  "You don't?
Well, I will tell you, my boy; you give this gentleman back all
the money and jewelry you won from him, or I will have my men take
it from you, and then land you on the bank."  I laughed at him,
and told him to bring up his whole crew, and I would suffer the
death of John Rodgers before I would give up one cent.  He ordered
up the mate and crew.  I backed up against the side of the boat,
and told them to call for cards, as I "stood pat."  They said they
did not want any, for they could see by my looks I had the best
hand, or at least I would play it for all it was worth.  The Captain
then said, "You must go ashore."  I said, "Land her; both sides of
the river are in America, and that big brick house up there is
where I live."  The old fellow could not help laughing at my cheek,
and so concluded to let me alone.

I have often had steamboat captains tell me I must give up the
money or go ashore, and I had them to tell the suckers to go and
get more money and try it again.  I have also had them to say they
would put the suckers ashore, and that would break them all up.
A sucker thinks when he sees a mark on a card that he is robbing
the gambler, and he is just as much of a robber and gambler as the
other man.

When two persons bet, one _must_ lose; and there is no law in this
country to compel a man to bet his money or jewelry on anything.
So my advice is, don't you do it.


A COLD DECK.

I was aboard the _Sultana_, bound for Louisville, and got into a
five-handed game of poker.  When we landed at the mouth of the
Cumberland, two of our party got off to take a boat for Nashville;
that left our game three-handed.  For fear that another would get
away, I thought I must get my work in without further delay; so I
excused myself for a few moments and went to the bar.  I got a deck
just like the one we were using, and "run up" three hands, giving
one three aces, one three kings, and myself four trays.  We played
a short time after my return, and on my deal I called their attention
to something, and at the same time came up with the "cold deck."
The betting was lively.  I let them do the raising, and I did the
calling until it came to the draw.  They each took two cards, and
I took one, saying "If I fill this flush, I will make you squeal."
I knew they both had "full hands," and they just slashed their
money on the table until there was over $4,000 up.  Then I made a
"raise" of $1,200, and they both "called."  "Gentlemen, I said, "I
suppose you have me beat; I have only two pair."  "Oh!" says one,
"I have a king full;" and the other one said, "I have an ace full."
"Well, boys, I can down both hands, for I have two pair of trays."
The game came to a close, for there was no more money on the other
side.


CAUGHT A SLEEPER.

I was playing poker once on the steamer _General Quitman_.  The
party were all full of grape juice.  Along about morning the game
was reduced to single-handed, and that man I was playing with was
fast asleep, so I picked up the deck and took four aces and four
kings out, with an odd card to each.  I gave him the kings and I
took the aces.  I gave him a hunch, and told him to wake up and
look at his hand.  He partly raised his hand, but laid it down
again and I knew he had not seen it.  I gave him a push and shook
him up pretty lively, and he opened his eyes.  I said:  "Come, look
at your hand, or I will quit."  He got a glimpse of it, and I never
saw such a change in a man's countenance.  He made a dive for his
money and said:  "I will bet you $100, for I want to show you I am
not asleep."  I told him I thought he was "bluffing."  I said in a
joking way:  "I will raise you $1,000."  So he pulled out all his
money and laid it on the table, and said:  "I will only call you,
but I know I have you beat."  I showed down four big live aces,
and he was awake sure enough after that.  He never went into any
more of those fits, and we played until they wanted the table for
breakfast.  I used to make it a point to "cold deck" a sucker on
his own deal, as they then had great confidence in their hands.
My old paw is large enough to hold out a compressed bale of cotton
or a whole deck of cards, and it comes in very handy to do the
work.  I could hold one deck in the palm of my hand and shuffle up
another, and then come the change on his deal.  It requires a great
deal of cheek and gall, and I was always endowed with both--that
is, they used to say so down South.


TEN THOUSAND IN COUNTERFEIT MONEY.

We had a great "graft," before the war, on the Upper Mississippi,
between St. Louis and St. Charles.  We would go up on a boat and
back by rail.  One night going up we had done a good business in
our line, and were just putting up the shutters, when a man stepped
up and said "he could turn the right card."  My partner, Posey
Jeffers, was doing the honors that night, and he said, "I will bet
from $1 to $10,000 that no man can pick out the winning ticket."
The man pulled out a roll nearly as large as a pillow, and put up
$5,000.  Posey put up the same amount, and over the card went for
$5,000; but it was not the winner.  "Mix them up again," said the
man, and he put up the same sum as before.  He turned, and Posey
put the second $5,000 in his pocket.  The man then went away as if
to lose $10,000 was an every-day thing with him.  We then closed
up our "banking house," well pleased with ourselves.  The next day
we were counting our cash, and we found we had on hand $10,000 in
nice new bills on the State Bank of Missouri, but it was counterfeit.
We deposited it in the (fire) bank, as we had no immediate use for
it.


BLOWING UP OF THE PRINCESS.

I was on board of the steamer _Princess_ on a down trip when she
was carrying a large number of passengers, and there were fourteen
preachers among them, on their way to New Orleans to attend a
conference.  The boat was making the fastest time she had ever
made.  I had a big game of "roulette" in the barber shop, which
ran all Saturday night; and on Sunday morning, just after leaving
Baton Rouge, I opened up again, and had thirty-five persons in the
shop, all putting down their money as fast as they could get up to
the table.  I was doing a land-office business, when all of a sudden
there was a terrific noise, followed by the hissing of escaping
steam, mingled with the screams and groans of the wounded and dying.
The boat had blown up, and was almost a total wreck.  There was
but very little left, and that consisted mostly of the barber shop,
which was at the time full of gamblers, and not one of them was
hurt.  The steamers _Peerless_ and _McRay_ came to our aid; one
boat looked after the dead and wounded, and the other took us lucky
fellows out of the barber shop.  One hundred souls were landed
Into eternity without a moment's warning, and among them were the
fourteen preachers.  It was a horrible sight; the bodies were so
mangled and scalded that one could not have recognized his own
brother or sister.  Captain William Campbell (now of the Vicksburg
Packet line) was steward of the _Princess_ at the time of the
explosion, and there was not a man on the boat that worked harder
to save life and relieve the wounded.  He richly deserved his
promotion, and is now one of the best captains on the river.


A WOMAN WITH A GUN.

I was on a boat coming from Memphis one night, when my partner beat
a man out of $600, playing poker.  After the game broke up, the
man went into the ladies' cabin and told his wife.  She ran into
his room and got his pistol, and said, "I will have that money
back, or kill the man."  I saw her coming, pistol in hand, and
stepped up to the bar and told the barkeeper to hand me that old
gun he had in the drawer, which I knew had no loads in it.  She
came on, frothing at the mouth, with blood in her eyes.  I saw she
was very much excited, and I said to her:  "Madame, you are perfectly
right.  You would do right in shooting that fellow, for he is
nothing but a gambler.  I don't believe your pistol will go off;
you had better take my pistol, for I am a government detective,
and have to keep the best of arms."  So I handed her the pistol,
and took hers.  Just a moment later out stepped the man who had
won the money, and she bolted up to him and said:  "You won my
husband's money, and I will just give you one minute to hand it to
me, or I will blow your brains out in this cabin."  Well, you ought
to have seen the passengers getting out of the cabin when she pulled
down on him; but he knew the joke and stood pat, and showed what
a game fellow he was.  He told the woman her husband lost the money
gambling, and he could not get a cent back.  Then she let go; but
the pistol failed to go off, and he got her to go back into the
cabin, and pacified her by giving her $100.  After taking the
charge out of her pistol, I returned it to her.  So, reader, you
can see what a gay life there is in gambling.


THE FRENCHMAN AND THE HORSE HAIR.

I knew a Frenchman who used to travel the river playing the wheel,
who made a great deal of money and sent it to France.  One night
he opened a $1,000 snap at faro and I was to loan him my tools.
He shuffled his own cards, as he was too smart to use any other;
and I went down on deck and pulled some hairs out of a horse's
tail, and came back and got one of the coppers and fastened a hair
to it.  A copper is used to make a bet lose and take the banker's
side.  When the copper is off, the bet is open.  So I got my partner
to buy a big lot of white checks, so that I could get my small bet
behind them.  My checks were $12.50 apiece; he was playing white
checks at 25 cents.  We took one corner of the table, side by side.
He placed his checks between the dealer and me; then I would put
my little stack behind his checks, and when the dealer made a turn
he would have to rise from his seat to see if my bet was coppered
or not.  If the card lost that we were on, I would let the copper
remain; if it on, I gave the horse hair a little jerk and pulled
the copper off, and we both won.  I used to take it off when he
was going to pay the bet, for fear he would get his fingers tangled
in the hair; and in this way we won the bank roll, which made the
Frenchman very sick.


SAVED MY PARTNER'S LIFE.

We were once coming down on the steamer _Belle Key_, of Louisville,
and my partner was doing the playing that day.  We had won some
big money, and were about to quit, when up stepped a very tall man,
who looked pale and sickly.  He watched the game for some time,
and then pulled out a $1,000 note and laid it on the card he wanted,
and of course he lost.  He did not say a word, but started back to
this room.  I thought he acted strange, and I concluded to keep an
eye on him.  Pretty soon out he came with an overcoat on his arm,
and he walked up as near the table as he could get, and commenced
to push one of the crowd away so as to get closer.  Finally he got
at my partner's back, with me close at his heels, when he commenced
to pull from under his coat a large Colt's pistol.  As he leveled
it to shoot him in the back of the head, I knocked him stiff, and
the gun dropped on the floor.  It was cocked, but it did not go
off.  They carried the man back to his room, put cold water on him,
and finally brought him to.  He sent for me, and went I went back
he reached out his hand, and said:  "Friend, you did me a kindly
act, for I had made up mind to kill that man.  I am glad it happened
so, for it was all the money I had, and it was raised by my friends,
who, knowing that I never would reach home again, were sending me
to Florida, as all the doctors have given me up; and I thought I
would kill him, as I do not expect to get off this boat alive.  I
have got consumption in its last stages."  So I pulled out $1,000,
counted it out to him, and he cried like a child.  His pistol I
gave to the mate, as I thought he had no need of such a weapon.


LEAP FOR LIFE.

Another time I was coming up on the steamer _Fairchild_ with Captain
Fawcett, of Louisville.  When we landed at Napoleon there were
about twenty-five of the "Arkansas Killers" came on board, and I
just opened out and cleaned the party of money, watches, and all
their valuables.  Things went along smoothly for a while, until
they commenced to drink pretty freely.  Finally one of them said:
"Jake, Sam, Ike, get Bill, and let us kill that d----d gambler who
got our money."  "All right," said the party, and they broke for
their rooms to get their guns.  I stepped out of the side door,
and got under the pilot-house, as it was my favorite hiding place.
I could hear every word down stairs, and could whisper to the pilot.
Well, they hunted the boat from stem to stern--even took lights
and went down into the hold--and finally gave up the chase, as one
man said I had jumped overboard.  I slipped the pilot $100 in gold,
as I had both pockets filled with gold and watches, and told him
at the first point that stood out a good ways to run her as close
as he could and I would jump.  He whispered, "Get ready," and I
slipped out and walked back, and stood on the top of the wheel-
house until she came, as I thought, near enough to jump, and away
I went; but it was farther than I expected, so I went down about
thirty feet into the river and struck into the soft mud clear up
to my waist.  Some parties who were standing on the stern of the
boat saw me and gave the alarm, when the "killers" all rushed back
and commenced firing at me, and the bullets went splashing all
around me.  The pilot threw her into the bend as quick as he could,
and then let on she took a sheer on him and nearly went to the
other side.  The shooting brought the niggers from the fields to
the bank of the river.  I hallooed to them to get a long pole and
pull me out, for I was stuck in the mud.  They did so, and I got
up on the bank and waited for another boat.

I was always very stubborn about giving up money if any one wanted
to compel me to do it, but I wish I had one-quarter of what I have
given back to people that did need it.  I have seen many a man lose
all he had, and then go back into the ladies' cabin and get his
wife's diamonds, and lose them, thinking he might get even.  But
that was always a good cap for me, for I would walk back into the
cabin, find the lady, and hand her jewels back; and I never beat
a man out of his money that I did not find out from the clerk if
his passage was paid.  If not, I would pay it, and give the man
some of his money to assist him to his destination.  By so doing
I was looked upon as being a pretty good robber--that is, if you
call it robbing; but I tell you that a man that will bet on such
a game as monte is a bigger robber than the man who does the playing,
for he thinks he is robbing you, and you know you are robbing him.


THE CHICKEN MEN AND THEIR SILVER.

At one time, before the war, silver was such a drug in New Orleans
that you could get $105 in silver for $100 in State bank notes;
but the commission men would pay it out to the hucksters dollar
for dollar.  They would put it in bags and label it with the man's
name and the amount.  At this time I was coming out on the steamer
_John Raine_, and, in looking around for customers, I found fifteen
chicken men on board, who had sold their "coops," and had their
sacks of silver setting in the office, as there was no room for it
in the safe.  After supper I got my men in the barber shop, pulled
out my three cards, and began to throw them, at the same time
telling the men I had lost $1,000 at the game, and that I was going
to practice until I could throw equal to the man that had beat me
out of my money.  They all took a great interest in the game, and
could turn the right card every time for fun.  About this time the
"capper" came up, and said he was positive he could guess the card,
and kept insisting on betting me $100; so at last I concluded to
bet him, and he lost the $100.  Then the fun commenced.  One of
the chicken men saw the corner of the "right" card turned up; so
he jumped up, and wanted to bet me $500 that he could pick out the
"right" card.  I told him I did not want to bet, but if he made it
$2,000 I would bet him, and if I lost I would quit.  At the same
time I pulled out a large roll of small bills, with a hundred dollar
bill on the outside, and laid it on the table.  The chicken men
held a council of war, and of course they all saw the corner of
the "right" card turned up.  They went for their sacks of silver,
and planked down four of them, with $500 in each.  I put up and
said:  "Gentlemen, you must all agree on one card, and select one
man to turn it, as I must have the two chances."  They picked out
their man; he turned the card with the corner turned up; but, of
course, it was not the "right" card.  The boat was just landing to
take in sugar, so I said, "Gentlemen, I will have to bid you good-
by, as this is my sugar plantation."  I called two of the porters
and told them to take my sacks ashore.  They said, "All right,
Massa George."  You should have seen the chicken men look at me
when I landed with my sacks; and all the niggers came to shake
hands and say, "Glad youse back, Massa George," (for I knew all
the niggers on the coast).  After the boat pulled out, I opened
one of the sacks and gave each black one of the "chicken" half-
dollars.  They guarded the money until another boat came down,
which they hailed, and I was soon on my way back to New Orleans to
catch some more suckers.


THE HUNGRY MAN.

I was on board the _John Simonds_ coming out of New Orleans one
night.  I had a very lively game of "red and black," and did not
close up until two o'clock in the morning.  We were sitting around
the stove in the bar, drinking, smoking, and telling stories, when
there was a man came in whom I had not seen since the boat left
New Orleans.  When he came aboard he was pretty full of "bug-juice,"
and had been asleep.  When he woke up, of course he was dry, and
had come into the bar to get a drink.  I said to him, "You look
dry, and you are just in time to join us."  After thanking me, he
took a drink, and then told me he had missed his supper.  I told
him I would send the porter into the texas, and get him a lunch,
which I did.  I then thought if I can get some more of that "go-
your-money" whisky into him, I can size him up.  So after taking
another round, I said to him, "You should have been up when the
big betting was going on."  He said, "What was it?"  I said, "There
was a great tall fellow sat down to the table just after supper,
and called all the men in the cabin to come and see how he had lost
$2,000 of his father's money.  He pulled out a lot of cards and
began to throw them on the table, and said to us, 'If you see the
same fellow who got my money, don't you bet with him, for he has
two chances to his one.'  I can't explain just how he did it, for
I haven't got any of the cards."  The barkeeper then said, "I have
some of the fellow's cards that he left when he got off the boat."
I said, "Let me have them and I will try and show the game."  I
took the cards and bent them, and then said, "You ought to have
seen him throw them through those long fingers; it would have made
you laugh."

I was throwing and explaining when my partner came in.  After
looking on for a little while he asked me if I would bet on the
game.  I pretended not to hear him, but invited them both to take
a drink.  Then my partner offered to bet the drinks.  I took him
up, and he lost.  While we were talking he picked up the cards and
turned up one of the corners of the winner, and then let the other
man see what he had done.  I commenced to throw them again, when
my partner wanted to know if I would bet just as they lay.  I said
I would after the shuffle.  He said, "You beat me out of the drinks;
now I will bet you $100 I can pick up the card the first pick."
"Enough," says I, and up went the money in the "hungry" man's hands.
Over went the card, and my partner caught me for $100.  I said,
"Give him the money, as he won it fairly."  The stakeholder threw
down his bread and meat, jumped up, pulled out his money, and said,
"I will bet you $500 I can turn the right card the first time."
I saw he had about $1,500 or $2,000, so I said, "I will make but
one bet, and then quit; I will bet you $1,500."  "Enough said, I'll
go you."  The money was put up, and over went the card; but, as
luck would have it, he turned the wrong one; and, to tell the truth,
I was glad of it.  He then pulled out $400 in gold and wanted to
bet that; but I told him to keep it, for I did not want to win it
from him, but wanted to keep what I had.  We sat down and had a
drink, and in a short time the man went out on the guards.  My
partner and I were talking and laughing about how we won the money,
when all of a sudden in rushed the man with his clothes all torn
and very much excited.  We asked him what had happened, when he
told us that two fellows had grabbed and robbed him of the $400 in
gold.

We got the mate and watchman, and searched the boat until we found
one of the robbers in a fireman's bunk, down on the lower deck.
We got all the money from him and returned it to the man.  The
other robber could not be found.  We turned the one we had captured
over to the police of Baton Rouge, and that was the last we ever
heard of him.  I took the next boat back to New Orleans.


COLLARED THE WRONG MAN.

I had been attending to business pretty faithfully, and had
accumulated some wealth, when it struck me I must take a rest; so
when I arrived in New Orleans I laid off.  I was playing the "bank"
one night, and was a big loser.  There was a big fighter came in
and sat down at the same table, and in a short time he began to
pick up checks.  I thought he would take some of mine next, and I
was not in the humor to let any one take my checks.  Sure enough,
he clinched onto a stack I had on the nine.  I said to him, "Those
are my fifty."  He raised up, took me by the collar, and said,
"You're a d----d liar."  I thought I would get the old head ready
for business once more, so I argued the question with him until I
saw an opening, and then I let him have it just between the eyes.
He dropped all in a heap, and it was some time before they could
get him to sit up.  He was pretty badly hurt; his nose was broken
down flat with his face; the blood was running out of his ears,
and I thought it was about time for me to get out.  I cashed in my
checks and quit the game over $6,000 a loser.  So you see a man
must fight at times, even when he has quit his regular business,
and is laying off for a rest.


MY JEW PARTNER.

I was on board the steamer _Sultana_ one evening, coming up from
New Orleans, when a "Jew" came up to me, tapped me on the shoulder,
and said:  "Mr. Devol, I have heard of you for years, and have sat
at the same table with you in New Orleans playing the bank.  I
caught her this trip for over $4,000; but I have often wished I
could make as much money as you do; you bet I would take better
care of it than you.  Come, let us go and have a nice drink."  I
told him I did not drink anything but wine; and I was very glad he
had beat the bank, for they nearly always beat me; but I could hold
my own with any man at poker.  He said:  "Oh, Mr. Devol, I know
that no one can beat you at poker, and I would like to put my money
in with you and have an interest."  Something struck me immediately
that I might as well have the $4,000 as not, so I said to him:  "I
will see Mr. Bush (my partner), and let you know after supper."
The first thing to be done was to manufacture a sucker to play me
a big game of poker.  I knew several good boys on board; some were
gamblers and some were horsemen.  I selected one of the horsemen,
and took him to my room to teach him the ropes.  I said to him:
"I will cold deck you, and give you three kings, a seven and a
eight, and you must put your thumb over one of the spots on the
eight, so that the Jew will think you have a king full on sevens
when he sees your hand.  I will have an ace full, and will bet you
$200 or $300 before the draw; then you raise me $5,000."  After
giving him full instructions, so there would be no mistake, I gave
him a big roll and let him out, with instructions not to know me
until the time of the game.  I told Bush the plan, so after supper
we opened up with our three cards and took in a few hundred dollars.
After we had closed for the evening, I picked up my manufactured
sucker and commenced a divvy game of poker.  I told my Jew partner
to see every hand that the other fellow held, and to attract his
attention so I could cold deck him.  I came up with the ice and
bet $250 before the draw.  The sucker came back and raised me
$5,000.  The Jew was behind him and saw his king full on sevens;
he then came around and saw my ace full on trays.  I pretended to
be a little short, and called for Bush to bring me some money.
Then my would-be partner commenced to get out his money, and was
in such a hurry (for fear he would not be in time) that he tore
the buttons off his vest.  He put up his $4,000; Bush got $1,000
from John C. Heenan (the prize fighter, who was on the boat), and
I called the bet.  The game had attracted the attention of all the
passengers; they were all around us, some on the tables and chairs,
and every one was holding his breath waiting for the result, except
my Jew partner, who was so delighted with the sure thing of having
won one-half of the money that he could not keep still a moment,
but kept dancing around, rubbing his hands and smiling as if he
had sold a suit of clothes without coming down a cent.  When, to
everybody's great surprise, the sucker said, "Gentlemen, I have
made a mistake in my hand; can't I take my money down?"  The Jew
said:  "Oh, we don't rectify no mistakes in poker."  The sucker
looked up at him and said:  "What in the h--l have you got to do
with this game?"  The Jew said:  "I thought you was bluffin'."
The sucker then said:  "Hold on, gentlemen, we have not drawn yet.
I thought I had a king full on sevens."  He then threw down the
seven and eight and called for two cards.  The Jew said:  "We don't
care for your mistake," and then walked around behind the sucker
to see what he would get in the draw.  I dealt him off two cards,
but the Jew did not get to see what he got.  They had sent me some
money from the office, and I bet him $500.  The sucker hesitated
a moment, and then bet $5,000.  I put up all the money I had, my
big single stone, pin and ring, but that was not enough.  Then the
Jew put up his Juergunsen watch, a large cluster pin and ring, and
called the bet.  The sucker said, "I have two pair."  The Jew was
so glad (thinking I had won) that he could not keep still, but went
up and down like a jumping-jack.  I showed down my ace full, and
then the sucker showed down two pair of kings.  You should have
seen my "new partner."  He threw up both his hands, groaned, and
fell over on the floor dead.  We had to throw water in his face to
bring him around, and when we got him up he started for the guards,
saying:  "I go drown myself; I don't want to live."  Some one ran
and got him a life preserver, and told him to put it on before he
jumped overboard.  He finally quieted down and went to his room.
I took the horseman into my room, gave him $200 in money and my
"partner's" diamonds.  He was the lion of the boat, and did not
have to pay for drinks from there to Louisville.  I got off at
Baton Rouge at daybreak, and was soon on my way back to New Orleans;
and when I arrived there, every one I met would ask me about my
bad luck.  My friends were sorry for me.  I could have borrowed
almost any amount of money.  The papers came out all over the
country that Devol had at last found his match.

I saw the Jew in St. Louis some years later.  He knew me, and said:
"Mr. Devol, come and let us get a good drink.  See that clothing
store?  That's mine.  I never play poker since that time on the
boat; don't you remember?"


SOLD OUT BY A PARTNER.

One night I was coming up the river on the steamer _Morrison_.  I
had a partner with me named Charles Bush.  He was a good, big-
hearted fellow, but did not know much about beating a sucker out
of his money.  I had to teach him how to handle the blokes.  Well,
Bush and myself had made some money, and were sitting around looking
at the gamblers.  There were twenty-five of them on board, going
to the Memphis races.  Finally one of the sports, named Dennis
McCarthy, said to me, "Devol, I will play you seven-up for $100 a
game."  So I turned to Bush and asked him if he wanted any interest
in it.  He said "No," so he sat down alongside of me, where he
could see my hand.  We commenced to play.  I could see Bush working
a toothpick in his mouth, from the corner to the middle and then
over to the other side.  I thought I noticed when the toothpick
was in the left side of his mouth I always had one trump; when he
had it in the middle of his mouth I had two trumps; when in the
right side I had no trumps.  McCarthy beat me six straight games.
The last game we played we were six and six.  I saw Bush take the
toothpick out of his mouth.  I looked at my hand and saw no trumps.
McCarthy stood his hand, and led.  He had no trumps either, but as
he had some large cards in his hand he made the game, which put
him out.  Bush was sitting on my right; so I let go with my left,
caught him between the eyes, and straightened him out on the floor.
They got a piece of beefsteak and put it on his eyes, and he went
to bed.  There was a big six-foot fellow named Anderson, who said
that any man that would hit another for nothing was a scoundrel,
and he could whip him.  He was not posted, and did not know why I
hit him, so he made this bluff.  I said to him, "Take off your coat
and come and see me."  He took off his coat, and after he got it
off he weakened, and picked up a big iron poker that lay by the
stove.  I pulled out old "Betsy Jane," one of the best tarantula
pistols in the Southern country, and told him to drop the poker,
which he did.  "Now," said I, "if you want it on the square, I am
your man."  So at it we went, and I hit him and knocked him clear
through the office door.  I then reached down and caught him by
the collar, raised him up and struck him with that good old faithful
head of mine, and the fight was all over; for I had broken every
bone in his nose.  The clerks came rushing out of the office, the
Captain and passengers also came, and the Captain asked me what
was the matter.  I told him, and the mate spoke up and said Devol
was perfectly right, for he had seen it all.  I offered to pay for
the door and chairs we broke, but the Captain would not accept one
cent.

I went back to the room to see Bush, for I was sorry I had hit him,
although I thought he was guilty.  I told him to get up and look
out for me, and I would open faro bank for the gamblers, which he
did.  They all changed in except the big fellow with the broken
nose; he went to bed.  The result was, we broke every one of them,
and then got off at Baton Rouge; they went to Memphis, where the
races commenced in a few days.  Bush was with me for three years
after that; and many a night I have sat and dealt for a big game,
and in the morning would divide several hundred dollars with Bush,
who was in bed and asleep.


THE BIG CATFISH.

My old partner (Bush) and I had been up all night in New Orleans
playing faro, and we were several hundred dollars winners, and
thought we would walk down to the French market and get a cup of
coffee before we went to bed.  We saw a catfish that would weigh
about 125 pounds; its mouth was so large that I could put my head
into it.  We got stuck on the big cat, and while we were looking
at it an old man came up to me and said:  "That is the largest
catfish I ever saw."  Bush was a little way off from me just at
the time, and knowing I would have some fun (if not a bet) with
the old man, he kept out of the way.  I said to the old gent:  "You
are the worst judge of a fish I ever saw; that is not a cat, it is
a pike, and the largest one ever brought to this market."  He looked
at me and then at the fish, and then said:  "Look here, my boy,
where in the d---l were you raised?"  I told him I was born and
raised in Indiana.  "Well, I thought you were from some hoop-pole
State."  We got to arguing about it; and I appeared to be mad, and
offered to bet him $100 that the fish was a pike.  Says he, "Do
you mean it?"  I pulled out a roll, threw down $100 and told him
to cover it.  He lammed her up, and I said:  "Who will we leave it
to?"  We looked around and saw Bush, with a memorandum book in his
hand and a pen behind his ear, talking to a woman who sold vegetables,
and he was acting as if he was collector of the market.  I said:
"May be that man with the book in his hand might know."  The old
fellow called Bush, and said to him, "Do you belong about here?"
"Oh, yes; I have belonged about here for a good many years," says
Bush.  "Well, sir, you are just the man we want to decide our bet,"
says the old gent.  "Well, gentlemen, I am in somewhat of a hurry;
but if you don't detain me too long, I will be glad to serve you
to the best of my ability," said Bush.  "We want you to tell us
what kind of a fish this is."  "Well, gentlemen, that can be done
easily."  "Out with it," said the old gent.  Bush braced himself
up, and said:  "I have been market-master here for twenty years,
and that is the largest _pike_ I ever saw in this market."  "Well!
Well!  Well!" says the old man; "I have lived on the Tombigbee
River for forty-five years, and I never saw two bigger fools than
you two."  I invited the old man and the "market-master" to join
me in a cup of coffee.  Bush accepted, but the old one from the
Tombigbee declined, saying "he did not drink with men that did not
know a catfish from a pike."  We bid him good morning and went
home, and we were both sound asleep in a short time; for we felt
we had did an honest night's and morning's work.


THE SERMON ON THE (MOUNT) BOAT.

  "The hypocrite had left his mass, and stood
   In naked ugliness.  He was a man
   Who stole the livery of the court of heaven
   To serve the devil in."

I was coming from New Orleans on board the steamer _E. H. Fairchilds_,
bound for Louisville.  She was literally packed with people.  After
supper, on Saturday evening, we started a game in the barber shop,
which was kept up until Sunday morning.  Over $8,000 changed hands,
and I was a big winner.  After eating my breakfast I went out on
the guards to take a smoke before going to bed.  While I was enjoying
my cigar, a fine looking old gentleman about sixty years of age
came up to me and entered into conversation.  Presently the Captain
joined us.  The old gentleman said he was a minister from Louisville,
and would like to preach in the cabin.  The Captain gave his consent.
The minister placed his arm in mine, and, before I was aware of
what we were doing, he had me half way down the ladies' cabin, and
then it was too late to back out or get away.  He sat me down near
where he was standing.  I was impressed with his discourse, for it
was full of practical sayings.  He spoke of gambling in very plain
terms, and of the game that had been kept up all night in the barber
shop.  He said:  "It was a pity that such a fine looking gentleman
as the one who sat near him should play cards for money."  To tell
the truth, his remarks on the subject of my business did make me
feel a little mean.  He did not look directly at me, but I thought
he was getting close to home.  The collection amounted to considerable,
and I chipped in my share liberally.  After the morning services
were over I retired to my room to take a sleep, and it was not long
until I had forgotten that we had an old preacher on board.

I spent that Sunday evening reading until near midnight; most of
the passengers had retired.  There was but one passenger in the
cabin, and he was sitting with his back to me, reading.  I approached
him, and found it was the minister.  I had changed my dress so that
he did not recognize me.  I sat down near him, and he began talking
about the gambling game of the night before, and he handled the
gamblers without gloves.  I sided with him in his views, and then
trumped up a story of how I had been roped into the game, and had
lost $1,000; but that my father was rich, and gave me all the money
I could spend, and that I did not mind the loss very much.  He
became very much interested, and asked a great many questions.  I
told him I had picked up some of the tickets that they played the
game with, and had them in my room, and if he would like to see
them I would go and get them.  "Oh, I would like very much to see
the way it was played, and I will go to your room if you will show
me."  We went to my room, and I showed him the old three-card monte
racket.  I let him play with the cards until he thought he knew
all about them, and he said to me:  "My dear sir, I can't see how
you could lose money on such a simple thing.  I would not fail to
pick out the right ticket every time."  I said to him, "I'll make
you a proposition; I will throw the tickets, and put up $100 with
you.  If you gain the money, you are to donate it to your church;
and if I get it I will do the same, for I want to show you how I
lost playing them."  The old fellow accepted my proposition, for
he wanted to give the money to his church (and so did I).  Of course
I displayed a big roll, and told him I would just as soon make it
$200 as $100.  He agreed, and we put up.  He turned the ticket,
but he failed to pick the right one.  It was such a simple thing
that he got excited, and put down $200 more, and again he failed
to pick out the right one.  We kept on until the old sucker lost
an even $1,000, then I said to him, "I am really sorry, for I had
rather lost the amount myself.  This money will do me no good, and
it would hardly benefit your church; we have had lots of fun, and
I want you to gain the money back.  I will put up the $1,000 against
your watch and chain, and when you gain it back we can have a big
laugh over it."  He put up his handsome watch and chain (that had
been presented to him by his congregation), and, as he was playing
in hard luck, I soon had the "ticker."  He bade me good night, and
went to his room.

I went to see the Captain, and when I showed him the reverend
gentleman's watch, with the inscriptions on it, he could hardly
believe his own eyes.  After having a good laugh with the Captain,
I went to the minister's room, and found him on his knees.  When
he saw me he said, "I have just been praying for you."  I replied,
"Brother, hadn't you do a little of that for yourself?"  "Oh," says
he, "I have prayed mostly for myself this night."  "Well," I said,
"since you have prayed for yourself, and me too, here is your watch,
chain, and $100.  'Go and sin no more.'"  He said (with tears in
his eyes), "God bless you."  I left the boat at Natchez, and did
not get to see the old gentleman again.

I caught a preacher once for all his money, his gold spectacles,
and his sermons.  Then I had some of those queer feelings come over
me (and when they came upon me I could not resist their influence),
so I gave him his sermons and specks back.  At one time there were
fifteen preachers on the Jackson Road, going to a conference at
Hazelhurst.  I got in among them, and, just for fun, I opened up
monte, and I caught five out of the fifteen for every cent they
had.  I tell you, my dear readers, preachers are but human, and
some of them will steal the livery of the court of heaven to serve
the devil (Devol) in.


FIFTY TO THE BARKEEPER.

I was in the St. Charles bar-room one morning--having been up all
night playing the bank--when a good looking old fellow walked in
and called for a champagne cocktail.  I turned to him and said,
"Have one with me; I drew $6,000 out of the Havana Lottery last
evening, and I would like you to join me."  He accepted the
invitation; and while the barkeeper was mixing the drinks, I slipped
out some monte cards, and began playing them on the counter.  I
told the old gentleman it was a kind of lottery I saw a man play,
and I wanted to learn it.  He looked at the game, and turned the
card for fun, then for the drinks and cigars.  Finally he said, "I
will bet you twenty-five dollars I can turn the card."  I said,
"If I bet, it will not be less than $100."  He got out his wallet,
and there was plenty of money in sight.  I then pretended that I
wanted to back out, and I offered to treat to a bottle of wine.
He said, "No sir; I hold you to the bet."  I then acted a little
huffy (as he thought), and offered to bet him $1,000.  He put up
$1,000; and as I saw some left, I said, "Here is $500 more, and I
will bet but once."  He put up the extra $500.  I said to him, "You
know you must turn over the baby card the first time, or you lose."
"All right," he said, and at the same time he grabbed a card as
though he thought it would get away, and turned it over; but it
was not the baby, and I was $1,500 winner, and did not have to
divide with a capper, as I played the old sucker single-handed.
I invited him to take another drink, and then bid him good morning.
As I was going out, I rolled up a fifty-dollar bill into a little
ball, and shot it at the barkeeper.  He caught it on the fly, and
put it in his pocket.  I went to my room and slept until evening,
when I was up and ready for the bank again.


LOST HIS WIFE'S DIAMONDS.

I was playing poker with a gentleman on board the steamer _John
Simonds_, bound for Louisville, late one night, and had won a few
hundred dollars from him, when he got up without saying a word,
and went to the ladies' cabin.  In a short time he came back with
a small velvet-covered box in his hand, and said to me, "Come, let
us finish our game."  He opened the box, and I saw it was full of
ladies' diamond jewelry.  I said:  "What are you going to do with
those?"  Said he, "I will put them up as money."  "Oh, no, I have
no use for ladies' jewelry."  "Well," says he, "if I lose I will
redeem them when we get to Louisville."  I told him I was not going
above Vicksburg.  "Well," says he, "if you win, leave them with
the clerk and I will pay him."  I then loaned him $1,500 on the
jewelry, and we sat down to play.  It was about 3 A. M. when we
commenced, and before they wanted the tables for breakfast I had
won the $1,500 back.  We drank a champagne cocktail, and he went
to his room.  The barber was at work on me, so that I was a little
late for breakfast, and the steward had to take me into the ladies'
cabin to get me a seat.  There was a gentleman, a very beautiful
lady, and a sweet little child at the same table; the lady's eyes
were red, as if she had been crying.  I looked at the gentleman,
and saw it was the same persons who had lost the diamonds.  Somehow,
my breakfast did not suit me; and the more I looked at that young
wife and mother, the less I felt like eating.  So at last I got up
and left the table.  I went to my room, got the little velvet box,
wrapped it up, and carried it back.  They were just leaving the
table when I returned.  I called the chambermaid, and told her the
lady had left a package, and for her to take it to her room.  After
it was gone I felt better, and I eat a square meal.  The gentleman
came and thanked me, and wanted my address; but as I never had any
one to send me money lost at gambling, I told him not to mind the
address; for I knew if I did not give it, I would not expect
anything, and therefore would not be disappointed.


THE MONTE KING.

After getting well of the fever in New Orleans, I took a trip up
the river on one of the Vicksburg packets.  On this trip I met a
man by the name of Rollins, who was the first man I ever saw playing
three-card monte.  Seeing I was pretty smart, he proposed a
partnership.  We commenced depredations on the packets.  He did
the playing, and I was the capper.  I represented a planter's son
traveling for my health.  The first party that we fell on to was
a nigger trader, who had forty-five big black coons on board, taking
them to New Orleans to sell.  We found him an easy victim, and
downed him for $4,100 and four of his niggers.  We were afraid to
win any more from him on account of a squeal, but he acted very
honorably and made out a bill of sale.

Well, here I was a slave-holder with plenty of money.  My partner
was one of the best that I ever worked with, except Canada Bill,
whom I shall speak of later.

We sold our slaves at one of the yards for $4,400; they averaged
$1,100 apiece, and in twenty minutes after I saw one of them put
on the block and bring $1,700.  We knocked about the city, spending
our money freely; riding to the lake, eating big suppers with the
girls; and all were friends, for we would not allow any person to
spend a cent, and the flowing champagne was a great luxury in those
days.

The next trip we took was on a Red River packet.  We went as far
as Shreveport and back on the same boat; and on the trip, clear of
expenses, we were $6,000 winners, as it was no more trouble to win
$1,000 then than $1 now.

Well, the gamblers began to get a little jealous of us, and at the
same time we lost heavily at their games when we played, as we were
both good suckers at any game except our own.  One night one of
them struck my partner, and I jumped in between and told them I
did all the fighting for both; and at it we went, and the result
was I did him up; for I always kept myself in good condition by
using dumb-bells and taking other exercise.  When I was twenty-five
years old, I did not think there was a man in the world that could
whip me in a bar-room or on the street.

After I got away with this gambler, they made up their minds that
they would get a man who would make me squeal.  We continued working
the boats and making plenty of money, and every time we got out in
the city both of us would lose a big sum of money; and then perhaps
I would have to fight, for they were looking for a man to start a
fuss with me.  One night we had been down to the lake and had a
big supper, and we drove up opposite the St. Charles Hotel and went
in.  There were about twenty-five gamblers standing in a saloon
called the Jewel.  I saw at a glance they were drinking and full;
I also saw two of my men that I had whipped previously.  Well, I
could not show the white feather, so I called for a basket of wine
and invited all to join me, when one of the party stepped out into
the middle of the room, took off his coat, and said:  "I can whip
any man in the room."  I looked around, and saw it was a job to
either kill or whip me.  I saw at a glance I had only one friend
in the house; that was Captain Smoker, of the Vicksburg Packet
Company.  I knew he could be of no service to me.  The door was
locked.  I turned to the challenger and said:  "I know who you mean
this for," and I untied my cravat.  I had a single stone on my
shirt that cost me $2,600.  I took off my coat and vest, and handed
them all to the barkeeper.  The enemy was a powerfully built man,
six feet and one inch high, and weighed thirty-five pounds more
than myself; at that time I weighed 195 pounds.  Well, to tell you
the truth, it was a pretty hard fight; but I got one good lick at
him with my head, and that won the battle for me.  It took all the
fight out of him.  He said, "That will do."  The doors were thrown
open, and in less than a minute there were 1,000 people in there.

We were both arrested and taken to the station-house, or calaboose,
where we gave bail, Captain Smoker going on my bond.  While they
were signing our bonds, my opponent made some remark that I did
not like, and I hit him a good crack in the neck and brought him
down on his knees, but they parted us; and the next day, when we
appeared in court, the Judge said he had a notion to fine us $100
apiece for not sending for him, as he wanted to see it himself;
"but I will let you go this time."  The man's name was John Mortice,
of Natchez, Miss.

Well, to tell you the truth, I was pretty well used up, but I staid
in my room till I got all right again.  We made several successful
trips after that together.  At last we parted, and he went to
California, and soon after died.  I was then king of the monte men,
and did all of the playing myself.  I got a man named Charlie Clark
to do the capping for me, and we made a world of money.

"Eph" Holland, Alexander, and I were coming out of the Red River
one night.  The boat was full of people, and a great many were
playing poker.  It was 2:30 A. M., when a large and powerful man
rushed out of the ladies' cabin with nothing on but his night-shirt,
and with a large butcher-knife in his hand.  He rushed to one of
the tables, where there were seven seated, and before they could
rise he plunged the knife up to the hilt in two of the men.  I
jumped up and ran out into the hall, determined to kill him if he
made a break for me; but the Captain hallooed at me, "Don't shoot,
he is a crazy man."  He had been brought on board at Alexandria by
his wife, who was taking him to an asylum.  He came rushing through
the cabin towards the hall, and I snatched up a big iron poker;
for I made up my mind I would lay him out if he came within reach.
He picked out another man and started for him, and they had it all
around the guards.  The poor fellow that he was after was almost
scared to death.  I jumped inside of the door, and as he came
brandishing his knife I dealt him a heavy blow on the side of the
head, which brought him down.  We then got rope and tied him, and
kept him in that position till the engineer made hand-cuffs for him.


THE DAGUERROTYPE BOAT.

  "Good heaven! that sots and knaves should be so vain,
   To wish their vile remembrance may remain
   And stand recorded at their own request,
   To future days a libel or a jest."

Before the war, "Eph" Holland, my partner Alexander, and myself
were waiting for a boat at the mouth of the Red River.  There was
a little boat lying at the landing, nicely fitted up for a daguerrotype
gallery, and I proposed to the boys that we have our pictures taken
all together, and I would pay for it, as I thought it would make
a pretty group.  They agreed, so we went on board the boat and let
the artist take us all in a bunch.  Holland was in the middle, and
the picture flattered him; so he insisted on having a dozen copies.
I saw that the picture did not do me justice, so I wanted "Eph" to
sit alone, telling him it would cost less.  He said he would pay
the bill, for he could see it was the contrast that showed him off
to so great an advantage.  Well, to please him we let the artist
draw a bead on us eleven times more; for at that time they could
only take one picture at a shot.  Holland paid the entire bill,
which was so large that I asked the daguerrotype man if he would
sell out.  "Oh, no; I am making too much money," says he.  Then I
thought, I will try and get some of it; at least the amount that
poor "Eph" had paid for his vanity.  I told the old story of how
I had lost my money, and began to throw the cards.  I soon had them
guessing; Alexander turned up the corner of the winner, and then
bet me $100 that the artist could turn it.  I took him up, and lost
the money.  The artist got excited and wanted to bet his money.
The result was, I won all he had, and told him I would give him a
chance to get even, and would bet all he had lost against his boat
and contents.  He accepted the proposition.  Holland made out a
bill of sale, the artist signed it, and in a short time he had lost
his home and business.  Then I said to him:  "You have played in
bad luck, so I will pay you a salary to manage the business for
me."  He accepted the employment.  We bid him good bye, and took
a boat for New Orleans.  Two weeks later I saw my picture boat at
Bayou Sara.  I went on board, and my employee was glad to see me
(or at least he said he was).  I asked him about the business, and
he told me he was losing money; so I told him I would like to sell
out.  He wanted to know my price; I told him $150.  He offered me
$40 cash, and his note for the balance; so I thought, as he had
been losing money for two weeks, I had better sell.  I have his
note yet, and the first time I see Holland I am going to try and
sell it to him.  There was no money in the business for me, as it
was outside of my line; and I have come to the conclusion that a
man should stick to his legitimate business.  "Eph" Holland was
sorry afterward that he ever had his picture taken in a group, for
the next time he went to New Orleans he was arrested on the street
and taken to the Chief's office, and there he saw his "group"
picture in the rogues' gallery.  He tried to explain how it was
that his picture came to be grouped with two unknown horse-thieves,
but the Chief couldn't see it.  Then Eph sent for his friends, who
went on his bond, and he was let off until the next morning.  As
he and his friends were leaving the Chief's office he caught sight
of me, and then he "dropped," and said to me, "George, _you_ gave
that picture to the Chief."  I said, "What picture?"  Then Eph
said, "Boys, come on; it's all on me."  The Chief joined us; and
when Eph had settled the bill, he said to me, "George, the next
time I have my picture taken I will go it alone."  I said to him,
"Eph, all is vanity and vexation of spirit."


PITTSBURG'S BEST MAN.

Before the war there were a great many coal boatmen traveling on
the river.  I was coming up at that time with Captain Forsyth, on
the steamer _Cambria_.  Some of the coal boat crew traveled in the
cabin, and others on deck.  I got into a game with one of their
bullies.  They said he was the best man in Pittsburg.  In the play
I bested him out of a few hundred dollars, and he did not like it
a bit.  He went down on deck and told his party there was a BOY up
stairs who had won all his money.  "If he comes on deck I will let
you know, and we will throw him down and take the money away from
him."  The news came to me, and I prepared for the boys by putting
my money and jewelry in the office, took my pistol and went down
on deck.  The bully was there; he pointed me out to the gang.  They
commenced to gather around me.  I backed up against a hogshead of
sugar, telling them not to come any nearer to me or I would hurt
some of them.  They took the hint, but began to abuse me.  The mate
and some of the boat's crew came back into the deck-room, and then
I commenced to open out on them.  "Now," said I to the bully,
"perhaps you can whip me, but I can tell you in a few words you
never saw a boy more willing to fight than myself; and if you will
give me a boy's show, we will see who is the best of the two."  He
said, "I can whip you in a minute;" and so saying, he took off his
coat.  I threw mine off in quick time, ready for a fight.  It was
a good one.  He hit me as hard as ever Sullivan hit a man; but I
kept dodging my head, so he would hit that, and he soon had his
right hand as big as any man's head.  I at last commenced to give
it to him about the head pretty lively.  And talk about a head!
His looked like the hind-quarter of a beef.  Finally one of the
crew called out enough for him, for he was not able to do so.  They
carried the big bully up stairs and laid him in his bed.  To tell
the truth, he was the toughest man I ever had anything to do with;
for he was a powerful man, weighed two hundred pounds, and could
hit like a jack a-kicking.  The Pittsburgers did hate to see their
man get whipped, as he was their leader.  The news went to Pittsburg,
and they could hardly believe that he could get the worst of a
rough-and-tumble fight.

At one time I was crossing the levee at New Orleans about 6 o'clock
in the evening, when a big fellow jumped from behind a cotton bale
and struck me on the head with an iron dray-pin, which he held in
both hands.  The blow staggered me, and I fell on my knees.  I
caught hold of the dray-pin until I recovered myself, when I got
hold of him and took the pin out of his hand.  I downed him; and
was just getting ready to go to work, when the police rushed in
and pulled me off.  I would have given $100 if they had let me
alone just half a minute.  They took us both to the lock-up.  I
put up money for both of us to appear, as I wanted to get at him
again; but he called on the police to accompany him to his place
of business.  He was a boss drayman, and a particular friend of a
stevedore I had whipped a year previously, and he had it in for me.


DIDN'T WIN THE BAGS.

There was a man in New Orleans before the war that supplied the
steamboat men with silver to pay their deck-hands.  He could buy
it at a discount, as it was a drug on the money market at that
time.  I have often seen him with his two heavy leather bags, on
his way from the bank to the boats.  One day my partner (Charlie
Bush) and I were in a saloon on Camp Street, when in walked the
"silver man," carrying his heavy leather bags.  I gave Bush the
wink, and began throwing the cards on the counter.  The man got
stuck looking at the game; and when Bush bet me $100 and won it,
he got more interested and bet me the drinks, which I lost; then
he bet me the cigars, and I lost again.  I then said to him:  "You
can't guess the winner for $500."  He said, "I will bet you $100
I can."  I told him I would not bet less than $500; then Bush said,
"I will bet you," and we put up the money, and Bush won it.  Old
"silver" got excited when he saw Bush pocket the $500, and I said
to him, "I will bet you $1,000 against the silver in the two bags."
He knew there was not near $1,000 in the bags, so he jumped them
up on the counter, and said, "It's a go;" and then he stood close
and watched me throw them, until I said "Ready;" then he made a
grab, and turned over the wrong card.  If he had been struck by
lightning, he could not have acted more dazed.  He dropped into a
chair and lost all control of himself, and I felt a little sorry
for him; but "business is business."  So I picked up the bags and
started to go, when the fellow came to his senses and said:  "Hold
on; you did not win the bags."  I saw he had me on the bags; and
as I knew he had them made for the business, I said to him:  "If
you get me something to put the money in, you can have the bags."
He jumped up and ran out; and when he returned with a meal-sack,
he found the barkeeper and his two bags, but not Bush and me.  We
had bought some towels of the barkeeper, dumped the silver into
them and lit out, for fear that the little old silver man would
bring back a "cop" to hold us, in place of something to hold the
silver.  The little fellow was game, and did not say anything about
his loss.  The next time I met him he requested me to say nothing
about the play; and every time we met we would take a drink, and
laugh over the joke.  The last time I met my silver friend he was
crippled up with the rheumatism so he could hardly walk, and he
was "dead broke."  I gave him $10 (for past favors), and I have
not seen him since; and I expect he is now in his grave, for it
has been many years ago since I won the silver, but not the bags.


THE BLACK DECK-HAND.

Charlie Clark and I left New Orleans one night on the steamer _Duke
of Orleans_.  There were ten or twelve rough looking fellows on
board, who did their drinking out of private bottles.  Charlie
opened up shop in the cabin, and soon had a great crowd around him.
I saw that the devils had been drinking too much, so I gave Charlie
the wink, and he soon closed up, claiming to be broke.  Then we
arranged that I should do the playing, and he would be on the
lookout.  I soon got about all the money and some watches out of
the roughs, besides I beat seven or eight of the other passengers.
They all appeared to take it good-naturedly at the time; but it
was not long before their loss, and the bad whisky, began to work
on them.  I saw there was going to be trouble, so I made a sneak
for my room, changed my clothes, and then slipped down the back
stairs into the kitchen.  I sent word for Clark to come down.  I
then blackened my face and hands, and made myself look like a deck-
hand.  I had hardly finished my disguise, when a terrible rumpus
up stairs warned me that the ball was open.  The whisky was beginning
to do its work.  They searched everywhere; kicked in the state-room
doors, turned everything upside down, and raised h--l generally.
If they could have caught me then, it would have been good bye
George.  They came down on deck, walked past, and inquired of a
roustabout who stood by me if he had seen a well-dressed man on
deck.  He told them "he had not seen any gemman down on deck afore
they came down."  They had their guns out, and were swearing
vengeance.  The boat was plowing her way along up the river; the
stevedores were hurrying the darkies to get up some freight, as a
landing was soon to be made.  The whistle blew, and the boat was
headed for shore.  Those devils knew I would attempt to leave the
boat, so as soon as the plank was put out they ran over on the
bank, and closely scanned the face of every one who got off.  There
was a lot of plows to be discharged, so I watched my chance,
shouldered a plow, followed by a long line of coons, and I fairly
flew past the mob.  I kept on up the high bank and threw my plow
on to the pile, and then I made for the cotton fields.  I lay down
on my back until the boat was out of sight, and then I came out,
washed myself white, and took a boat for Vicksburg, where I met
Clark the next day, and we divided the boodle that he had brought
with him.  He told me that after I had left the boat they got lights
and went down into the hold, looking for me, as they were sure I
was still on the boat.  It was a pretty close call, but they were
looking for a well-dressed man, and not a black deck-hand.


HARD BOILED EGGS.

I was going from Baton Rouge to New Orleans on the steamer _Grand
Duke_, one New Year's eve, and had spent a great deal of money at
the bar for wine.  The barkeeper was an Italian with a great name,
which was Napoleon.  I said to him, "Nap, I hear you have sixty
dozen eggs on board; suppose you treat me to an eggnog."  "Oh, no;
me no treat; if you pay, me make some."  "If you don't treat me to
an eggnog, I will quit buying wine," I said, and walked out.  I
went to Daniel Findlay, the steward, and told him how stingy old
"Nap" was to me.  Dan said, "Never mind, George; I'll fix him and
his eggs."  He told the cook to fire up, and then get those sixty
dozen eggs and boil them hard as h--l.  After they were all hard-
boiled, they put them into cold water, and then put them back into
the box.  I went back to the bar, and waited until Dan sent me word
that all was ready; then I said to old Nappy, "I was only in fun;
I wanted to see if you could make a good eggnog."  "I make good
eggnoggy as anybody," said Nap.  "Well, I tell you what I will do;
if you will make enough to treat all the passengers, I will give
you $10," I said.  "All right," says he, and started to the storeroom
to get his sugar, milk, eggs, etc.  He soon returned, loaded down
with stock.  He got out his large bowl, and then cracked one of
the eggs.  It didn't crack to suit him; he looked at it, and then
said to me, "Lookey dat! a chick in the first egg!"  He threw that
one out of the window, and then cracked another, which was just
like the first; then he said, "Me boughty the egg for fresh; no
good; all rot."  Then he broke another, and another, and finally
he broke one open and found it hard boiled; then he said, "Who
biley the egg?  Me give five dollie to know who biley the egg!"
His Italian blood was up to fever heat, and it was some time before
we could get a drink of any kind.  He sold the eggs in market when
we got to New Orleans.  We did not have our eggnog that New Year's
eve, but we had the best laugh at the expense of old Napoleon that
I ever had in my life.


"SNAP GAMES."

I was coming down from the Memphis races on the _R. W. Hill_.
There were about twenty-five gamblers on the boat, and they were
all crazy for a game of faro.  I told them I had a set of tools on
board that I would loan them if they wanted to open.  They accepted
the offer, and took turns in opening "snaps."  Some opened as high
as $1,000 at a time.  I was playing poker, and did not pay much
attention to their game.  After supper I told them that I would
open a $1,000 "snap," and they could tap it when they pleased.
When I sat down to deal, I had a matched set of boxes; you could
not tell one from the other.  One box was fixed for all the cases
to lose, and this I kept secreted.  They knocked me out of $400 on
one deal; on the next deal I shuffled up the same cards and put
them in the box, so they could see that everything was on the
square.  As I did so, my partner tipped over a big lot of silver
on the layout, which he had stacked up on purpose to draw their
attention, and I came the change on the boxes and threw my handkerchief
over the box I held in my lap.  Everything went on all right.  The
first case that showed on the case-keeper they all jumped on to
play it open, as they wanted to break the snap, as then I would
open another; but the case lost, and I was a good big winner over
the last deal.  When it came to another case, they played it to
win, and it lost; but they did not think anything was wrong, so
they kept firing away till they were all pretty well crippled in
money matters.  They played the deal out, and nearly all were broke.
At the end of the deal I said, "Boys, I will have to quit you, as
it is too much of a seesaw game;" and then they commenced to smell
a rat, and you would have given $100 to have heard them cursing
for not watching me shuffle that deal.  The game closed with nearly
all the money won; some of them I had to loan money, to pay their
expenses.


THE JUERGUNSEN WATCH.

I won a Juergunsen watch one time from a Jew.  I put $1,000 against
it.  After I got the watch the Jew came to me and said:  "Look
here, I want to tell you something.  I bought that watch for $5.
It is not worth that much, so help me gracious; but I bought it
for a brother on a farm, and he don't know the difference.  I'll
tell you what I do; I will give you $10 for it, for I don't want
to fool him, as I am going out there now."  I told him it was good
enough to give to a boy, and I would keep it for a black boy I had.
"I tell you what I do; rather than let a nigger boy get it, I'll
give you $15."  I said "No."  He kept raising till he got to $400.
As I knew I could get no more, I let him have it.  After he got
the watch he commenced to laugh and said he cheated me, for the
watch cost him $600.  I knew what they cost, for I had priced the
same watches, and they were worth $600 at that time.  It was one
of the finest make, split seconds, and had an alarm.  The cases
were very heavy, with a diamond in the stem that would weigh a
karat.  The Jew thought he had beat me, but he seemed to forget
that I had beat him first.


IT MADE A MAN OF HIM.

  "Yet fondly we ourselves deceive,
   And empty hopes pursue;
   Though false to others, we believe
   She will to us prove true."

On my way up the river on board the old steamer _Natchez_ (the boat
that was burned up during the war), I won some money and a check
for $4,000 on the Louisiana State Bank of New Orleans.  The check
was signed by one of the largest planters on the coast, and I knew
it was good if presented before payment was stopped; so I took
passage on the _Mary Kean_ (one of the fastest boats on the river),
bound for New Orleans.  We landed in the city about 4 o'clock Monday
morning.  I got a cab to take me down to the French market to get
a cup of coffee before going to my room.  As I was passing the St.
Louis Hotel on my way from the market, I saw a man that I recognized
as hailing from Cincinnati (I will not give his name).  He appeared
to be glad to see me; but I could see he was not at his ease, so
after a little while I thought I would sound him, so I said, "What
was that trouble you got into in Cincinnati?"  He looked at me in
surprise, and said:  "How did you hear about it?" (there was no
telegraph line from Cincinnati to New Orleans in those days).  I
told him it was all right, and he could trust me.  I invited him
to take breakfast with me; he accepted the invitation, and told me
he would tell me about himself when we were in a more private place.
After breakfast, we walked over to the bank, and I drew the $4,000
on the planter's check; then we went to my room, and he told me
his story.  He was a bookkeeper for a large pork house; became
infatuated with a gay married woman, made false entries, and finally
ran away with the enticing married woman.  I advised him to put on
a disguise, for I knew the police would soon be looking for him.
He invited me to go with him and see his lady love, for said he,
"She is one of the truest and best women in the world."  I went
with him, and met a very fine looking lady.  I did not blame him
very much for being infatuated; but I wondered how much money he
did get away with, and how am I going to get my share; for I always
felt that it was my duty (as an honest man) to win stolen money.
I soon found out he had about $8,000 of other people's money, and
I wanted it.  I first taught him to play poker, so he could be in
with me the first time we caught a sucker.  I got Clark to play
the part, and he beat us out of $6,000, most of which was "pork
money."  "The best and truest woman in the world" ran off with
another fellow, which little thing nearly broke my young friend's
heart; but in a short time he went to Galveston, Texas, got into
a large cotton house, and the last time I saw him he said, "George,
we live and learn.  That little game made a man of me."


THE COTTON MAN.

My partner and I were waiting at the mouth of Red River for a boat
to take us to New Orleans.  There was a man who had twelve bales
of cotton on the wharf, and he was also waiting for a boat.  I told
my partner to get acquainted with him, and to keep away from me.
The result was that they were good friends when a boat arrived.
We all took passage, the cotton was loaded, and we were on our way.
I opened up the three-card racket; my partner won $100, and then
the cotton man was crazy, for he did not have any money to bet.
My partner told him he would loan him some on his cotton.  They
went to the clerk, who made out a bill of sale for the twelve bales.
He got the money, and then he was happy, for he was sure of doubling
it with me.  He was happy but for a short time.  I had all his
money, and my partner had all of his cotton, so he (being a good
friend) let him have some money to pay his expenses.  He did not
remain long, so the cost was not very heavy.  The cotton was worth
about 12½ cents per pound at that time, but during the war it was
many times that price.  I was never very much stuck on cotton, as
it was too bulky to get away with in case you had to leave a boat
in a hurry.


TAUGHT A LESSON.

I was playing poker with a man, who, after I had broke him, went
to a gentleman friend of his and promised him twenty-five dollars
for the loan of $500 until he got home.  As he was worth a great
deal of money, his friend loaned him the $500.  After he got a new
stake, he came to me and wanted to renew the play.  I had played
a square game, and, believing him to be a gentleman, I sat down to
play the same way; but I soon saw he thought himself a better player
than myself, so I lit into the new stake, and it was not long until
I had him broke again.  Then he went to the Captain and set up a
great kick.  The Captain said to him, "If you had won the money,
would you have given it back?"  He said, "Captain, I give you my
word of honor that I would."  "Then," says the Captain, "why did
you pay twenty-five dollars for the loan of the money?"  "Oh," says
he, "I only wanted to teach him a lesson."  "Well," says the Captain,
"if you pay twenty-five dollars every time you want to teach such
men as he is a lesson, you will soon get broke.  I can't do anything
for you, my fine fellow."

The passengers laughed at him, and some called him "a good teacher"
(and that broke him all up).  He soon sneaked off to his room, and
that was the last I saw of my teacher.


SINKING OF THE BELLE ZANE.

I was a passenger on the steamer _Belle Zane_ during the winter
season, and navigation was expected to be closed soon, as the river
was full of floating ice.  We had a large number of passengers on
board, and were getting along very well until we left the Ohio.
We had left Cairo, and were steaming down the Mississippi, when
the boat struck a snag, and in a very short time had sunk down to
the cabin.  It was about four o'clock in the morning, but I was up
(as usual).  We had the passengers out of their rooms in quick
time, and got them up on the roof in their night clothes, as there
was no time for them to dress.  In a few moments the cabin separated
from the deck, floated off, and then sank down until we were standing
in the ice and water nearly knee deep.  It was a terrible sight;
such a one as I hope and pray I may never see again.  Men, women,
and children standing amid the floating ice nearly frozen to death,
and expecting every moment to sink into a watery grave.  Some were
screaming for help, others were praying, while others stood as if
they were lost.  I caught up one poor woman, who was nearly frozen
to death, and held her in my arms above the water.  Others did the
same, while the crew and some of the passengers tore the boards
off the pilot-house, and tried to paddle the wreck to shore.  We
floated down until we struck a point.  The men that were doing the
paddling jumped off onto the shore, and then held on to the wreck
until they swung it around into an eddy.  We got all the passengers
off, but it was about a mile to the nearest house.  We were all
nearly freezing, and there was not one of us that did not have our
feet frozen.  We had no fire, nor any way to make one.  Some of us
who were lucky enough to have coats took them off, and wrapped up
the women and children.  We then took them to a house that was
about a mile distant, and the good people did all in their power
to make us comfortable.  The news reached Cairo, and they sent a
boat, with blankets, provisions, and medical aid to our relief.
Three or four men jumped overboard, and tried to swim ashore, but
got chilled, and were drowned.  Some of the women were frozen so
badly that they did not survive.  I feel the effect in my feet to
this day, and the accident happened over thirty years ago.


JEW VS. JEW.

  "When Greek meets Greek, then comes the tug of war."
   When Jew meets Jew, they want each other's gore.

We were going down the river from Baton Rouge at one time, and I
had an old fellow with me they called "Jew Mose."  There was a
young Jew from Vidalia on board, and Mose got him into a game of
euchre.  We had not played long until the young Jew said, "I have
got a good poker hand."  Mose spoke up and said, "My hand is worth
ten dollars."  Then the young one put up his money, and as Mose
had nothing, he backed out.  I saw Vidalia had some nerve and money,
so on my deal I ran up two hands, giving the young one four kings
and the old one four aces.  Mose said, "I have a poker hand."
Vidalia said, "My hand is worth twenty-five dollars," and he put
up.  I tipped my hand to him, and raised it $100, at the same time
giving Mose the office not to raise, as I thought it was all the
fellow would stand.  They both called; we showed down, and Mose
had won the money.  He made a reach for it, when Vidalia made a
grab, but Mose was too quick for him.  Then the young one jumped
up and said to Mose, "You are a Jew and I'm a Jew, and you shan't
have my money."  Mose would not give up, so at it they went.  They
hit, bit, scratched, gouged, and pulled hair, until they were
rolling around in each other's gore.  Everybody came running to
see what had broken loose, and it was ducks to see those two fellows
fight.  Neither would give up, and it is no telling how long the
circus tumbling would have kept up, if the officers of the boat
had not separated them.  After the fight the cabin looked as if we
had been fighting a half-dozen Newfoundland dogs from the amount
of blood and black hair that was on the floor.  The young one told
Mose if he ever came to Vidalia he would lick him, so we supposed
from that remark that he did not feel satisfied with the result.
Poor old Mose did not live long enough to visit Vidalia so the
young one could make his word good for he went up to Chicago, and
soon after died.


BEAT A GOOD HAND.

I beat a man at poker out of $1,200 on the steamer _Wild Wagoner_.
After he quit playing he asked me where I would get off.  I told
at the mouth of Red River.  When I left the boat I saw my friend
had concluded to stop at the same place.  It was not long before
an officer called on me to take a walk with him, and we said, "We
will go up and see the Judge."  When we arrived at his Honor's
place of business, I found that my twelve-hundred-dollar friend
was there before me.  The Judge spoke to him before he did to me,
and said, "How did this man swindle you out of your money?"  "We
were playing poker, your Honor."  "Do you call playing poker
swindling?" said the Judge.  "Well, your Honor, he must have swindled
me; for every time I had a good hand he would beat it," said he.
"If that is all the evidence you have, the case is closed, the
defendant is dismissed, and you will be held for the costs," said
his Honor.  I told the Judge I would pay the costs if he would let
the fellow go.  He accepted the proposition, and that night I had
the honor of playing in the same game with the Judge, and I played
a square game for once in my life, for fear I would have another
friend who would want to see me at his Honor's office.


THEY PAID THE COSTS.

I had beat a man out of $600 on the railroad from New Orleans to
Jackson.  I saw that if I got off he would put me to some trouble,
so I kept on until I got to Canton, twenty-five miles above.  He
followed me there, and had me arrested.  The trial was to come off
in an hour, as it was meal time with the Judge.  We were all
assembled in the court-room, and the Judge wanted him to tell how
I got his money.  He said, "I could show you, Judge, if I had some
cards."  I pulled out some of the same cards I beat him with, and
gave them to the Judge, and he wanted to know how they could bet
money on the three cards.  I said, "Judge, I will show you so you
can understand."  I took the cards and mixed them over a few times,
telling the Judge to watch the jack.  He did watch it, and he could
turn it over every time, as one of the corners of the jack was
turned up, and he said it was as fair a game as he ever saw.  I
told him I had two chances to his one; so he dismissed the case.
I came near giving it to the Judge for a few dollars, and then give
them back; but I thought best not to do so.

When the fellow went out of the court-room, the Canton boys laughed
at him and called him a fool.  After he left, the Judge and I went
over to a saloon and had some cigars.  He said he dearly loved to
play poker; but I did not want any of his game, as I thought I
might need him again some time; and it proved I was right, for it
was not long after that I was coming down on the train from Vicksburg,
and beat five or six of the passengers out of a few hundred dollars.
When we got to Canton we were behind time and missed connection,
and had to lay over until night.  They had me arrested for the same
trick, and taken before the same Judge; and you ought to have heard
him after he found out how they had lost their money, for he just
gave them a good old-fashioned turning over.  He called them a lot
of babies, and put the costs of the court on them.  I got the Judge
a box of fine cigars, and went down on the same train; but I was
in the sleeper, and they did not see me until I got to New Orleans.
I played poker in the sleeper all the way to the city, and did not
lose very much as the game was small, and we played on the square.
I met some of them at the opera the same night, and they had their
opera glasses pointed at me for some time.  I guess they wondered
how I got there so soon.


MY FIRST LOVE.

  "Love gives esteem, and then he gives desert;
   He either finds equality, or makes it.
   Like death, he knows no difference in degrees,
   But frames and levels all."

There was a dance in the cabin of the steamer _Magnolia_ one night,
which was a fine affair, as there were a great many wealthy people
on board.  I had not done any playing on the boat, so I put on my
good harness, and went back into the ladies' cabin to join in the
dance.  I was introduced to a number of fine ladies, among whom
was a beautiful young widow.  She joined me in a waltz, another
dance, and a promenade on the guards.  I thought her the most
agreeable and sweetest woman I had ever met in my life.  I was in
her society most of the time, until the dancing ceased, and then
I bade her "good night, good night; parting is such sweet sorrow,
that I shall say good night till it be morrow."

I met the fascinating widow the next day, and before I bade her
good-by I had received a pressing invitation to visit her at her
plantation; and, "boys," you can bet your life it was not long before
I availed myself of the opportunity.  During my visit I received
every attention.  The negroes could not have done more for their
master.  There was a nice lake on the plantation.  The servants
would drive the lady and I over to it, and we would enjoy ourselves
at fishing for a few hours.  On our return she would play and sing
for me, and as I sat and looked at her I thought, What would I give
if I was a square man, and how happy I could be with such a woman
as my wife.  I did not tell her my business, for fear she would
think less of me.  I could not endure the deception, so after three
days of happiness I tore myself away, feeling as if I was "unfixed
for life."  In a short time she visited relatives in New Orleans,
and sent me an invitation to call; but as I was acquainted with
her friends, the same old dread came upon me, so I declined, with
the excuse that I was compelled to leave the city the same evening
on the steamer _Judge McLean_.  We met again on board a steamer.
She had been told my business, but she treated me more kindly than
ever before.  She begged me to quit gambling, and settle down.  I
partly agreed to do as she wished.  We spent a very pleasant time
together (for I would not attend to business while she was on the
same boat).

Before she left the steamer she took off a large single-stone
diamond ring, and said to me, "Wear this until we meet again."  I
tried to refuse it, but she insisted; so I at last accepted the
token.  I bade her good-by at the stage-plank, and went up on deck.
She remained on the levee waving her handkerchief (and I returned
the compliment) until we were out of sight.  I talked to the clerk
until I felt that I was myself again, and then I started out to
find a sucker; for I had enjoyed the pleasure before business.

It was about three months before I saw my lady love again.  I was
glad to see her, and she appeared to be pleased at meeting me.
Before we parted I put the ring back on her finger, but she said
she did not want it; and I believe she meant what she said.  I
received another invitation to visit her at her plantation, which
I have neglected to this day, and that has been over thirty years
ago.  I have often thought what a different man I might have been
if I had accepted that last invitation.  There is one thing that
I am sure of, and that is, if I had married my "first love," I
would not now be writing "Forty Years a Gambler on the Mississippi."


THE BOYS FROM TEXAS.

I got on the steamer _B. L. Hodge_ at Baton Rouge, bound for New
Orleans.  It was on a New Year's eve; everybody was feeling jolly,
and I felt somewhat that way myself.  There were five tables of
poker going at one time, so I opened up the good old game of monte
for the benefit of a lot of Texas boys that didn't play poker.
They all got around the table and watched me throw.  In a short
time my capper came up and wanted me to show him how to play the
game.  I showed him, and he wanted to bet a dollar.  I told him if
that was all the money he had, he had better keep it.  He got as
mad as a wet hen, and told me he had just as much money as I had.
He pulled out a big roll and slashed down $1,000, saying, "I will
bet you I can turn the winner."  I said, "You can't bluff me," and
I put up.  He turned one of the cards and lost.  While I was putting
the money away, he picked up the cards and turned up a corner on
the winner, letting the boys see what he had done; then he said to
me, "Mix them up again," which I did, and he put down a roll,
claiming it to be $500.  He turned and won.  Then the boys began
to nudge each other and get nervous.  The capper then said, "I will
let it all lay, and bet you again."  He turned and caught me for
$1,000; and then you should have seen the boys from Texas.  There
never was such a cutting of cloths.  One fellow pulled off his new
coat and cut the lining nearly all to pieces; another took off his
coat, vest, and shirt, for his money was sewed up in his undershirt;
others had their money down their boot legs tied to a string, so
that they could pull it up when they wanted it.  They all wanted
it just then, and they were in the biggest hurry of any suckers I
ever saw.  They all put up their pile, except two or three who had
more than the rest.  I told them to pick out one boy to turn the
card, so they selected Jim, who was their leader.  Jim made a grab
for a sure thing; but when he turned it over, all the boys were
_sure_ they had lost their money.  They took it good-naturedly,
and said it was fair.  One said I was the greatest man in the world,
and if he could do it as slick as I did he could get all the money
out in their country.  I promised that I would come out and see
them, and that they would all be in with me.  I did not say just
when I would keep my promise; and as I do not like too many partners,
I have put it off over thirty years, in hopes that some of the boys
would give it up and move out of the country, so if a slick man
did get all of their money he would not have to divide up so often.


MARKED CARDS.

While waiting for a boat at Donelsville to take me to New Orleans,
I fell in with a fellow who proposed a game of cards to pass the
time until the boat arrived.  We went into a saloon and sat down
to play a game of poker.  He brought out an old deck of marked
cards (which I recognized the minute I saw them).  We began to
play.  I knew the fellow took me for a sucker, so I let him play
me with "his cards" until I got a chance to down him, which I did
for all he had, amounting to about $80.  About this time some one
announced that a boat was coming, so I proposed to quit, but Mr.
"Gambler" did not want any quit in his, so long as he was loser
and he had a sucker.  I knew he had but little (if any) money left,
so I quit and started for the landing.  The boat had arrived, and
was just about ready to leave, when an officer stepped up to me
and said, "I have a warrant for your arrest."  "The h--l you have!
What have I done?"  "You have swindled a gentleman out of his money,
sir," says he.  "All right, sir; I will go with you."  He took me
before a magistrate and there was the fellow who had played the
marked cards on me.  The Justice wanted to know how I had swindled
him.  He said:  "He put up the cards on me in a game of poker, and
he is a gambler."  You ought to have heard that old fellow give it
to me.  He said:  "How dare you, sir, come in this place and rob
our respectable citizens out of their money?  I will teach you a
lesson that you will not soon forget."  He was going on in this
strain, when I stopped him by saying, "Hold on, your Honor; I would
like to say a word."  "Go on, sir."  "Well," says I, "this man
invited me to play a game of poker with him, and when we sat down
to play he brought out this old deck of marked cards on me, and I
happened to know them as well, if not better than he did.  He took
me for a sucker, and I beat him at his own game.  He calls me a
gambler, but he is much worse; for he attempted to rob me with
those marked cards."  "Show me the marks on those cards," said the
Justice; so I walked up and began reading the cards by their backs
to him.  He watched me as I read the cards, until I called a ten
spot and turned it over; then he grabbed it up and examined the
back, and said:  "Hold on; that will do; this is the same deck
those d----d rascals have been playing on me; for the other night
this ten of hearts fell in the spit, and here is the mark on it
now.  They have been swindling me for the last six months."  Then
turning to me, he said:  "You are dismissed; but I will fine this
rascal $50 and costs, and send him to jail if he does not pay it
immediately."  I thanked the Justice for his just decision, and
took the next boat to New Orleans.


MY CROOKED PARTNER.

My partner, Hugh Foster, and I were on board the _Elonzo Childs_,
bound for New Orleans.  Foster had the reputation of being a wolf,
and I did not have much use for him.  He was acquainted with a man
on board that claimed to have a man who had five thousand dollars,
and he could make him lose against monte, but he wanted half or
there would be no play.  Foster told him to get his man into a
state-room, and they would win the money, and not let Devol know
anything about it.  So Foster came to me and said, "George, we will
not try to do anything until after we leave Cairo, will we?"  "No,"
I said, "I want all the sleep I can get."  Foster said he felt
tired, and would go to bed.  I knew that the sneak had some scheme
on hand, so I went to my room, but I did not go to bed; I went out
the back door and up on the roof, where I could see what was going
on down in the cabin.  I had not been on watch very long until I
saw Foster come out of his room, and in a short time go into another
with two gentlemen.  I slipped down off the roof, went out on the
guards, and called all the men into the barber shop.  I told them
I had a new game that I wanted to show them.  It was a new game to
them, and they were very much interested in it, as I let them win
several small bets.  After I got it well worked up, I said:  "Now,
gentlemen, I will not take any more small bets, but will bet $1,000
that no one can turn the jack the first time."  Just then the
barkeeper came in, and I said:  "I will bet you $500 that you can't
turn the jack."  He counted out the money and put it up.  I mixed
them, and he turned up the winner.  He then walked out, and I knew
if there was any big money I would get it.  I began to mix them
again, when up stepped a big fellow and asked me what was the least
I would bet.  I sized him up, and then I said $1,000.  He pulled
out and put up.  I counted out the same amount and put it up on my
side of the table, so if there would be any snatching I could get
there in time.  I then saw he had some left, so I said I would back
out and treat.  This made him very anxious, and he said, "No, I
will not let you back out."  Then I said, "If you will not let me
out, I will bet you $2,000, as I might as well be hung for an old
sheep as a lamb."  He put up the $2,000 and turned the card; but
as I had two chances to his one, he made the same mistake that
thousands had made before, and turned up the wrong one.  He walked
off without a word, and sat down on the guards.  I kept an eye on
him; but he was game, and took his medicine just as I had taken it
many a time at the bank.  I kept on playing until I had taken in
all the pan-fish and a large white diamond stud that was worth
about $1,000.  Then I closed up shop and invited all to join me in
a drink.  They all accepted except my $2,000 friend.  He was too
busy thinking how it was that he had turned up the wrong card, when
he could see so plainly that the right card had one corner bent.
While we were drinking, in came Foster, and he looked as if he had
just been pulled out of the river; for it was a very hot day, and
the fellow had been in a close state-room for an hour, and had not
won a cent.  I said, "You look warm; come and join us in a drink."
He took a drink, saying:  "It was so hot I could not sleep."  I
took the diamond stud out of my pocket and showed it to the barkeeper.
Foster saw it, and said:  "George, I did not know that you had that
stone."  "What will you give for it?" said I.  He looked at it,
then offered me $500.  I told him he could have it, so he paid me
the money and put the stud in his shirt.  In a few moments after
he got the stone, a gentleman said to him:  "That is a very fine
stone; I am acquainted with the gentleman who lost it; he is a
large jeweler in St. Louis."  "You must be mistaken," said Foster.
"Oh, no, I am not; for I saw him lose it in the barber shop about
half an hour ago."  Foster came to me and said:  "George, you did
not make a play, did you?"  "Oh, yes; did you not make one yourself?"
That made him look sick; but when a friend of mine came up and
said, "Devol, you must have won $4,000 in that play," then he looked
sicker.  I said, "Yes, I guess I got about $4,000 out of it, and
I will treat."  While we were drinking, the barkeeper handed me
the $500 he had won.  I gave him $200 for his cap; and then Foster
began to give me taffy.  I told him I did not want anything more
to do with him; that I had heard he was a sneak, etc.  He got off
at Cairo, and I was glad to get rid of him.  I had a good wheel
game down to Memphis, where I got off and lost $2,500 against faro.
I took a boat for New Orleans, and made more than I lost in Memphis
before I reached the city.


JUDGE DEVOL.

I was on board the _City of Louisiana_, bound for New Orleans.
There was a large number of passengers, and a heavy load of freight.
The roof was literally covered with coops full of chickens and
turkeys.  I had old monte running in full blast, but the chicken
men could not bet, as they were going to market instead of coming
away.  They were so very much interested in the game that they
forgot to watch their coops.  After a while one of them went up,
and found that some one had stolen some of the chickens.  The pilot
told him he saw the man taking them, so he went down and told the
Captain, and he sent for the pilot to pick out the thief.  They
found him and brought him into the cabin, when some one proposed
to try him by judge and jury; so they elected me judge, and I
impaneled a jury.  We heard the evidence, and the attorneys made
their arguments.  Then I charged the jury, and they retired to the
bar-room (as we did not have any regular jury room).  They were
out about as long as it would take a first-class barkeeper to make
up twelve drinks, and then they filed back into the court-room,
each one putting his handkerchief away, as if they had all been
crying over the awful verdict they were about to render.  I asked
the foreman if they had agreed upon a verdict, and he said, "We
have, your Honor."  Just at this time there was some commotion in
the court-room (occasioned, no doubt, at the sight of the twelve
handkerchiefs).  I told the sheriff to rap for order, but it was
some little time before it could be restored.  I then told the jury
to stand up and hear their verdict.  The foreman read the verdict,
which was:  "We, the jury, find the defendant guilty."  I then told
the defendant to stand up and hear his sentence.  "You are to return
the chickens to their owner, pay a fine of six bottles of wine and
the costs of this suit, and be imprisoned in the bar-room until
the fine and costs are paid."

As there were no other cases on the docket, I ordered the sheriff
to adjourn court (to the bar).  The sheriff went up with the man
who had lost the chickens, and they picked out three dozen.  When
they came down and reported to me that they had returned three
dozen chickens, the criminal yelled out that he had only taken one
dozen.  The poor fellow did not have the money to pay for the wine,
so he had to give a bill of sale for his chickens.

After all of my judicial duties were performed, and while the bar
(of justice) was full of people, and the people were full (of what
they got at the bar), I opened up the dear little three-card racket,
and in a short time I owned every chicken and turkey on the roof
of that boat.

What to do with my live stock I did not know.  I had a bill of sale
from the chicken men, but what I wanted just then was a chicken
buyer.  I at last had an offer from the second clerk which was much
less than the market value; but as I never had much use for anything
I could not put in my pocket, I accepted his offer and sold out.
The chicken men had no business in New Orleans, as they had sold
in transit, and not one of them had any money; so I called them up
to the office, and gave each one money enough to take him back to
Cairo.


MY PARTNER ALEXANDER.

I went on board the steamer _Imperial_ at Memphis, bound for New
Orleans.  It was ten o'clock at night, and I did not think of doing
any business until the next day.  While standing talking to the
barkeeper, a man walked in and proposed to shake him for the drinks.
They shook, and the stranger lost.  He then proposed to shake for
five dollars, and asked me if I would come in and make it three-
handed.  I said I would for a time or two.  We shook, and he was
a little loser, when he wanted to make it ten dollars.  I consented,
but the barkeeper dropped out.  We sat down, and soon were shaking
for $100 a game.  We were drinking during the time, and it was not
very long until I had won $1,300.  The fellow was pretty full, so
I thought I would complete the "filling," and then he would go to
bed.  As I expected, it was not long before he turned in, and I
was at liberty to look around.  I went into the cabin, and found
three games of poker in full blast.  I was looking at one of the
games, when I noticed a man looking at me.  He gave me a sign, and
I walked out to the guards.  He followed me and said, "You do not
remember me; my name is Alexander; I met you in St. Louis over a
year ago.  I heard that you and Clark had split up, and I am now
on my way to New Orleans to meet you, for I want to go to work."
I told him that I was alone, and that we would begin our work on
the morrow.  We were in the barber shop the next day, when a man
came to me and told me that he was a brother of Mike Carroll, and
he wanted to cap for me.  As I knew Carroll well, I told him to go
ahead.  We were playing monte, and I had beat a man out of twenty-
six twenty-dollar gold pieces.  When we came to settle up there
was one gold piece missing, so I said, "Boys, there is one gold
piece short."  Alexander proposed a search, and Carroll said, "I
have not got a cent, and that is why I wanted to cap, in order to
pay my passage."  We commenced the search, and when we took off
Carroll's hat the gold piece dropped out; so I paid his passage
and let him go.

At the expiration of four years, Alexander showed me receipts for
money he had sent to his home in Dover, Ky., amounting to $44,000,
and he was not a stingy man, either, for he was a good liver and
dresser, and I have known him often to spend as much as $200 in a
night for wine, etc.  He has often talked to me about playing the
bank, and wanted me to quit it; and I can now see if I had taken
his advice I might have been worth forty times $44,000.


THE QUADROON GIRL.

I got on the _Belle Key_ one afternoon at Vicksburg; and as I
claimed to be a planter from White River, I soon became acquainted
with some planters that lived on the coast.  There was a game of
poker started, and I was invited to sit in.  We played until supper
was ready.  I had played on the square, and had won a few hundred
dollars.  After supper they got up a dance, and that spoiled the
game.  I was sitting in the hall, when one of the planters came to
me and said, "Don't you dance?"  "No, I don't care to dance where
I am not acquainted."  "You are like me in that respect; I had
rather play poker; but as those gentlemen who were playing in the
game to-day have all got their families on board, they will not
play, so what do you say to us having a game?"  I said I did not
care to play a while, but I would rather be a little more private,
and that we might go up into the texas and play.  We got the checks
at the bar (and the barkeeper did not forget a deck of my cards).
We went up and had just got seated, when up came my partner and
said, "Gentlemen, are you going to sport a little?"  "We are, will
you join us?" said the planter.  "What are you going to play?"
"Poker, of course."  He sat in, and then it was a very nice,
gentlemanly game.  We played on the square for a while (that is,
if the cards had been square).  Finally I could put it off no
longer, so I ran up two hands, giving the planter three eights,
and then downed him for over $400.  We played a little while longer,
and then I ran up two more hands, and guarded them so nothing could
fall in that time.  I gave my partner the best hand, and he took
in about $600.  The planter was then over $1,000 loser, so he
excused himself for a few minutes, and I knew that he had gone
after more money.  He soon returned with $1,500, and that lasted
him about one hour.  He got up and said, "Boys, I must have some
more money."  My partner and I went down with him, as I did not
think he could get any more.  We were at the bar taking a drink,
when he turned to me and said, "I would like to play some more,
but I can't get any more money, unless you will loan me some on my
negro, as I have one on board that I paid $1,500 for, and she is
one of the most likely girls you ever saw."  I winked at my partner
to loan him some money on his wench.  He went back and brought out
one of the prettiest quadroon girls, about seventeen years old,
that I ever saw.  My partner loaned him $1,000, and got the clerk
to draw up a bill of sale; then we resumed the game; but that did
not last him but about half an hour, for I beat him out of nearly
the whole amount on one hand, and that broke up the game.  He had
but seventy-five dollars left.  We went down and took a drink, and
then went to bed.

The next day he got the money and redeemed his girl, then he said
to me, "I have got about $700, so let us go up and play single-
handed."  We went up, and I soon got that money.  He said, "In all
my poker playing, I never played so unlucky in my life."  He went
to my partner and borrowed $1,000 more on the girl, and I took that
in.  He then went to Captain Keys, and tried to borrow the money
to redeem his girl again, but the Captain would not loan it to him.
He found a man that loaned him the money, and he redeemed her again.
He was considerable loser, but he got some more wine in him, then
he wanted more poker, but I told my partner not to have anything
more to do with his negro, for it was making too much talk on the
boat already.  When he got to his landing, he and his negro left
the boat, and I tell you she was a dandy.


THE CAPTAIN SPOILED THE GAME.

I was coming out of New Orleans one night on the _Ohio Belle_, a
Cincinnati boat, and she was full of good looking suckers.  I went
out on the guards and called them all into the cabin, and opened
up monte.  They all gathered around the table, and among them was
the Captain of the boat, who insisted on betting.  I said to him,
"You are the Captain of the boat, and I do not want to bet with
you."  He kept insisting that his money was just as good as anybody's,
and he put up $300.  I gave my capper the office to take him away,
but he would not have it.  I then told him I would not bet less
than $500.  He called to the clerk to bring him $200, and then he
put up $500.  I told him not to bet if the loss would distress him,
when he told me it was his money.  I told him to turn the card,
for I saw it was the only way to get rid of him.  He turned, and
lost; then he got mad, and made me close up.  I had no intention
of keeping his money, so I walked out on the guards, and then up
on the roof, where I found him.  I said, "Here is your money; I
did not want you to bet, and you have knocked me out of many a good
dollar."  He was surprised to get his money back, and he said he
bet in good faith.  I talked to him until he told me I could open
up again, and then I told him to give me the $500, and so soon as
I got opened up, for him to come up and make a play, and I would
let him win it back.

I went down and called all the boys into the cabin again, and had
just begun to throw them, when up stepped the Captain and said, "I
lost once, but I will try it again."  So he put up and won the
money.  Then he walked away.  Then a sucker pulled out his wallet,
and offered to bet me $500.  I saw he had plenty left, so I said,
"I will not bet less than $1,500."  While he was hesitating, my
partner came forward and said he did not have that much money, but
he would bet $1,000 that he could turn the winner.  I took him up
and he lost.  Then the sucker was all excitement, for he saw that
he didn't turn the card with the corner turned up, so he wanted to
bet $1,000.  I would not bet less than $1,500, so he at last put
up.  I gave them one more shuffle, and then he was so nervous that
he turned the wrong card.  It made him so sick that he went out on
the guards and threw up his supper.  The balance of the suckers
did not want to get sick, so I closed up; but if it had not been
for the Captain's first play, I would have done a much better
business on that boat.  Such is luck.


TOO SICK TO FIGHT.

I was playing poker on the steamer _Capitol_ with a negro trader,
and had won some money from him, when he got up and went down on
the boiler deck.  In a little while he came back followed by an
old black woman, and wanted me to loan him $1,500 on her.  She was
too old for me, so I told him I was not keeping a pawn-shop; but
my partner told him he would loan him $1,000 on her, if he would
make out a bill of sale.  The bill was made out and he got the
money.  We began another game, and in about half and hour I had
his $1,000; for we were playing with my cards, and they never went
back on me or told me a lie.  He went off, borrowed some more money
and wanted to renew the game; but as he was getting very drunk, I
declined to play with him any longer.  Then he set up a kick, and
said he had been cheated.  I told him all suckers talked that way
when they lost their money.  That made him hotter than ever, and
he wanted to fight.  I told him I was sickly and could not fight;
so he left me to find my partner, to buy his old woman back again.
I never refused to sell a nigger I had won, if any one would give
me anything near the value; and I never had any use for old nigger
women.


THE GAMBLER DISGUISED.

I started out one night on the _Crystal Palace_.  This boat left
New Orleans about 6 o'clock in the evening.  After supper I opened
monte.  There were some rough customers from Greenville, and I knew
if they lost their money there would be the devil to pay; but I
took the chances, and caught some of them for a few hundred dollars,
and there were some two or three of the passengers who also lost.
After the Greenville killers had lost their money they commenced to
fill up, and I knew there would be war soon.  I closed up, slipped
around and got on another suit of clothes, put on my plug hat and
gold glasses.  Then I gave my valise to the porter and told him to
have it ready to go off at Donaldsonville.  I walked out in the
cabin; they were all standing by the bar holding a consultation
how they could get the money back.  One said:  "The first time the
boat stops he will get off."  "Well, if he does he is a good one,
for I will fill his hide full of lead if he tries that," says
another.  The boat blew her whistle to land, and you ought to have
seen them break for the lower deck, gun in hand.  I walked out
through the cabin with my plug hat, white necktie, and gold glasses.
You would have bet $500 I was a preacher.  You ought to have seen
those fellows make room for me to pass by.  My partner remained on
board, as they were not on to him.  I got a boat soon after and
went to Baton Rouge, where my partner was waiting for me.  He said
they raised the d---l after I got off.


MARRIED HIS MONEY.

I was on board the steamer _H. R. W. Hill_ going up the river and
had got my work in, and what money I had accumulated was at poker.
We landed at Natchez, and most all that were playing in the game
got off.  After supper I was sitting on the guards smoking, when
a man came up and commenced conversation about gambling.  He said:
"I love to gamble, but my wife is bitterly opposed to it.  I did
want to play in that game to-day, but I dare not, as I have my
family on board; so if you play to-night, I want to sit in."  "Well,
I guess that we may make up a game after it gets later," I said.
About two hours after supper he came out and proposed a game.  I
asked the barkeeper to pull out a table and put the checks and a
deck of cards on it, which he did.  I could see that this man was
crazy for a game, so I told him to sit down at the table and to
ask every man that came by the bar to play, and he did so.  Presently
my partner came up to the bar and he got the invitation, so he sat
in.  They counted the checks and got all ready, when I dropped in.
Then we had a nice three-handed game, and as we were all first-
class gentlemen there could not be anything wrong.  I wanted to
play along until the passengers got thinned out a little, as they
were too thick about the table to suit me; and then my friend wanted
his wife to get to bed before he started in.  Everything was going
on beautifully, and I had not given my man a hand to see if he had
any blood in him; but presently he got a hand on the square, and
I knew I could beat him before the draw, so I slashed it at him
pretty lively, but no big bets, and he staid like a man.  When it
came to the draw, he filled his hand, and I did not.  It was my
partner's age and the man's first bet.  He bet $100, and I told
him to take the pot.  I had got in before the draw about $150.
Then I knew he was a darling sucker, and I nursed him like a baby.
We played a hand or two, then I ran him up three aces and took four
nines pat.  I did not want my partner to raise it too much before
the draw, for fear he would drop out.  We had up about $150.  It
was my deal, and I asked him how many cards he wanted.  He took
two.  I said, "I will only take one."  My partner took three, as
he had nothing, but had to stay in to cross lift.  He tipped his
hand to the man, and the gentleman bet $250.  I just called the
bet, so my partner bet $1,000 better; and the gentleman tore his
pockets getting at his money, and he called the bet.  So I said,
"Boys, I expect you have got me beat, but I will have to raise you
back $1,000."  That made my partner throw down his hand.  Then it
was between him and myself.  He said to me, "I know I ought to
raise it, but will just call the bet."  When I showed down four
nines, it made him lie quiet.  We were just getting ready to give
the boy another hand, when his wife came out into the hall, and
made him quit and go to bed.  I was sorry to see such an angel
leave the game; but such is luck.  I found out that he was very
rich, but had married the money.


THE BEST LOOKING SUCKER.

I was on board the steamer _Eclipse_ from Louisville to New Orleans,
and she was crowded with passengers.  I knew all the officers, and
they were glad to see me, as they knew I would make it lively while
I was with them.  I opened a few bottles of wine, and finally I
called them all in off the guards and opened up monte.  I explained
the game to them.  My partner stepped up and looked at it for some
time, and at last he bet me $1,000 and lost it.  He then took up
one of my cards and bent up the corner, then showed it to the best
looking sucker that was standing by.  Then he turned to me as he
threw it down, and said:  "Please mix them up once more."  So I
threw them over again, and then I was ready for a bet.  He pulled
out his money and put it up in the gentleman's hand that he had
picked out for the solid one.  I said, "How much have you got
there?"  He said $1,000.  I put up the money, and at the same time
I said:  "I will make it $5,000 if you wish."  "I have not got the
money, or I would."  He turned the card over and won.  Then he
wanted to bet $2,000; but I told him, "Whenever I get beat I never
want to bet with the same man again."  Then the gentleman spoke up
and said, "I will try you once for $1,000."  I said I would not
bet less than $2,000, so by a little persuasion he laid it up and
lost.  He walked off, and I never saw him again about the table.
I played a short time longer and took in a few hundred dollars,
and then closed up for the evening.


MY CARDS.

The first trip the steamer _Eclipse_ made I was on board.  There
were five games of poker running at one time in the cabin.  I was
invited into one, and I represented myself as a horseman.  I played
on the square, as I wanted to gain their confidence; so when the
game closed for the night, they all thought me a square man.  After
all my new friends had retired to their little beds, I got out six
decks of my marked cards and went to the bar.  I told the barkeeper
what I wanted, but he objected, as he did not own the bar, and was
afraid it would be found out, and then he would be discharged.  I
told him that no one but old gamblers could detect the marks, and
not one in fifty of them, as it was my own private mark.  I had
been a good customer at the new bar, so the new barkeeper finally
consented to take my cards and send them to the table where I would
be playing.  The next morning after breakfast the games were started,
and my new friends wanted me to sit in.  I accepted the invitation,
and when the barkeeper put the checks and cards on the table, I
saw my old friends (I mean the cards).  The game was five-handed,
and it was pretty hard to keep the run of all the hands; but I quit
the game a few hundred dollars winner.  After the game one of the
gentlemen came to me and said:  "I don't like a five-handed game;
suppose we split up and make two games."  That was just what I
wanted, provided I could get in the game that had the most suckers,
so I said to him:  "I do not care to play, if you gentlemen can
make up your game without me; but as we are all going through to
New Orleans, I will play a little to pass the time.  You can arrange
the games to suit yourselves, and can count me in if you are short
a man."  The gentlemen arranged two nice games, with me in one of
them.  I had no partner, so I had to depend entirely on myself and
my old friends, the marks on the back.  We played until the engines
were stopped at the landing in New Orleans, and I was $4,300 ahead.
I might have won a great deal more with the assistance of a good
partner, but then, you know, I would have had to divide with him;
so I was very well pleased with my last day on the new steamer.
I did not forget the new barkeeper, but gave him $50 for using my
cards at one of the tables in place of his own.


FIGHT WITH A LONG-SHOREMAN.

A big fellow tackled me by the name of Barlow.  He was a long-
shoreman, and a tough one, but I did him up in seventeen minutes.
He came into a saloon where I was in company with Bill Leonard and
Bob Johnson.  Leonard is well known, having kept stables in New
Orleans and Cincinnati for many years.  I had given races that day,
and it appears that this man Barlow had lost some money.  Five or
six toughs entered the saloon with Barlow.  He approached Johnson
and said to him, "You throwed that race, you s-- of a b----, and
I am going to lick you for it."  He cut loose and hit Johnson, and
he must have hit him pretty hard, for he knocked him clear into
the street.  As Johnson was getting up, an officer ran up to him,
when Johnson cut loose and knocked him down, thinking it was Barlow.
They arrested Johnson and took him off.  Then Barlow turned to me
and said, "You keep the race track, and you are as big a thief as
that other fellow.  You whipped a good man when you whipped
Fitzgerald, but you can't whip Barlow."  I looked around to see
how many friends he had with him, and I saw there were six or seven,
and only Leonard on my side, who turned the key in the door, jumped
on the counter, pulled his pistol, and said:  "Gentlemen, if these
men fight, they shall have it on the square, and the first one that
interferes I will fill him full of lead."  So at it we went.  He
was a good, scienced man, and had his hands up very quick.  He made
a feint to strike me with his left, and let go with his right.  I
gave him my head for a mark, which he hit clearly, and his fist
looked like a boxing glove two minutes afterward.  I ran under his
guard, caught him under the arms, and downed him.  In the squabble
I got one solid crack at him between the eyes with my head, which
ended the fight.  He just was able to cry "Enough."  I did not see
him for several weeks after that.  The next time I saw him was on
St. Charles Street.  He was drunk, and looking for me with a big
knife up in his sleeve.  I saw him coming, then I grabbed my gun
and stood pat.  I said, "Don't come one step more towards me, or
I will cook your goose."  He came to the conclusion that I meant
business, and walked off.  About that time there was a man done
for every day in the Crescent City, but now New Orleans is a moral
place, and some of the best people in the world live there.


DON'T DYE YOUR WHISKERS.

We were on board the steamer _York Town_ one day, when I thought
there were no suckers aboard.  I had looked around, and had about
come to the conclusion that we would not make our expenses, when
I saw a large, well-dressed fellow who had his whiskers dyed black
as ink.  I got into conversation with him, and we walked around
over the boat, and finally up on the roof.  Bob Whitney was at the
wheel, and his partner, Bill Horricks, was with him in the pilot-
house.  I knew the boys were all right, so I invited my new
acquaintance to go up, as we could see better than on the roof.
He accepted the invitation, and we were soon enjoying the scenery.
I threw some of my cards on the floor, under the seat.  The gentleman
noticed them in a little while, picked them up, and turning to me
he said, "If we had a full deck we could have a game."  I told him
I hardly ever played, but I saw a fellow playing a game with three
cards that beat anything I ever saw, but it took a smart one to
play it.  I began throwing them, when Bob Whitney got so interested
that he came near letting the boat run away with him.  He wanted
to bet me fifty dollars, and he told Bill Horricks to hold the boat
until he could make a bet.  I told him I did not understand the
game well enough to bet on it.  About this time the capper put in
an appearance, and he wanted to know all about the game.  I explained
it, and he made the usual bets.  The pilot wanted to bet very bad,
but I kept refusing.  Finally my friend with the black whiskers
got worked up to $1,000, and lost it.  Then my partner put a mark
on the winner, and beat me out of $1,000.  The sucker saw the mark
on the card, and wanted to bet $100.  He was sure of winning, but
he did not want to win but $100.  So I took his bet, and just as
he was about to turn the card I said, "I will make it $1,000;" but
he only wanted the hundred dollars, and he got it.  After winning
the $100, and seeing the mark still on the card, he thought it was
all his way, so he put up $1,000.  I saw it was about all he had,
so I put up, and he turned the marked card; but it was not the
winner for $1,000 so much as it had been for $100.  He walked out
of the pilot-house and went down on deck.  My partner followed him.

After they were gone, Bob Whitney said he would have turned the
same card.  Then Bill Horricks laughed, and told him he could hold
a steamboat, but he could not beat Devol at his own game.  I went
down to the bar, and there was my black-whiskered friend talking
to my partner.  I invited them to join me, which they did, and then
the gentleman said he would like to speak to me a moment.  We walked
out on the guards, when he said to me, "I know I am a fool, but I
want to ask you one question, and I want you to be candid with me.
Why did you pick me out from among all the passengers for a sucker?"
"Well," I said, "I will be honest with you; don't you dye your
whiskers?"  "Yes," said he.  "Well, that is the reason I picked
you out."  He said, "I thank you, sir," and walked off.

I went into the cabin and opened up again.  I caught a few suckers,
and then closed up monte.  I then got out my wheel, and took in
all the pan-fish.  After closing up for the evening, I walked into
the bar, and there I met a fine looking smooth-faced gentleman,
who asked me to take a drink, at the same time saying:  "Do you
think shaving off my whiskers has improved my looks?"  I told him
there was not as much deception in him as there had been in the
card with the pencil mark on it.  We took another drink and separated,
I with about $2,000 of his money, and he with the experience.


CALLED A GAMBLER.

I was coming from New Orleans on the _Duke of Orleans_ at one time,
and had won a few hundred dollars from some of the passengers, but
had quit playing, and was standing in the hall talking to some
gentlemen that had played in the game, when a big fellow stepped
up and said he believed we were a set of gamblers, and had divided
the money he lost in the game.  I gave him the laugh, and that made
him hot.  He then pulled off his coat and said he could whip any
man in the crowd, and he kept his eye on me all the time.  I told
him I could lick him for fifty or one hundred dollars in a fair
rough-and-tumble fight down on deck.  He said if any one would see
he had a fair show he would fight me.  The mate asked me if I was
going to fight him.  I said, "Yes."  So he told the big fellow he
was an officer on the boat, and that no one would interfere if he
wanted to fight.  So he put up his fifty dollars in the mate's
hand, and I covered it; for those days I would rather fight than
eat, and I could fight for a man's life.  We went on deck, and they
cleared a place for us.  While this was going on I offered to bet
him fifty or a hundred dollars more that I would make him squeal.
He said he had no more money to put up.  We stripped off and got
in the place prepared for us.  He struck at me with one of those
old-fashioned Dutch winders.  I ducked my head, and he hit that.
I knew it hurt him, for he did not use that duke any more.  I got
in under him, let fly with my head, and caught him square in the
face.  It made him grunt, but the next time I got one in on him I
made him look silly, for the blood came out of his ears and nose.
He said, 'That will do."

The mate took him up stairs, and had the barber wash and patch him
up.  I changed my clothes, as they were covered with the fellow's
blood.  I asked all hands to take a drink, and my man came up and
joined us.  I then paid the bar bill, and gave him back the balance
of the fifty dollars I won from him on the fight.  He claimed that
it was his first whipping, but he could not stand the old head; it
was too hard for him.

I have had a great many fights in my day.  There was a fellow
tackled me on the levee in New Orleans at one time when I was all
alone, and he had a lot of his friends with him.  I got him down,
and was getting the best of him, when some of his friends began
kicking me pretty lively.  I guess I would have been licked that
time, if it had not been for some men on a ship, who saw too many
on one; so they came to my assistance, and then I made the fellow
squeal in a short time.  They had it in for me for a long time,
but finally gave it up as a bad job; and I was glad of it, as I
never wanted to kill a man, which I expect I would have done if
they had not let me alone.


THE ALLIGATORS.

I went up on the _Princess_.  My old friend Truman Holmes was the
Captain of her.  I was standing on the hurricane deck when we landed
at the mouth of the Red River to take in some passengers.  I saw
the negroes carrying some long boxes built like chicken-coops.  I
asked Captain Holmes what was in the boxes.  He said, "Alligators;"
so I went down stairs and found the man that owned them.  I took
him up to the bar and had a drink; then I asked him what he was
going to do with the alligators.  He said he had a side-show, and
he was going to play the fairs all over the entire Northern country,
and he wanted them to draw custom.  I told him I thought it an
excellent idea, and said, "I have a ten-legged wolf in a cage that
I will get on board at Vicksburg, and I will sell him cheap."  This
pleased him, and we took another drink.  I insisted on paying for
the drinks, but he would not consent, so we got to be good friends.
After supper we got to playing whisky poker, as I told him I never
gambled much, only once in a while, as planters would play a quarter
antee.  He insisted on changing it into a little draw; and as I
had some very good cards in the bar, I was not hard to coax.  We
commenced at a quarter antee, and after we had been playing about
an hour he insisted on raising it to $1.  He flattered me more than
I ever was flattered before, in telling me I was the luckiest man
to draw he ever saw.  The result was, before we reached Natchez,
I had won all his money and his alligators.  But he took it so much
to heart about losing his pets, that I sold them back to him and
took his note.  It is now older than the daguerrotype man's; and
when I hand in my checks, I will leave the notes with my dear old
mother-in-law for collection.


CONTROL OVER SUCKERS.

I was playing euchre one night on the old _Vicksburg_, and had a
good sucker down in the game, and the clerk was watching us very
close; so after I gave the sucker a good hand, and he wanted to
bet on poker, I whispered and said, "If we make a bet we must put
the money in a hat, and we must not speak about betting louder than
in a whisper."  We had up $900, when I saw the clerk coming; I
grabbed the hat and threw down my hand.  When the clerk got there
the bird had flown.  He told the Captain it was all foolishness in
trying to keep those gamblers from winning a sucker's money, for
they could make a sucker whisper or do anything they wanted him to
do; so that made two good men out of the Captain and the clerk,
for they never interfered with our innocent games after that, and
we made many a dollar on that boat.  She was a nice steamboat to
travel on in those days; but they got to building them so much
finer that a sucker was afraid to go on board one of them, thinking
that they would charge him more money.


NIPPED IN THE BUD.

I went on board the _General Quitman_ late one night, and as I had
been up all the night before, I got a room and went to bed.  I saw
some gamblers playing in the cabin as I went through, but I was
too tired to notice them much.  I had not been in my bed long until
I heard a racket out in the cabin.  I peeped out and soon understood
what was up.  Some one had lost his money, and was doing the grand
kicking act.  I got up and was into my clothes in double quick
time, and out among them, with old "Betsy Jane" in my pocket.  I
soon learned that a contractor on the levee, who had a lot of men
down on deck, had lost his money playing poker with one of the
gamblers, and he was going to have it back or he would bring up
his men and take it by force.  I told the gambler to stand his
ground and not give up a red.  The barkeeper told me the kicker
had sent down for some of his men to come up; so I started for the
stairs and met the contractor in the hall, waiting for them.  I
asked him what was the difficulty; he said "that was his business."
Then I said to him, "You are one of those d----d scoundrels who
try to beat others out of their money, and kick like h--l when they
get the worst of anything."  He did not want to say anything until
his gang was at his back, and they were then coming up.  I ran out
to the head of the stairs with old "Betsy Jane" in my hand, and
ordered them to stop.  They did stop, for I had her pulled down on
them, and the other gamblers were standing by me.  I said, "The
first man that takes another step to come up these stairs will get
hurt."  They didn't come.  Then I turned to the kicker and told
him if he made a move I would cook his goose.  He saw we meant
business, and weakened.  The gang went back to their bunks, the
kicking contractor went to his room, and we held the fort.  I was
told that the same man had lost his money about a year previous
while playing poker with John Deming, and he brought his men up,
threw Deming down, and did not only take the money he lost, but a
large amount besides.  I had the same thing tried on me once; so
when I saw a fellow-gambler imposed upon, I went to the front.
Besides, if we let such a thing go too far it would ruin our
business, so I thought it was best to nip it in the bud.


THE BIG SUCKER.

We were out from New Orleans with Captain Bill Harrison one day on
board the steamer _Doubleloon_, and was having a good game of
roulette, when we noticed that most of the fish were suckers, and
did not bite so well at roulette; so we changed our tackle, and
used monte for bait.  We were fishing along, and had caught some
pretty good fish, but none of the large ones we saw about the hooks.
Every time we would get one of them to come up and begin nibbling
around, something would scare him away.  We put on fresh bait, spit
on it, and threw it out with all the care that we were capable of;
but somehow or another they would not suck in the hook.  I knew
the bait was good, for I had caught thousands of suckers with it,
and I could see that there was plenty of that kind of fish around
us.  I began looking, and soon discovered the trouble.  It was a
great big old sucker who wanted to be a kind of teacher over the
school; for every time one of the young suckers would get up too
close, he would pull his tail, and that would scare the young one
so he would not take hold in earnest.  I watched the big sucker
for some time, and I saw it was no use trying to catch anything
until I caught the old school teacher.  So I put up my tackle, and
began looking for a bait that would land the old one.

I was walking on the guards, when I saw the man that had back-capped
and spoiled my game.  I went up to him and entered into conversation.
I did not let him know I was mad; but I was, all the same, and
would have given $100 to give him one between the eyes; but I soon
thought of a plan to make him contribute a part of what he had kept
me from winning, so I said to him, "I was surprised to see you back-
capping my game, for I could see you were a sporting man.  I tried
to give you the wink, and have you come up and win out something,
so the suckers would take hold, but I could not get your eye."  He
said, "I did not understand it, or I would have been glad to help
you."  I told him that after dinner I would open up again, and for
him to walk up and make a good big bet, and I would let him win;
then for him to walk away, and I would catch all the suckers on
the boat.  After all had been arranged, I went to my room and got
old "Betsy Jane;" for my new capper had one on him so long that it
stuck down below his coat-tail.  I told my partner to look out for
the big gun and our new capper.  I called the passengers around a
table, and began to throw the hooks.  Up came the big fish, and
wanted to know what was the least bet I would take.  I told him
$200.  He planked her up, when I saw about $50 left, so I told him
I would make it $250.  He put up the extra $50, for of course the
more he put up the more he would win, as he was to suck in the hook
with the extra kink in it.  I gave them a little mixing and said
"Ready!"  He darted in, and nabbed the bait more like a goggle-eye
than a sucker, but he was caught all the same.  He did not swim
away (as he had been told to do), for he was held by a line that
cost him $250, and he could not break it without a great struggle.
I thought I had let him play about long enough, so I said:
"Gentlemen, there are no more suckers to be caught on this boat,"
and thus landed the biggest sucker I ever caught in all my life.

I put up my fishing tackle and invited all hands to the bar, for
I was feeling like all fishermen (a little dry).  My big sucker
joined us, as he had been out of water just long enough to want to
get back.  After we had quenched our thirst he said he would like
to see me a minute.  I told him he could see me for an hour, as I
had no other business to look after.  We walked out on the guards,
and my partner was not far away.  The big fellow said to me, "Why
didn't you let me win the money?"  I looked up at him, but kept my
hand on old Betsy Jane, and said, "My business is to catch suckers,
and you are the biggest one I ever caught in my life if you think
I will give you back your money."  He went back for his gun, but
I had old Betsy out and up to his head before he could say Jack
Robinson.  I told him to put up his hands, and be d----d quick
about it, too.  He put them up, and said he did not want any gun
to whip such a fellow as I was.  I told him that he might be a good
man down in Texas, where he came from, but he was a sucker up in
this country, and I could eat him up.  I said:  "We will put our
guns in the bar, and have it out just as you like it."  We went in
the bar, and he handed over his young cannon, and then I put up
Betsy Jane.  I told my partner to get the Captain and tell him to
land the boat, and he would see some fun, for I knew he would rather
see a fight than eat when he was hungry.  So just as we got our
guns behind the bar the Captain walked in, and some one said "Here
comes the Captain."  The Texas fellow said, "To h--l with him; I
don't care a d--n for any captain."  That made old Bill hot, and
he wanted to know what was all this racket about.  I told him the
big fellow wanted to lick me.  He said, "I'll soon settle this;
you will go ashore."  The big fellow said there was not men enough
on the boat to put him ashore.  The Captain then sent word to the
pilot to land, and also sent for the mate and some of the deck-
hands.  The pilot ran the boat up on a point, and she got aground.
I jumped off as soon as she struck; and the mate, assisted by two
big deck-hands, soon had Mr. Texas off.  The passengers were all
out on the guards, for they had heard the racket, and wanted to
see the fun.  I pulled off my coat, and told Texas to clean himself
and come a-fighting.  He was just as sure of licking me as I was
of catching him for a sucker, but he had forgotten "Nothing is sure
that grows on earthly ground."  He was onto me in an instant, and
if he had hit me just where he aimed, he would have hurt me, for
he was a hard hitter; but I gave him my dear old head, and he hurt
himself very bad; but I did not care if he did.  I then ran in
under him, and had him down on his back before he recovered from
the blow he struck against a rock (as he afterward called my head).
After I got him down I gave him one just between the eyes, and he
saw stars (although there were none in the sky just then).  I gave
him one more punch, and he said, "That will do."  I let him up,
and he was so dazed that he staggered and fell into the river.
They pulled him out, and I heard some one remark, "That's the
biggest sucker ever caught in this river."

While the fight was going on, they were trying to get the boat off
the point; but I guess they did not try very hard, for as soon as
they fished out the sucker, the Captain called for me to come
aboard.  I said, "Captain, it is only three miles to Donaldsonville,
and as I want a little exercise, I will walk; but take good care
of my 'big sucker.'"


THE CRAZY MAN.

I was going up the Illinois River once with Dad Ryan.  We did not
try to do anything the first night out from St. Louis.  The next
day I picked up a man who had been to St. Louis with wild game and
butter, and had a great deal of money for a man of his calibre.
I told him I lived in Galena, Ill., and had some of the finest lead
mines in that part of the country.  We got pretty well acquainted
with each other, and had some drinks together.  He got to feeling
lively, for whenever he took a drink he would take a tumbler half
full of whisky.  After getting him warmed up pretty well, I walked
him in the barber shop to see a white squirrel.  During the while
the barber was after it, Dad opened out the three cards, and my
friend and I had become very interested in the game.  I looked on
a while, then I said to Ryan:  "I think I can turn the winning card
for $100."  He accepted the proposition, and I laid up the money
and turned the wrong one.  I then picked up the jack, as that was
the winner, and bent the corner, showed it to my friend, "whispered"
and told him not to say a word, as he would not detect its being
bent.  He said, "All right."  I told the dealer to throw them over
again, which he did.  I then said, "I know you have two chances to
our one, but I will try you for $200."  We put up our money into
the butter man's hands, and I turned the card.  The dealer told
the butter man that he lost fair, and to give the money to me.
Then I wanted to try it for the $400, but he would not bet with
me, saying:  "When a man beats me once, I will not bet with him
again."  So I handed the money to my friend, and told him to bet
it for me.  "That will do," said Ryan.  He mixed them up again,
and my friend turned the card and won for me.

Ryan took it very pleasantly, laughing all the time, so my friend
thought he would try it with his own money, but Ryan said:  "You
beat me once, and you know what I said."  "Well," said my friend,
"I did not bet for myself."  I coaxed Ryan to let him bet, as he
was entitled to one bet at least.  He consented, and my friend got
out $100; but Ryan said, "No; I will not bet less than $500."  I
said to my friend, "If you have not got the money, I will loan it
to you; and if you only win one small bet, he will not bet with
you again."  He pulled out a big roll with a string around it, and
counted out $400 more and laid it on the table.  I told him I would
hold the stakes, so he handed me the money.  Ryan saw that big
roll, and hated to have him get away, as he might quit after losing.
When he saw that I was holding stakes, he said:  "I guess I will
back out."  I spoke up and told him he could not, and my friend
said that it was not fair to back out.  Then said Ryan, "I will
raise you $2,000," and he laid it up in my hand.  Then my friend
wanted to back out and take his money down, but Ryan would not
stand that.  I insisted on putting up the rest, but Ryan would not
allow it, as he said, "I will bet but one at a time."  I told him
to lay up the money.  He put it up at last, trembling like a man
with the palsy; but finally he grabbed the card and lost.

Just about that time there was a little boat landed alongside of
us, as we were lying at a landing putting off freight.  I gave Ryan
the office to get on her.  He slipped over on the boat, and the
sucker just then came to his senses.  When he saw that Ryan had
gone out, he said to me, "Where did he go?"  I told him he had gone
back in the cabin; so he started back to look for him, and while
he was gone the little boat backed out.  I walked out in the hall
to see what had become of my friend, and found him searching all
the rooms in the ladies' cabin.  He then rushed into a gentleman's
room where his wife was, and then there was h--l to pay.  The man
came near shooting him, but I ran back and told the gentleman that
the fellow was crazy and did not know what he was doing.  He ran
all around the boat, frothing at the mouth, and never said a word
to any one.  Finally some of the officers grabbed him, got a rope
and tied him, for they all thought he was crazy; and I commenced
to think so myself, as all he would say was, "Where is he?  Where
did he go?"  No one had seen the game but the barber, and I slipped
him a twenty-dollar bill and told him to keep mum.  They kept the
man tied for about one hour, until he promised he would behave if
they let him loose, which they did.  He sat perfectly still and
did not have a word to say.  I knew he was not broke, for I saw he
had about $200 left; and that amount, together with his late
experience, was capital enough for any man.


DIDN'T WIN THE KEY.

We were playing monte on board the steamer _Magnolia_, out of New
Orleans, one night, and had a very lively game.  We had won a few
hundred dollars.  There was a Jew on board who had no money, but
he had a fine watch.  During the play he was very anxious to bet
it, but I told him I did not want to play for his watch, as I knew
I could win it whenever I saw fit.  So, just as the game was about
to close, I said to him, "What is your watch worth?"  "Three hundred
dollars, and I can get that for it."  I told him I would put up
$300 against it, and bet him he could not turn the picture card.
He pulled out, put her up, and then turned over the wrong card.
The passengers all laughed.  He never said a word, but appeared to
take it all right.  After a while he came to me and said:  "I have
the key, and would like you to keep the watch wound up, as I think
a great deal of it; and as soon as we get to Natchez I can borrow
the money on the wharf-boat, from Charley Frazier, to redeem it."
When he spoke in that way I handed him his ticker, and he ran away
with it.  I laughed, and began thinking how to get it back again.
So I took my partner, Alexander, to one side and told him to get
in with the Jew, then tell him he heard me say I was going to give
the watch back.  "Tell him you have been watching me play, and that
you believed you could play it as well as the man he played against."
He got in with him, and finally got some cards to show the Jew how
I played.  The Jew got very much taken with the game again, so he
said to my partner, "I know that I could beat you, if you will play
for something."  So he won the drinks and cigars from my partner,
and at last he wanted to put up his watch against $500 that he
could turn the card.  My partner put up the money, and the Jew the
watch; but he missed it that time; and you never did hear such
laughter as there was on that boat, for the passengers all turned
loose and plagued the poor Jew all the way up to Natchez, asking
him what time it was.  He did not redeem it at Natchez, so I had
to buy a "key," and that nearly broke my heart.


WAS IN WITH THE JUDGE.

I was on the train from Jackson to New Orleans.  I opened in the
smoking car, and won a good deal of money.  We were just coming to
a station called Amite, about sixty miles above New Orleans.  I
waited until the car got in motion, after learning the station, as
I did not want to go into New Orleans; for they were kicking like
the d---l, and I knew there would be a big crowd at the depot.  I
slipped off, and told my partner to bring my valise, and come up
the next day.  They went into the city kicking like steers, and
they had the officers looking for me, but they did not find me.
Two of them took the train and came back to Amite that night, and
in the morning when I came to breakfast there they were.  I could
not help laughing at them.  After breakfast they went to the
magistrate, and swore out a warrant for my arrest, and the constable
came over to the hotel looking for me, but I had skipped out.  I
walked down the railroad and kept hid until they were satisfied I
had gone.  They left orders if I showed up to have me arrested,
and telegraph them.  I took the first train and went to the city.
They came in on the evening train.  The next day they found out I
was in the city, and then I was arrested and brought before the
recorder's Court, when the Judge asked me if I had an attorney.
I told him I could plead my own case.  I soon convinced him that
the gambling was done in another parish, and I was discharged.
They then took a train and went back, got the warrant they had out
for me, and brought an officer with them.  The officer stepped up
to me and said:  "I have a warrant for you."  "All right; but we
can't leave here until night.  Let us pass away the time until the
train leaves."  There was a big crowd followed us to get a look at
the notorious Devol, and the officer kept pulling out the warrant
and showing it to the throng.  He was getting pretty full of whisky,
when I saw a thief in the crowd.  I gave him the wink, and in less
than five minutes he had the warrant.  I got one of my friends to
ask the officer to show him the warrant.  He dove down in his
pocket, but could not find it; so I told him he must have the paper,
or I would not go with him.  It sobered him up, and the last time
I saw him he was with the two fellows going to the train to get
fresh papers.  I went up myself to see what they could do with me.
I took a train and passed them coming down.  They went into the
city, and found that I had left for Amite that morning, and that
they had missed me.  When I got there I took the Judge and Prosecutor
out, and we had several drinks; then we went to a shoe shop, and
ordered two pairs of boots for them, and took the size of their
heads, and sent to New Orleans for hats.  When they came back, and
the case was called, the Judge heard their story, and then mine,
and decided it was nothing but a case of gambling, and that he
would have to fine us each five dollars and costs.  We paid our
fines, and they all took the train that day but myself.  I stayed
a day or two, and had a fishing game, as it was a great place to
catch the little flappers.  They said, when they came back to the
city, that no law down here would do anything with that fellow,
and his name ought to be "Devil" instead of Devol.  They thought
I must be some relation to Claude Duval, the highwayman.  They were
Vermonters.  They said if they had me down East they would fix me
for the balance of my life; but I was not down East, and I had
often been, before I met those suckers, "Fixed for Life."


THE BRILLIANT STONE.

We were on board the steamer _Southern Belle_, bound for New Orleans.
There were several planters aboard that I was acquainted with, and
we were drinking wine, telling stories, and enjoying ourselves,
when a large, fine-looking gentleman stepped up to the bar and took
a drink.  He had a diamond stud in his shirt that was so large and
brilliant that it attracted the attention of us all; so after he
went out we began commenting on it.

I finally said to one of the planters, "What would you give for
that stone?"  He said, "I would give $1,000 for it, but I bet it
could not be bought for the money."  "What will you give me for
it?" I asked them.  They all laughed, for they understood by my
question that I thought the man was a sucker, and I could win it
from him.  One of them said:  "Devol, you are a good one, but that
fellow is too smart to be caught by any of your tricks."  I said,
"Gentlemen, I will bet two bottles of wine that I will have that
stone inside of an hour.  Who will take me?"  They all wanted to
take the bet, and raise it to a basket; but I told them the odds
were too much in their favor, and I would bet but two bottles; so
it was settled that I was to win the stone, or pay for the wine.
Then we all went out in the cabin, and I called everybody to join
me in some wine.  My partner went up to the man with the brilliant
stone, and asked him if he knew the man that was treating.  He said
he did not.  Then my partner told him that I was a planter; that
I owned six plantations, and so many niggers that I did not know
the number myself.  The gentleman was introduced to me and the
other planters, when he said:  "I am very glad to form the acquaintance
of you Southerners; I'm a New Yorker."  The compliment cost me the
wine for the entire party.  While the barkeeper was serving the
wine, I told him to bring me some of those tickets that they played
the whisky game with.  He brought the tickets, and I began to mix
them.  One of the planters bet me the wine that he could turn the
ticket with the baby.  I took him up, and he stuck me.  Then another
bet me the cigars, and I stuck him.  While we were lighting our
cigars, my partner put a pencil mark on the baby ticket, and told
the New Yorker that he wanted to have some fun with me; that I was
so good-natured, I would take it as a joke when I found it out.
I commenced mixing them again, and wanted to know who would be the
next man to try his luck.  My partner came to the front, and wanted
to know if I would bet money on the game.  I told him so long as
I had two chances to his one, I would bet a plantation, and a
hundred niggers besides.  He put up $1,000, and said:  "I will try
you once for $1,000."  I pulled out a roll so large that it made
everybody look wild, saying, "That just suits me."  I mixed, and
my partner turned the ticket with the pencil mark on it, and caught
me for $1,000.  I laughed and said, "You're a lucky fellow; I don't
want to bet with you any more."  He then slipped away, as though
he was afraid I would detect the mark and raise a fuss.  He gave
the $2,000 to one of the planters, and told him to go and play it.
The planter came up and said:  "I'll try you for $2,000."  I said,
"All right, plank her up."  He turned a card, but not knowing
anything about the mark, he lost.  I laughed and said, "Try it
again; you're not as lucky as the other fellow."  "No," said he;
"I've got enough."  Then my partner came up again and wanted to
bet; but I told him he was the lucky fellow, and I was afraid of
him.

The New Yorker could see the mark on the card, and he could not
stand it any longer; so he pushed up to the table and laid down a
roll, and said:  "I will bet you $400."  I told him I would only
make one more bet and then quit, and I would bet $2,000 or nothing.
He picked up the money and turned away.  My partner said, so I
could hear him, "Bet him."  The man said, "I have not got the
money."  Then my partner offered to loan it to him, when I told
them I would not bet if the lucky fellow was in with it; but if
the gentleman had anything worth the money, he could put it up.
The lucky fellow told him to put up his diamond stud, saying in a
whisper:  "It is only for a minute; don't you see the mark on the
card?"  The gentleman put up the stone and the $400.  I told him
I would only take the stone for $1,000.  Then my partner told him
to put up his watch.  He did so, and I put up $2,000 in money.  I
mixed, and he turned the marked card.  He was very much excited;
and when the card turned over, it had the mark on its back, but
the baby had crawled off the other side.  He drew a long breath
and walked back to his state-room, and that was the last we saw of
him.  As he was walking away, some one called to him to join us in
some wine; but he could not hear so well as when the capper told
him in a whisper to put up, as it was only for a minute.  We looked
at our watches (I had two), and it wanted just five minutes of the
hour.  The planter that made the bet of two bottles spent over $200
for the wine that night, and before he left the boat he gave me
$1,000 for the "brilliant stone."


LUCKY AT POKER.

One night I went out on the steamer _Belle Lee_.  She was running
from Memphis to New Orleans.  Captain Hicks was the commander, and
a jolly fellow was he.  He said to me:  "Devol, I never saw a
gambler in the world that I was afraid to play with.  I am just as
smart as any of them."  I said, "Captain, you will get no game out
of me, as I do not want any of your money."  After supper I noticed
the Captain had a man, and they went to his room in the texas.  I
opened up and had a fine play at roulette, but it fell off at 12
o'clock, and I closed up.  I was sitting in the hall when the
Captain and his man came down.  The man said:  "Captain, I am
winner; let's have a bottle of wine."  They invited me to join
them.  The Captain said:  "George, I will turn this gentleman over
to you, as I can't beat him."  "Well," I said, "Cap, if you can't
beat him, I can't; for you are a better poker player than I am."

Then I winked at the barkeeper, who had a few decks of my cards
that I had put in when I came on board.  He knew what I wanted.
I said to the man, "I'll tell you what I will do:  I will play one
game of seven-up for a bottle of wine;" as I thought that was the
best way to get him started.  He agreed.  I said, "Barkeeper, give
us a deck of cards, and we will see who is the lucky man."  We
began, cut for deal, and I beat him.  I dealt, and I knew every
card in his hand.  He had no trumps, and I had the jack alone.  He
begged; I gave him one and made four.  He dealt, and I made three
on his deal, which put me out.  He was as hot as a pepper pod, but
he called for the wine.  After we drank it, he said:  "I wonder if
you are that lucky at poker; if so, I will try you a little while."
I said, "All right; I think, myself, I am in luck to-night."  We
went at it, but he said the limit must be $50.  We played until
daylight began to peep through the skylight of the cabin, and I
had to loan him money to defray his expenses.  He told the Captain
it was the hardest game he ever struck.  He sent me the money I
loaned him by express, and wrote that if he ever met me on the
river again he wanted to be in with my play.  It was not long after
that when I met him on the steamer _Natchez_, and we made some big
money together, as he got up some fine games with the planters.
He was known all along the river, and Captain Leathers thought it
strange to see him playing with me; but the gentleman understood
it, for I was always "lucky at poker."


THE HIDDEN HAND.

While in St. Louis just before the war, I got acquainted with a
man from Detroit by the name of James Scott.  He was dealing faro
bank, and was such a square fellow that all the boys would play
against him.  He had a big game one evening, and had downed quite
a number of the boys, but he did it on the square.  He quit dealing
to go and get his supper, and while he was out the boys tried to
think of some scheme to stick him for enough money to get a square
meal for themselves.  Finally one of them thought of the same racket
that I played on my Jew partner, and they manufactured a sucker.
When Jim came back, they were playing a single-handed game of poker.
Jim loved poker, and as he had not finished picking his teeth, he
stopped at the table to look on.  That was just what the boys
expected and wanted, so the two hands were run up.  Jim was behind
the fellow that had the three kings and a pair of sevens; but just
after he saw them, some one spoke to him on the other side, so he
went around the table.  The man with the kings made a big raise,
and the other fellow said it was more money than he had.  Jim saw
his three aces and a pair, so he said:  "I am with you, old boy,
for $1,000."  The money was put up, and then the sucker said he
had made a mistake in his hand, and wanted to take down his money;
but everybody said he could not take down.  Then the fellow threw
down two cards and called for two more.  The old boy (Jim's partner)
gave them to him, and the sucker made another raise just large
enough to use up the balance of Jim's thousand.  The old boy called
the bet just in time to save Jim from putting up another thousand,
for they did not want to strike him too heavy the first time.  They
showed down, and the sucker had caught another king in the draw,
and he won the pot.  Jim did not say a word, but began to deal the
bank.  The next night some of the boys that had eaten a good supper
at Jim's expense invited him to the theatre.  Jim wanted to know
the play; they told him "The Hidden Hand."  Jim said, "No, boys;
I saw that play last night, and I would not see it again for $1,000."
Jim is now living in Detroit, and is one of the wealthiest men in
the city.  His father left him a fortune, and he has not laid down
a dollar on a gambling table since; yet he likes the boys, and can
tell some of the best stories of any man in this country.  He is
very fond of the theatres, but he says he never goes when they play
"The Hidden Hand."


CAUGHT AGAIN.

While sitting in the hall of the steamer _Petonia_, I noticed a
fellow who kept looking at me so closely that I at last said to
him, "Do you live on the river, sir?"  He replied, "Are you speaking
to me?"  "Well, yes; I asked you if you lived on the river."  He
answered me very gruffly, "No sir."  I let him alone, for I thought
I had seen him before, and it might be I had beat him out of some
money; so I got up and walked down the cabin.  After I left, he
asked the barkeeper who I was, and he told him I was a planter,
and the son of one of the wealthiest planters on the coast.  The
fellow said:  "Darn me if he don't look just like a fellow that
beat me out of $5,000 some years ago."  "I guess you are mistaken;
although all planters gamble more or less," said the barkeeper.
"Well, let's take a drink; but I was sure he was the same man."

Just as they finished their drink, I walked up and called for some
wine.  The fellow spoke up and said, "Have a drink with me."  I
said, "No, you join me, as I see you have finished yours."  He
accepted, and I ordered a bottle of wine.  We sat down to drink
the wine, when he said, "You must excuse me for the manner in which
I spoke to you a while ago, as I took you for a man that beat me
out of $5,000 on one of these boats, some years ago, at a game they
called monte."  "Well, now," I said; "it must have been the same
fellow that beat me, for that's what they called it, monte; but I
did not care very much, as I was spending the old gent's money at
that time."  He replied:  "But I did mind it, for I had just sold
my place, and was going to put the money into business; but on
account of that d----d rascal, I have had to work hard ever since;
and I have sworn to kill him the first time I met him."  "I do not
blame you for feeling as you do, for you could not afford to lose
the money; but I did not care, as the old gent had plenty more that
I could get whenever I asked for it; and as he sometimes lost pretty
heavy himself, he would say to me, 'Son, if you bet you will win
or lose; but if you lose, take it cool; for if you could not afford
to lose, you had no business to bet.'"  "You're right! I did not
have any business to bet; but I thought I had a sure thing of
winning.  I would have killed that fellow the next morning; but
when I began looking for him, I found he had got off the boat, and
I have never seen him since."  I laughed and said, "If you had won
the money, you would not have felt like shooting the fellow, would
you?"  "Oh, no."

I found out the fellow had about $60; but he was just as much a
sucker as he was when he lost the $5,000, and I made up my mind to
win his money, and then tell him that I was the same man that beat
him before.  I excused myself, and told my partner all about the
fellow, and that I wanted to win his money.

After supper I opened up monte, and caught a good many suckers.
My old producer was watching the game and me too.  We had about
finished up, when my partner said to my old friend, "I would like
to make a bet, but I am unlucky; will you bet this $50 for me?"
He took the $50, put it up, and won.  Then he put up $50 for himself,
and lost.  My partner wanted to know how he had made such a mistake,
when he swelled up like a porpoise, and said:  "I believe that is
the same fellow that beat me out of my money before."  He walked
away, and my partner followed him.  They were standing at the bar
when I came up, and I invited all hands to join me in a drink.
Everybody accepted the invitation, except my Arkansas killer.  I
made up my mind that we would have a fight, so I thought I would
not put it off any longer.  I turned to him and said, "Come and
take a cigar with me, for I see you are not drinking."  He replied,
"I pick my company."  Then I said, "You are in better company just
now than you ever were in your life, except the time, some years
ago, when you were in my company and lost $5,000."  He said, "You
are a d----d rascal."  I then called him a liar and a coward.  He
attempted to draw, when my partner caught his arm and gave him one
in the face, which was not a very heavy one, for he did not appear
to mind it.  I had old "Betsy Jane" out and had him covered; then
I said, "Lay away your old pop, and we will go down on deck and
have it out.  You are a much larger man than I am, but I will take
a licking from you, if you are man enough to give it to me."  We
gave our guns to the barkeeper and started down.  I heard some bets
$50 to $25 on the big Arkansas man, so I gave a friend of mine a
roll and told him to take all the odds.

When we got down on deck, the mate made a ring with some barrels,
and said:  "No man but the fighters shall get inside the ring."
The big fellow stripped down to his undershirt, and looked like a
young Samson; then the bets ran up $100 to $25.  I pulled off my
coat and vest, and stepped inside the ring.  We shook hands, and
time was called, the mate acting as referee.  He made a lunge; I
dropped my head, and he hit it a terrible blow.  Then he got one
in below the belt, and I thought for an instant I would lose my
supper and the fight; but I rallied, and got a good one in on the
side of his neck, which doubled him up like a jackknife; then I
ran in, caught him, and let drive with my head.  I struck him
between the eyes, and he fell over as if he had been shot.  I took
a seat on one of the barrels, folded my arms, and waited for time
to be called.  The mate said:  "That will do; this man can't fight
any more."  They took him up stairs, and had the barber fix him
up.  I was not much the worse for having been in a fight.  My friend
handed me all my money, and over $400 besides, that he had taken
in on the result.  I treated all hands, and sent some wine, also
the $50 I had won, back to my Arkansas friend.  He told the mate
and some of the passengers that he had been in a great many fights,
but that was the first time he was ever whipped.  He said he "whipped
himself when he hit my head; but when I gave him that butt, he
thought he had been struck with a bar of iron."  He told them they
did not fight that way out where he lived, and he did not think it
was fair.  The mate told him everything was fair in a rough-and-
tumble fight.  I felt sorry for the big fellow when I saw his face,
for his nose was broken all up.  He forgot all about that he was
going to shoot the man that beat him out of his $5,000, for you
see I returned the money that I won from him when I had him caught
again.


MY LITTLE PARTNER.

A man by the name of Dock Chambers was working with me at one time,
and he was like my partner Foster--he would stoop to little things.
I was playing poker one night with a man, and broke him.  He got
up from the table and went back into the ladies' cabin, and in a
short time returned with some diamonds and a lady's watch and chain.
He wanted to put them up, but I told him I never played for women's
finery.  A man offered him about one-half what the stuff was worth,
and he was so crazy to play that he was about to let them go, when
I advanced him much more on them than the stranger had offered;
for I knew he would lose them.  We began our play, and in about an
hour I had won all the money that I had advanced him on the jewelry.
I asked him if he was broke, and he told me that their passage was
paid and his wife had some money.  I bid him good night and went
to bed.  The next morning I put the jewelry in a cigar box, gave
it to my partner, and told him to find the lady and return it to
her.  He found her and returned the box.  She opened, and found
everything her husband had lost; then she gave him $300, and told
him to thank me for her.  He came back and gave me the thanks, but
did not say one word about the $300.  I was well paid with the
thanks, until I found out that she had sent $300 with them, and
that my partner had hogged onto it.  I did not say a word at the
time, but waited until I could get a big even.

We were coming out of New Orleans a short time after the Chambers
trick, and had a good monte business, which we closed up as soon
as we had caught all the suckers.  I went to a friend of mine who
kept a drug store in Vicksburg, and told him I wanted to get even
with my partner.  I gave him some money, and told him I would open
my red and black, and that the jack paid eight for one.  I said to
him, "You come up and bet $10 on the jack three times, and on the
fourth time you put a one-hundred-dollar bill inside of the ten
and put it on the same card, and I will make it win."  He did just
as I told him, and the jack lost the first three times, but the
fourth time it won.  I paid the $80, and started to make another
turn, when the drug man said:  "You will have to come again."  I
said, "There is your $80 and your $10, sir."  "Please look at the
$10," he replied.  I did look at it, and there was a great, big,
live $100 inside of it.  It was over the limit; but I had turned,
and there was no getting out of it.  To tell the truth, I did not
want to get out, for I was just getting in on my partner.  I paid
the $800 over to the pill-mixer and shut up shop, as I did not want
to lose any more of my "little partner's" money.


LACKED THE NERVE.

I made a mistake one time that came near getting me licked, and it
was only the want of nerve that saved me.  I feel the effect of
the shock to this day, and I believe it will follow me to my grave.
I will tell how it happened.

I was playing the little game of monte, and had caught some pretty
good fish, when I noticed a Jew, that I had seen in Natchez, standing
near the table and watching me and my cards very closely.  I took
him for one of the finny tribe, and expected to see him swim up
and take hold of the hook; but he walked over to the bar and
commenced talking to the barkeeper.  I found out afterward that he
asked the barkeeper who I was, and told him he could beat me at
that game I was playing; for says 

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