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.