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.