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.