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.