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 he, "Do you know, there is a
little spot on one of the cards, and I don't believe he can see
it." The barkeeper was a friend of mine, and he told the Jew that
I couldn't see very well, as I was up so much at night. I was
fishing along, when back came the sucker. Then I began to think
a little better of myself; for I had spotted the fellow, and when
I saw him walk off, I began to think that for once I had made a
mistake in my man, and was losing some of my conceit. He got up
very close, and then he asked me how much I would bet him that he
could not turn the card with the old woman on it. I looked at him
for a moment, as I had lost a little of my confidence when I saw
him go away; but soon I remembered that the best fish will sometimes
play around the bait and then swim off, only to come back, dart in
and swallow it, hook and all; so I said to him, "I will bet you
$500 you can't pick up the old woman the first pick." I had $500
worth of confidence, thirty years ago, that no man could pick up
the old woman; but I am married now, and have quit gambling, but
I will bet $5,000 that no man can pick up my old mother-in-law the
first pick.
Well, the Jew put up $500 and picked up one of the cards, and as
his eyesight was so much better than mine, he got the one with the
little spot on it; and while he was looking for the old woman on
the other side of the card, I put the $500 in my pocket and rang
down the curtain. The Jew stood and held on to the card, until I
told him if he was done with it I would like to have it. He handed
it to me, and then walked over to the barkeeper and said to him,
"That man Devol can see better than we thought he could."
I was standing out on the guards smoking, when up came my food for
the brain. He said to me: "Mr. Devol, I am a poor man, with a
wife and four little children. That money I lost was all I had in
the world, and it was given to me by my friends to start me in a
little business. If I don't get that money, I am a ruined man,
and my poor wife and little children will starve to death, for I
will never see them again. Oh, Mr. Devol, take pity on my poor
wife and four little children, and give me back the money. You
are a rich man, and can make money so fast; and my poor wife and
four little children will pray for you as long as we live; and I
will tell my children's children what a good man Mr. D----" "Hold
on," I said, as I saw the big tears running down the heart-broken
man's face. "Here's your money; take it and give it to your family."
I handed him a five hundred-dollar bill and turned away, took out
my handkerchief, and was just wiping something off my cheek, when
I thought I heard something like a laugh. I turned around, and
there, a little way off, stood my poor Jew with seven five hundred-
dollar bills in his hand, shaking them at me; and he said, "I
haven't go no wife nor no four little children, Mr. D----." He
did not finish, for I started for him, and he lit out as if the
devil, instead of Devol, was after him. When we got to the city,
I went into the first harness store I came to and bought a whip,
but I never had the nerve to use it.