During the war I took my gambling tools and started for Brownsville,
Texas, and Metamoras. I took passage on board a screw steamer,
which had sails also. There were about forty-five passengers, all
told. The first two days out of New Orleans were pleasant; but
there came on a squall, which tore the sails into threads and came
near swamping the vessel. It stopped blowing in about half an
hour, and all was calm. There was a young man on board whose father
was a very rich man in New York, and had sent his son over to attend
to some business. While in New Orleans he became acquainted with
a rich firm, and through his letters from his father they intrusted
him with $12,000 to be delivered in Brownsville.
It happened that the young man was on deck during the storm, and
had to lie flat down and hold on to a coil of chain. After the
storm he came into the cabin and said, "I have had bad luck." Of
course we were all anxious to know what had happened to him. He
said he had had twelve one-thousand-dollar notes in the side pocket
of his coat, and the wind had blown his coat over his head, and
the bundle went into the Gulf. He said it was money that had been
put into his care to be delivered at Brownsville, and that his
father would have to stand the loss. We all felt sorry for the
fellow, but it soon died out, and there was no more said about it
till we got to Brownsville.
When we got to Bagdad and took the stage, he sat close to me and
commenced talking about losing the money. He said he felt ashamed
to show up at the firm's office. That made me think he was crooked,
and I concluded to keep an eye on him. We had not finished our
dinners at the hotel in Brownsville, when in marched a squad of
soldiers, and the Captain asked which man was Devol. I raised up
and said, "That is my name." He said the General in command wanted
me. "All right," I said. I went down to headquarters, and when
I got there the General said, "Where is the money you won from that
young man, coming over on the ship?" I told him I played no cards
with any young man on the vessel. "Have you got proof of that?"
said the business man to whom the money belonged. "Yes," said I,
and I sent to the hotel and got the Captain and the purser, who
testified that the young man did not play a card coming over. So
I was acquitted, and that was the last of it, as they were all
satisfied that the boy did nothing wrong, and really had lost the
money.
But I had him spotted; for it takes a rascal to catch a rascal.
The Captain and the purser were the only two who did gamble going
over, and they were very fond of poker. So my partner and self
sat in, and we played four-handed all the way over. We realized
about $1,300, which paid our expenses and a few hundred dollars
besides.
About six of us agreed to go over to Metamoras that night and spend
the evening. The young man said to me that he would like to go
along. I said "All right," so we all started, and we had a fine
time drinking wine and pony brandy. We went into a gambling-house,
and the roulette wheel was going, and a lively game at that. There
was one man who was playing very high, and I asked his name. They
said it was the Mexican General Cortenas, who was in command of
Metamoras. Well, I took out a twenty-dollar bill and laid it on
the red, and it came red; I let it lay, and it came red again. I
took the $80 and put it over on the black and it won again; so I
picked up the money and walked out into the bar-room, and called
up every one in the house. At that time a Spaniard would run a
knife through you for a dollar, if he caught you in the dark; and
a man was not safe to step outside, if they knew he had money on
his person. He wanted his pistol in his hand.
Well, the young man was delighted with my playing, and said: "I
wish you would play again. I want to put in with you and take half
your game." "All right," said I; "after a while." I wanted to
get a few more ponies into him, for I was sure he had the money.
So I changed the drinks to wine, and I could see his eyes snap at
every glass. At last I said, "I guess I will make another play."
He stepped back into another room, and came to me, and handed me
a brand-new one-thousand-dollar bill that had never been crumpled.
I handed it back to him, and told him I would put up $500 of my
own, and for him to put his money back; that if I lost, he could
get it changed and give me $250. "All right," said he; and I bet
$100 on the black, and won it. I bet the same on the red, and it
came black again. Then I bet $200 on the red, and it came red.
The result was, I played along see-sawing until I was $400 winner,
and I quit. I handed my friend $200, and told him I was too tight
to play with good judgment.
We had our fun out, and got over to Brownsville about daylight in
the morning. We all slept that day, and went over that night again.
We did not gamble any that night, but drank wine and smoked our
Havanas, and had a good time in general. That night my friend said
to me: "I wish I was as smart as you at cards. I could make plenty
of money." I said to him, "I can teach you." "Well," said he,
"if you get into any game, I want to be an equal partner." He did
not know anything about my partner who came over with me, as I had
posted him to keep away from me. My partner was a very quiet
fellow, who lived in New Orleans. His name was William McGawley.
Well, I told him perhaps I might get up a game with some one. As
I was saving him for myself and partner, I did not want the money
split up into too many parts. I had too much sense to play in
Brownsville, so I fixed up a plan for him and me to take the stage
and go to Bagdad, to see if I could not find some one there to play
poker. I told McGawley to pay the bill at the hotel, and come to
Bagdad the next day with the baggage, which he did. The next
evening my young New York friend and I were sitting on the porch
at the hotel, when my young friend espied him, and said to me, "You
recollect the man who played in the game coming over in the vessel?"
"Yes," said I; "there were three besides myself; which one do you
mean?" "I don't mean the Captain or the purser, but the other
gentleman." "Yes," said I, "I recollect him." "Well," said he,
"I just saw him down stairs. I am positive that it is he." I
said, "Let us go down and see him." So we both went down and shook
hands with him.
My New York friend was very much pleased to see him, thinking I
might get a game of poker out of him. So I said, "It is very dull
here; what will we do to pass away the time?" I said, "Perhaps we
might get up a little game of poker to help us out." McGawley
consented to play a little while, so we went and got a room in the
hotel and some checks. McGawley asked, "What limit will we play?"
I said, "There will be no limit in the game." "All right," said
he. I did not want to dwell too long on that $12,000. McGawley
went out on purpose to let the gentleman get out his money. The
New Yorker asked me how much I would require. I said, "It is going
to be an unlimited game, and you had better give me what money you
can spare, for if I beat one good hand for him I will break him."
He handed me six one thousand-dollar notes. Well, we went to work;
and you bet it was lively. I started in $2,000 winner, and you
ought to have seen my partner's eyes snap. I don't mean McGawley,
of course, for he was a quiet as a lamb. Finally my luck changed,
and he beat one hand for $4,000. Then I did commence to kick at
my bad luck, and we soon made up another purse. After playing some
two hours more, McGawley had all our money; so I said to him, "As
you have broke us both, will you lend me $1,000 for a few days,
until I get some from New Orleans?" He said, "Certainly," pulled
out the money and handed it to me, and I gave my New York partner
half, saying, "Perhaps we will have better luck next time, as I
will have all the money I want, soon, from New Orleans; then I will
tackle him again, and of course you are in with everything that I
do."
I had some $600 in silver that I did not know how to get on board
the ship, that laid outside of Bagdad, without paying duty on it.
So I went to a man from New Orleans, whom I knew well, by the name
of Eugene Dupratt. I told him I had this silver, and asked him if
he could get it on board the vessel, as he had lighters running
all the time. It was about equal to running the blockade, or
smuggling. "Well," said he, "I will take yourself, partner, trunks,
and silver, and land you safe on board the ship, for $200." "I
will give you the money." That night we slipped the things out of
the hotel and got them safely on board the lighter, and were soon
on board the vessel, and in two hours were under sail for New
Orleans. We got home all right, and in ten days after we landed
we were both broke, and ready for another trip.