"Oh, no, I just got loads of money; and then when I sell them thar
steers in New York, I reckon I will have some more. Now you see
this card has got an old man on it, and you have to guess this 'er'
one or you lose."
We guessed a few times, and then I bent up the corner of the old
man card, saying to the Michigan gentleman, "Now we will have some
fun." Then I said to the cow-boy, "Will you bet money on the game
yourself?"
"I can't play it good enough yet to bet; but as I have two cards
to your one, I would just as soon bet on it as on a pony race, and
I often put up big money on a pony."
I told the Michigander not to turn up the card with the corner
turned up so long as we were guessing for fun, so he turned up one
of the other cards, and the cow-boy said, "You see you are just as
big fools as I was in Chicago."
I then said, "I will bet you $1,000 that I can turn up the old man
the first time." I told the old gentleman that we might as well
get some of his money, as he would lose it anyway before he got
back to Texas.
Finally the cow-boy took out another dirty rag, unrolled it, and
displayed a roll of money the size of one's leg. He counted out
$1,000, saying, "I'll go you once, for I don't 'low any man to back
me out." He mixed the cards up, and I turned up the one with the
bent corner and won the money.
The cow-boy laughed and said, "Well, I'll be gol darned if you
didn't get me. You must have right smart eyes, for I swan I didn't
know which one it was myself."
The old gentleman asked if he would bet with him.
"Oh, yes; you are old, and can't see like this feller," said he.
"Don't be so sure about me not being able to see well," replied
the old man.
"You couldn't keep the run of them like this fellow; and then I
guess as how you haven't got much money," said the cow-boy. The
old gent then got out his leather, and it was chuck full of big
bills. He took out $500 and put it up in my hands. The cow-boy
told him he would not bet less than $2,000; and said he, "The
Indians bet more'n that on a foot-race down where I live." I told
the old gent it would serve the fellow just right if he would win
all his money; so he put up the $2,000, turned a card and lost.
I snatched up the old man card and turned up the corner again, then
said, "How in the name of common sense did you come to make that
mistake?"
"Why, I turned the one with the corner up," says he.
"No, you did not, for here it is," I said, picking up the winner.
The old fellow thought he had made a mistake, and the cow-boy told
him he couldn't see well, for he was too old. I then told him to
mix them up, and I would bet him $1,000. He did so, and I won.
Then the man from Michigan got out what he had left, amounting to
$1,200, and said, "This is all I have with me, but I will bet it."
He turned a card, but again he lost. He then settled back in his
seat as though he was going to stay right there, and I don't believe
he would have got out if the car had run off the track.
The cow-boy put his cards back into the dirty rag, and remarked,
"I be gol darned if I haint larning to play this 'er' game nigh
like them Chicago chaps; and if I hadn't been pranking with you
feller with the smart eyes, I reckon I would have been about even."
He got up, bid us good-day, and started out.
We sat there talking about the cow-boy's tricks for a short time,
when in came my partner, Tripp, all dressed up so that no one would
suspicion that he was ever a cow-boy. I introduced him to the old
gentleman from Michigan, but he was not near so talkative as he
was when we first got acquainted. I did not want to hurt his
feelings, so I did not say anything about the game before my partner;
and I believe the old fellow was glad of it, for he looked just as
if he would rather no one but that d----d cow-boy and myself should
know what a sucker he had been. When we changed cars we bid him
good-day, and I said, "If you see that fool with the steers in New
York, tell him not to go pranking any more new games, or he will
lose all his money." He looked at me in such a way that I believe
he did not want to see him, although he did not say so.