"Put it up," I said.
This made the sucker crazy, for he was so anxious to get even that
he pulled out and counted down $860. But I would not bet less than
$1,000. There was a little man standing near who offered to loan
him the $140 to make up the $1,000, when Bill turned and said,
"I'll bet you $500 that my friend, the big man, wins."
Talk about monumental gall; I thought then that calling the fat
man his friend, who a few moments before had been chasing him
around, ready to kill him, was about the grandest specimen of
sublime impudence that I ever saw.
The big fellow turned the card, and lost as usual, and the little
man looked at me, then at the fat man, as much as to say, you two
rascals are partners. He took the priest aside, who was no other
than Canada Bill, and assured him that he was positive of this
fact. I won the money, and there was no kick.