Then the nice man would try it again, and finally he would offer
to bet that no man could open the knife in ten or fifteen minutes.
The sucker would take him up; and as he did not know anything about
the second spring, of course he lost his money.
I did not have any use for such contrivances, as old monte was good
enough for me; but I always tried to keep posted on all the tricks
and schemes, so as to be able to down the schemers at their own
games.
Bill and I went on board the steamer _Bart Able_, bound for New
Orleans, late one night. I was tired and sleepy, so I told Bill
I would go to bed. He said he would take a smoke, and then join
me. I had not been in bed but a few moments, when a black boy
called me and said that my partner was in trouble in the barber
shop. I was up and into my pants in a moment. I grabbed old Betsy
Jane and started. When I arrived at the shop door, I saw two
fellows standing over Bill; one had a big pocket-knife, the other
had a poker. I did not stop to inquire what the trouble was about,
but rushed in, struck the fellow with the knife, and as the fellow
with the poker started to run I let him have one, and they both
measured their lengths on the floor. I turned to ask Bill what
the d---l the fellows were after him for, when they both jumped up
and lit out. Bill said:
"Well, George, I'll tell you. Them fellows took me for a sucker,
and bet me $10 that I couldn't open a big knife they had; but,
George, I knew how to open her just as well as they did, and I won
their money. They wanted me to give it up; but when I saw the
black boy start after you, I thought I would hold on until you
came, then I knew they would get left--didn't I, George?"
"Yes, Bill; you bet you won't have to give up when I'm around."
"George, them fellows took me for a sucker. Do I look like a
sucker?"
"No, Bill; you look like a nice, smart counter-hopper," I replied.
Bill laughed and said, "George, I'm $10 better off than I would
have been if you had not got here just in time; let's take something
and then go to bed."
The fellow dropped his big knife, which we found on the floor; so
that he was out $10 and his knife by tackling--not a sucker, but
one of the oldest and best sucker-catchers in the country.