Some men are the soul of honor, and if they lose a bet will walk
right up to the captain's office and settle; while others are fast
enough to make bets, take chances, and all that sort of thing, but
when it comes to paying their losses, if there is a hole to crawl
out of, they are the very men to do it.
Coming out of New Orleans one time on the steamer _Peerless_, I
was open for business, waiting for somebody to try his luck, when,
looking around, I espied one of the leading dry good merchants of
the Crescent City, whose place of business was on Canal Street.
He asked me the kind of game I was running, and I explained it to
him, when my capper came along, and, looking on, made a bet for
the drinks that he could turn the jack. The capper won, and we
had the drinks all around, when he took the jack and turned up a
corner, taking care to let the merchant see what he had done. Then
he began bantering me to bet with him. I persisted that I had the
best of it, as I had two chances to his one, and was dead sure to
win two out of three times. The merchant had often seen me playing
short cards and rouge et noir. We kept up a running conversation
for some time, till at last I told him that I had never run a game
I would not bet on, except this one. Then the capper offered to
wager $100 that he could turn the right card.
"Put up your money," was all I said, and I handed mine to the
merchant.
Sure enough, he turned the right card, and I unconcernedly remarked,
"Well, you got her."
Then the merchant wanted to bet me $100 that he could turn the
right card, when I replied:
"I will make just one bet with you for $500."
He began going through his pockets, and only found $425; so I said:
"I'll back out, as I do not know much about the game, anyhow; but
if there is any other game you want to be on, why, I am your man."
Continuing, I said: "Any other game but this one, I will bet
$10,000 on. I pride myself on betting as big as anybody."
"This is the first time I ever knew of your backing out," replied
the merchant.
The capper then offered to bet $500, and began to abuse me. He
put up his money, guessed the right card, and of course won.
Things were now getting exciting, and my merchant friend was very
warm under the collar, and wanted to bet me the $425; but I wouldn't
have it, and said in a majestic manner:
"No, sir; nothing less than a cool thousand, as I am now a big
loser."
The capper offered to loan the merchant some money to make up the
balance, but I would not allow it. At last he put up his watch
and diamond pin, and went to turn the jack. Of course he lost.
Afterwards he came to me and gave me a check for $1,000, and I
returned him his jewelry and money. We stopped for half an hour
at one of the landings, and he slipped off and countermanded the
payment of the check by telegraph. When I presented the check at
the bank I was shown the dispatch, and to this day the check has
never been paid, though the merchant still does business on Canal
Street. He was an honorable, high-toned merchant.