We had been playing monte at one time in the bar-room of the old
Prentis House at Vicksburg, Miss., and had just closed up, when in
came four fellows that lived back in the country. We thought they
had some money, so we opened up again to take it in. It was not
long until we had all of their cash stuff. Then one of them pointed
out a fine horse that was hitched with three others out at the
rack, and wanted to bet me the horse against $200. The others then
said they would do the same thing, so I put up $800 against their
four horses, and they selected one of their party to turn the card.
He turned and lost. I sent a black boy to put my horses into the
stable, and he started with two of them, when two of the fellows
rushed out, jumped onto the other two horses, and went up the hill
as if the d---l was after them. I sent word to them by the other
two that if they ever came back to Vicksburg I would have them
arrested for stealing the horses. I did not wait to see if they
ever did come back, but sold the two horses I had left for $300,
and took the next boat for New Orleans.
There was a poor woman with six children on board the boat, and
she did not have any money to pay her passage, so we passed the
hat around, and every person on the boat that was told about the
poor woman chipped in something, except one stingy fellow. We took
the money to Captain Leathers, as we were on his boat; but he
refused to accept one cent for her passage, and told us to give
the money to the woman. He gave her a state-room, and treated her
as if she was paying full price for her passage. After the poor
woman and her children had been taken care of, we opened up monte,
and one of the first fellows we caught was the man who would not
chip in to help the poor woman and her little children. We downed
him for $800, and he kicked like a government mule. He went to
the Captain, who had been told how mean he had been, so he got no
sympathy from him or any one else. The passengers called him "Old
Stingy," and asked him if he was not sorry he had not given something
to the woman before he lost his money. It always did me a great
deal of good to down a stingy man, for I knew he would soon have
more, even if he had to starve himself to get it.