a man with a large load upon his back. I could
not discover what the bulk was. I passed on to the coffee-house, where
three of the boys were dividing one hundred and sixty-five dollars, the
proceeds of the day's work, which, they informed me, they had obtained
from one of the soft-shell brethren. That in the course of the day they
had met a countryman, and seeing he was apparently upon the look-out for
speculation, they had finally entered into conversation with him, and
had accidentally shown him some bright half dollars, and told him they
were counterfeit. "What," said he, "bogus?" "Bogus, indeed," said one.
"And do you know what, bogus is?" He said he ought to, and they then
tried him, and found him one of the right kind of brethren to skin; and
that they did in the following manner: Finding that he had money and
wanted "bogus," they set upon a plan to deceive him; which they did by
showing him the new half dollars, and telling him they were good coin;
and that if he wished he could have them at fifteen dollars for a
hundred dollars of "bogus." He agreed to purchase one hundred and
sixty-five dollars' worth, which they were to supply that evening. That
they were to meet him in the Fifth street market-house, and deliver his
bogus in a tobacco keg headed up. He of course took it for granted that
all was honest. They separated from him, purchased a tobacco keg, filled
it with stone-coal cinders, within an inch of the top, packing them very
hard to make them weigh heavy. They then put a false head one inch from
the top, upon which they put two hundred copper cents. They then placed
another head upon that, confining it tight with a hoop. After preparing
it, they rolled it into the market-house where they had met. He had paid
them the one hundred and sixty-five dollars for the cinders, which he
supposed to be the most beautiful bogus, and when he lifted the keg he
was satisfied all was right; _and how could he doubt it, they were
brethren!_ and they were then dividing the spoils. I suspected, from
description, it was our Lawrenceburgh friend, but remained silent, and
returned to my room where I knew I could ascertain. When I went, I
discovered my friend just ascending the stairs, with a large keg upon
his shoulder. "Halloo," said I, "what upon earth have you here?" He
dropped the keg, as though he had been shot, making a crash to be heard
a half mile distant, but fortunately no person about the house appeared
much disturbed