I told him twenty-five dollars.

"I will give you fifty dollars," said he.

We reached Galena in safety, and health. Now a new life
commenced. Mr. Bogges introduced me to John D. Mulligan, his
partner. I at once commenced my duties as bar-tender at the
store. The business was such that I found it more than play. Many
a time I did not get rest or sleep for forty-eight hours at a
time. I have frequently taken in one hundred dollars in twenty-
four hours for drinks, at five cents a drink. I paid attention to
business, making the interest of my employers my interest. On
account of my faithful services I was permitted to prepare hot
lunches during the night, to sell to gamblers. What I made was my
own. In this way I made from fifty to one hundred dollars a month
extra.

One day while I was absent from the store a French half-breed, by
the name of Shaunce got on a drunken spree and cleared out the
store and saloon. Hearing the disturbance I ran to the store. I
entered by the back door and went behind the counter. As I did so
Shaunce ran to the counter and grabbed a large number of
tumblers, and threw them about the house, breaking them all.

"Shaunce, you must either behave, or go out of the house," I
said.

He jumped over the counter, caught me by the throat, and shoved
me back against the counter, saying:

"You little dog, how dare you insult me!"

There was no time to swap knives. I must either receive a beating
or do something to prevent it. I remembered the advice that my
uncle Conner had given me about fighting.

"John, if you ever get in a fight with a man that overmatches
you, take one of his hands in both of yours, and let him strike
as he may, but get one of his fingers in your mouth and then bite
it, and hold on until he gives up," he had said.

Acting on this advice, I succeeded in getting one of Shaunce's
thumbs in my mouth. I held to it until I dislocated the thumb
joint, when he yelled:

"Take him off!"

This little affair made a quiet man of Shaunce, and my employers
were more pleased with me than ever before. They made me a
present of fifty dollars for what I had done.

While with Bogges & Co. I made money, and was saving of what I
earned. I did not gamble. I took good care of myself, and, having
the respect of every person, I admit I was quite vain and proud.
I was accused by the gamblers of being stingy with my money. So I
thought I would do as others did, and commenced to give money to
o