kerchief
over the box I held in my lap. Everything went on all right. The
first case that showed on the case-keeper they all jumped on to
play it open, as they wanted to break the snap, as then I would
open another; but the case lost, and I was a good big winner over
the last deal. When it came to another case, they played it to
win, and it lost; but they did not think anything was wrong, so
they kept firing away till they were all pretty well crippled in
money matters. They played the deal out, and nearly all were broke.
At the end of the deal I said, "Boys, I will have to quit you, as
it is too much of a seesaw game;" and then they commenced to smell
a rat, and you would have given $100 to have heard them cursing
for not watching me shuffle that deal. The game closed with nearly
all the money won; some of them I had to loan money, to pay their
expenses.

THE JUERGUNSEN WATCH.

I won a Juergunsen watch one time from a Jew. I put $1,000 against
it. After I got the watch the Jew came to me and said: "Look
here, I want to tell you something. I bought that watch for $5.
It is not worth that much, so help me gracious; but I bought it
for a brother on a farm, and he don't know the difference. I'll
tell you what I do; I will give you $10 for it, for I don't want
to fool him, as I am going out there now." I told him it was good
enough to give to a boy, and I would keep it for a black boy I had.
"I tell you what I do; rather than let a nigger boy get it, I'll
give you $15." I said "No." He kept raising till he got to $400.
As I knew I could get no more, I let him have it. After he got
the watch he commenced to laugh and said he cheated me, for the
watch cost him $600. I knew what they cost, for I had priced the
same watches, and they were worth $600 at that time. It was one
of the finest make, split seconds, and had an alarm. The cases
were very heavy, with a diamond in the stem that would weigh a
karat. The Jew thought he had beat me, but he seemed to forget
that I had beat him first.

IT MADE A MAN OF HIM.

"Yet fondly we ourselves deceive,
And empty hopes pursue;
Though false to others, we believe
She will to us prove true."

On my way up the river on board the old steamer _Natchez_ (the boat
that was burned up during the war), I won some money and a check
for $4,000 on the Louisiana State Bank of New Orleans. The check
was signed by one of the largest planters on the coast, and I