ake us to New Orleans. There was a man who had twelve bales
of cotton on the wharf, and he was also waiting for a boat. I told
my partner to get acquainted with him, and to keep away from me.
The result was that they were good friends when a boat arrived.
We all took passage, the cotton was loaded, and we were on our way.
I opened up the three-card racket; my partner won $100, and then
the cotton man was crazy, for he did not have any money to bet.
My partner told him he would loan him some on his cotton. They
went to the clerk, who made out a bill of sale for the twelve bales.
He got the money, and then he was happy, for he was sure of doubling
it with me. He was happy but for a short time. I had all his
money, and my partner had all of his cotton, so he (being a good
friend) let him have some money to pay his expenses. He did not
remain long, so the cost was not very heavy. The cotton was worth
about 121/2 cents per pound at that time, but during the war it was
many times that price. I was never very much stuck on cotton, as
it was too bulky to get away with in case you had to leave a boat
in a hurry.

TAUGHT A LESSON.

I was playing poker with a man, who, after I had broke him, went
to a gentleman friend of his and promised him twenty-five dollars
for the loan of $500 until he got home. As he was worth a great
deal of money, his friend loaned him the $500. After he got a new
stake, he came to me and wanted to renew the play. I had played
a square game, and, believing him to be a gentleman, I sat down to
play the same way; but I soon saw he thought himself a better player
than myself, so I lit into the new stake, and it was not long until
I had him broke again. Then he went to the Captain and set up a
great kick. The Captain said to him, "If you had won the money,
would you have given it back?" He said, "Captain, I give you my
word of honor that I would." "Then," says the Captain, "why did
you pay twenty-five dollars for the loan of the money?" "Oh," says
he, "I only wanted to teach him a lesson." "Well," says the Captain,
"if you pay twenty-five dollars every time you want to teach such
men as he is a lesson, you will soon get broke. I can't do anything
for you, my fine fellow."

The passengers laughed at him, and some called him "a good teacher"
(and that broke him all up). He soon sneaked off to his room, and
that was the last I saw of my teacher.

SINKING OF THE BELLE ZANE.

I was a