'"

THE CRAZY MAN.

I was going up the Illinois River once with Dad Ryan. We did not
try to do anything the first night out from St. Louis. The next
day I picked up a man who had been to St. Louis with wild game and
butter, and had a great deal of money for a man of his calibre.
I told him I lived in Galena, Ill., and had some of the finest lead
mines in that part of the country. We got pretty well acquainted
with each other, and had some drinks together. He got to feeling
lively, for whenever he took a drink he would take a tumbler half
full of whisky. After getting him warmed up pretty well, I walked
him in the barber shop to see a white squirrel. During the while
the barber was after it, Dad opened out the three cards, and my
friend and I had become very interested in the game. I looked on
a while, then I said to Ryan: "I think I can turn the winning card
for $100." He accepted the proposition, and I laid up the money
and turned the wrong one. I then picked up the jack, as that was
the winner, and bent the corner, showed it to my friend, "whispered"
and told him not to say a word, as he would not detect its being
bent. He said, "All right." I told the dealer to throw them over
again, which he did. I then said, "I know you have two chances to
our one, but I will try you for $200." We put up our money into
the butter man's hands, and I turned the card. The dealer told
the butter man that he lost fair, and to give the money to me.
Then I wanted to try it for the $400, but he would not bet with
me, saying: "When a man beats me once, I will not bet with him
again." So I handed the money to my friend, and told him to bet
it for me. "That will do," said Ryan. He mixed them up again,
and my friend turned the card and won for me.

Ryan took it very pleasantly, laughing all the time, so my friend
thought he would try it with his own money, but Ryan said: "You
beat me once, and you know what I said." "Well," said my friend,
"I did not bet for myself." I coaxed Ryan to let him bet, as he
was entitled to one bet at least. He consented, and my friend got
out $100; but Ryan said, "No; I will not bet less than $500." I
said to my friend, "If you have not got the money, I will loan it
to you; and if you only win one small bet, he will not bet with
you again." He pulled out a big roll with a string around it, and
counted out $400 more and laid it on the table. I told him I would
hold the stakes, so he