xas, and Metamoras. I took passage on board a screw steamer,
which had sails also. There were about forty-five passengers, all
told. The first two days out of New Orleans were pleasant; but
there came on a squall, which tore the sails into threads and came
near swamping the vessel. It stopped blowing in about half an
hour, and all was calm. There was a young man on board whose father
was a very rich man in New York, and had sent his son over to attend
to some business. While in New Orleans he became acquainted with
a rich firm, and through his letters from his father they intrusted
him with $12,000 to be delivered in Brownsville.

It happened that the young man was on deck during the storm, and
had to lie flat down and hold on to a coil of chain. After the
storm he came into the cabin and said, "I have had bad luck." Of
course we were all anxious to know what had happened to him. He
said he had had twelve one-thousand-dollar notes in the side pocket
of his coat, and the wind had blown his coat over his head, and
the bundle went into the Gulf. He said it was money that had been
put into his care to be delivered at Brownsville, and that his
father would have to stand the loss. We all felt sorry for the
fellow, but it soon died out, and there was no more said about it
till we got to Brownsville.

When we got to Bagdad and took the stage, he sat close to me and
commenced talking about losing the money. He said he felt ashamed
to show up at the firm's office. That made me think he was crooked,
and I concluded to keep an eye on him. We had not finished our
dinners at the hotel in Brownsville, when in marched a squad of
soldiers, and the Captain asked which man was Devol. I raised up
and said, "That is my name." He said the General in command wanted
me. "All right," I said. I went down to headquarters, and when
I got there the General said, "Where is the money you won from that
young man, coming over on the ship?" I told him I played no cards
with any young man on the vessel. "Have you got proof of that?"
said the business man to whom the money belonged. "Yes," said I,
and I sent to the hotel and got the Captain and the purser, who
testified that the young man did not play a card coming over. So
I was acquitted, and that was the last of it, as they were all
satisfied that the boy did nothing wrong, and really had lost the
money.

But I had him spotted; for it takes a rascal to catch a rascal.
The Cap