l mark on it, which I showed the old man (who,
by-the-by, was a large wholesale grocery merchant, whom I had known
for twenty-five years, and he had seen me play monte many a time).
I asked the old fellow that was turning the cards, "if he would
bet on the game."

"Yes," he replied; "I'll bet you can't find any card you may mention,
after I mix 'em up."

Then I said, "Hide the old woman." So he mixed them up again, and
I said, "I know it's hard to find, but I'll bet you $1,000 I can
pick her up the first time." He laid up the money on the table,
and I continued, "This gentleman will hold the stakes." "All
right," said Bill, and he put the money in the grocery-man's hand,
and I turned the card. Bill said, "All right; fairly won. Give
him the money;" and I pocketed the stuff. Then I offered to bet
him $2,000, but Bill declined to bet with me any more; so my friend
the grocery-man spoke up: "I'll bet you I can turn the card."
Bill replied, "I have just lost $1,000, and if I bet any more it
will not be less than $2,000." So I handed my friend the money to
put up; but Bill wouldn't stand it, and spoke up: "I won't do
that. If you don't play your own money, I won't bet;" so I told
him to just lay it up and turn the card, and I would hand it to
him. He got out his wallet and put up $1,700, and I loaned him
$300 to make it up; so he turned the card. The old fellow could
not believe himself. He stood still for a few minutes, looked at
Bill, then at me, and finally said, "Devol, lend me a five-dollar
bill, and I will go home and stay there until I get some sense."
He did what he said he would, and I never saw him for a couple of
months, when one day, as I was passing his house, he hailed me,
and calling me in he counted me out $305 in five-dollar bills, and
said, "Here is what I owe you. Now I want to know if you have
found any more old fellows who don't know how to play that game of
monte." Of course I laughed at the joke, and we were always good
friends.

DICKY ROACH AND I.

While playing one night in St. Louis at old Mr. Peritts' game of
faro, and Dick Roach was dealing, luck ran dead against me, and at
every play I turned up loser, when in came a drunken man who was
quarrelsome, and insisted on annoying me. I told him that I was
in no condition to have anybody clawing me around. Then he got
mad and wanted to fight. I said nothing, and stood it as long as
I could, when I got up out of my chair, and h