he offered to bet me "that the wheel man could do it." I replied
that I'd bet any amount that he couldn't, unless he told him how.
This settled the wheelman, who said that he could turn the right
card for $100.

"But I am already a loser for more than that, and I won't bet now
for less than $500."

He began counting out his roll, but could only make out $430. He
was wearing a $100 watch and chain, and Aleck whispered to him to
put up that for the remaining $70. This he did, and I soon raked
them in, as of course he got the wrong card. The fellow looked a
little blue, but Aleck made him believe that he had in his hurry
picked up the wrong card. So the fellow was bound to have revenge,
and he put up his jewelry and wheel, all of which I soon won.

When Captain Dix came around, he was so overjoyed that he set up
the wine and had a hearty laugh over it. I gave the fellow $50
and paid his passage back to St. Louis, while his jewelry I gave
to a lame fellow that I knew in New Orleans, and it was a start in
life for him.

The next morning, before the story of the jewelry man had gotten
out among the passengers, we took in two or three suckers, and were
intending to get off at Baton Rouge; but noticing several good men
getting aboard, determined to try our hands on them. The fates
were propitious, for we won $1,400 and a watch from one of them,
and the other was plucked for $700 and a $200 diamond pin. I
afterwards learned that they were both wealthy men who had been up
to see the Governor, so the trifling loss of their pocket money
did not affect them.

WON AND LOST.

We had been playing monte at one time in the bar-room of the old
Prentis House at Vicksburg, Miss., and had just closed up, when in
came four fellows that lived back in the country. We thought they
had some money, so we opened up again to take it in. It was not
long until we had all of their cash stuff. Then one of them pointed
out a fine horse that was hitched with three others out at the
rack, and wanted to bet me the horse against $200. The others then
said they would do the same thing, so I put up $800 against their
four horses, and they selected one of their party to turn the card.
He turned and lost. I sent a black boy to put my horses into the
stable, and he started with two of them, when two of the fellows
rushed out, jumped onto the other two horses, and went up the hill
as if the d---l was after them. I sent word to them by the