er, and I would like to put my money
in with you and have an interest." Something struck me immediately
that I might as well have the $4,000 as not, so I said to him: "I
will see Mr. Bush (my partner), and let you know after supper."
The first thing to be done was to manufacture a sucker to play me
a big game of poker. I knew several good boys on board; some were
gamblers and some were horsemen. I selected one of the horsemen,
and took him to my room to teach him the ropes. I said to him:
"I will cold deck you, and give you three kings, a seven and a
eight, and you must put your thumb over one of the spots on the
eight, so that the Jew will think you have a king full on sevens
when he sees your hand. I will have an ace full, and will bet you
$200 or $300 before the draw; then you raise me $5,000." After
giving him full instructions, so there would be no mistake, I gave
him a big roll and let him out, with instructions not to know me
until the time of the game. I told Bush the plan, so after supper
we opened up with our three cards and took in a few hundred dollars.
After we had closed for the evening, I picked up my manufactured
sucker and commenced a divvy game of poker. I told my Jew partner
to see every hand that the other fellow held, and to attract his
attention so I could cold deck him. I came up with the ice and
bet $250 before the draw. The sucker came back and raised me
$5,000. The Jew was behind him and saw his king full on sevens;
he then came around and saw my ace full on trays. I pretended to
be a little short, and called for Bush to bring me some money.
Then my would-be partner commenced to get out his money, and was
in such a hurry (for fear he would not be in time) that he tore
the buttons off his vest. He put up his $4,000; Bush got $1,000
from John C. Heenan (the prize fighter, who was on the boat), and
I called the bet. The game had attracted the attention of all the
passengers; they were all around us, some on the tables and chairs,
and every one was holding his breath waiting for the result, except
my Jew partner, who was so delighted with the sure thing of having
won one-half of the money that he could not keep still a moment,
but kept dancing around, rubbing his hands and smiling as if he
had sold a suit of clothes without coming down a cent. When, to
everybody's great surprise, the sucker said, "Gentlemen, I have
made a mistake in my hand; can't I take my money down?" The Jew
sa