ppeared in court, the Judge said he had a notion to fine us $100
apiece for not sending for him, as he wanted to see it himself;
"but I will let you go this time." The man's name was John Mortice,
of Natchez, Miss.
Well, to tell you the truth, I was pretty well used up, but I staid
in my room till I got all right again. We made several successful
trips after that together. At last we parted, and he went to
California, and soon after died. I was then king of the monte men,
and did all of the playing myself. I got a man named Charlie Clark
to do the capping for me, and we made a world of money.
"Eph" Holland, Alexander, and I were coming out of the Red River
one night. The boat was full of people, and a great many were
playing poker. It was 2:30 A. M., when a large and powerful man
rushed out of the ladies' cabin with nothing on but his night-shirt,
and with a large butcher-knife in his hand. He rushed to one of
the tables, where there were seven seated, and before they could
rise he plunged the knife up to the hilt in two of the men. I
jumped up and ran out into the hall, determined to kill him if he
made a break for me; but the Captain hallooed at me, "Don't shoot,
he is a crazy man." He had been brought on board at Alexandria by
his wife, who was taking him to an asylum. He came rushing through
the cabin towards the hall, and I snatched up a big iron poker;
for I made up my mind I would lay him out if he came within reach.
He picked out another man and started for him, and they had it all
around the guards. The poor fellow that he was after was almost
scared to death. I jumped inside of the door, and as he came
brandishing his knife I dealt him a heavy blow on the side of the
head, which brought him down. We then got rope and tied him, and
kept him in that position till the engineer made hand-cuffs for him.
THE DAGUERROTYPE BOAT.
"Good heaven! that sots and knaves should be so vain,
To wish their vile remembrance may remain
And stand recorded at their own request,
To future days a libel or a jest."
Before the war, "Eph" Holland, my partner Alexander, and myself
were waiting for a boat at the mouth of the Red River. There was
a little boat lying at the landing, nicely fitted up for a daguerrotype
gallery, and I proposed to the boys that we have our pictures taken
all together, and I would pay for it, as I thought it would make
a pretty group. They agreed, so we went on board the
|