s not a stingy man, either, for he was a good liver and
dresser, and I have known him often to spend as much as $200 in a
night for wine, etc. He has often talked to me about playing the
bank, and wanted me to quit it; and I can now see if I had taken
his advice I might have been worth forty times $44,000.

THE QUADROON GIRL.

I got on the _Belle Key_ one afternoon at Vicksburg; and as I
claimed to be a planter from White River, I soon became acquainted
with some planters that lived on the coast. There was a game of
poker started, and I was invited to sit in. We played until supper
was ready. I had played on the square, and had won a few hundred
dollars. After supper they got up a dance, and that spoiled the
game. I was sitting in the hall, when one of the planters came to
me and said, "Don't you dance?" "No, I don't care to dance where
I am not acquainted." "You are like me in that respect; I had
rather play poker; but as those gentlemen who were playing in the
game to-day have all got their families on board, they will not
play, so what do you say to us having a game?" I said I did not
care to play a while, but I would rather be a little more private,
and that we might go up into the texas and play. We got the checks
at the bar (and the barkeeper did not forget a deck of my cards).
We went up and had just got seated, when up came my partner and
said, "Gentlemen, are you going to sport a little?" "We are, will
you join us?" said the planter. "What are you going to play?"
"Poker, of course." He sat in, and then it was a very nice,
gentlemanly game. We played on the square for a while (that is,
if the cards had been square). Finally I could put it off no
longer, so I ran up two hands, giving the planter three eights,
and then downed him for over $400. We played a little while longer,
and then I ran up two more hands, and guarded them so nothing could
fall in that time. I gave my partner the best hand, and he took
in about $600. The planter was then over $1,000 loser, so he
excused himself for a few minutes, and I knew that he had gone
after more money. He soon returned with $1,500, and that lasted
him about one hour. He got up and said, "Boys, I must have some
more money." My partner and I went down with him, as I did not
think he could get any more. We were at the bar taking a drink,
when he turned to me and said, "I would like to play some more,
but I can't get any more money, unless you will