time. They
showed down, and the sucker had caught another king in the draw,
and he won the pot. Jim did not say a word, but began to deal the
bank. The next night some of the boys that had eaten a good supper
at Jim's expense invited him to the theatre. Jim wanted to know
the play; they told him "The Hidden Hand." Jim said, "No, boys;
I saw that play last night, and I would not see it again for $1,000."
Jim is now living in Detroit, and is one of the wealthiest men in
the city. His father left him a fortune, and he has not laid down
a dollar on a gambling table since; yet he likes the boys, and can
tell some of the best stories of any man in this country. He is
very fond of the theatres, but he says he never goes when they play
"The Hidden Hand."

CAUGHT AGAIN.

While sitting in the hall of the steamer _Petonia_, I noticed a
fellow who kept looking at me so closely that I at last said to
him, "Do you live on the river, sir?" He replied, "Are you speaking
to me?" "Well, yes; I asked you if you lived on the river." He
answered me very gruffly, "No sir." I let him alone, for I thought
I had seen him before, and it might be I had beat him out of some
money; so I got up and walked down the cabin. After I left, he
asked the barkeeper who I was, and he told him I was a planter,
and the son of one of the wealthiest planters on the coast. The
fellow said: "Darn me if he don't look just like a fellow that
beat me out of $5,000 some years ago." "I guess you are mistaken;
although all planters gamble more or less," said the barkeeper.
"Well, let's take a drink; but I was sure he was the same man."

Just as they finished their drink, I walked up and called for some
wine. The fellow spoke up and said, "Have a drink with me." I
said, "No, you join me, as I see you have finished yours." He
accepted, and I ordered a bottle of wine. We sat down to drink
the wine, when he said, "You must excuse me for the manner in which
I spoke to you a while ago, as I took you for a man that beat me
out of $5,000 on one of these boats, some years ago, at a game they
called monte." "Well, now," I said; "it must have been the same
fellow that beat me, for that's what they called it, monte; but I
did not care very much, as I was spending the old gent's money at
that time." He replied: "But I did mind it, for I had just sold
my place, and was going to put the money into business; but on
account of that d----d rascal, I have had