the barkeeper and said to him,
"That man Devol can see better than we thought he could."
I was standing out on the guards smoking, when up came my food for
the brain. He said to me: "Mr. Devol, I am a poor man, with a
wife and four little children. That money I lost was all I had in
the world, and it was given to me by my friends to start me in a
little business. If I don't get that money, I am a ruined man,
and my poor wife and little children will starve to death, for I
will never see them again. Oh, Mr. Devol, take pity on my poor
wife and four little children, and give me back the money. You
are a rich man, and can make money so fast; and my poor wife and
four little children will pray for you as long as we live; and I
will tell my children's children what a good man Mr. D----" "Hold
on," I said, as I saw the big tears running down the heart-broken
man's face. "Here's your money; take it and give it to your family."
I handed him a five hundred-dollar bill and turned away, took out
my handkerchief, and was just wiping something off my cheek, when
I thought I heard something like a laugh. I turned around, and
there, a little way off, stood my poor Jew with seven five hundred-
dollar bills in his hand, shaking them at me; and he said, "I
haven't go no wife nor no four little children, Mr. D----." He
did not finish, for I started for him, and he lit out as if the
devil, instead of Devol, was after him. When we got to the city,
I went into the first harness store I came to and bought a whip,
but I never had the nerve to use it.
THE THREE FIVES.
At one time I was going down the river below Baton Rouge, and there
were a lot of raftsmen on board. They all loved to gamble, so one
of them opened a chuckaluck game. They were putting down their
money with both hands, and the game was over $400 winner. I thought
I would give him a little play, so I went to my room and got a set
of dice the same size as he was using, and then changed in a five
without winning a bet. Then I asked him if I could shake them once
for luck. "Oh, yes," he said, for he was playing on the square.
I came the change on him, then I put $100 inside of a dollar bill,
and put it on the five. He shook them up, when, lo and behold, up
came three fives. He picked up my money, and when he saw the $100
he looked worse than a sick monkey; but he paid up like a man. I
then came the change back, and quit. A man should learn all the
trick
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