hat would lock the first one so that it would
not work, and when the second spring was used, no one could open
the blade with the first spring alone. Like most tricks, this
knife racket took two persons to work it successfully. The one
with the knife would be dressed up like a countryman, and he would
go up to a person who he thought could be played for a sucker, and
enter into conversation with him. Finally he would show the knife,
and explain how to open the blade when locked with but one spring.

About this time the capper (a well dressed man) would come up, and
the country looking fellow that owned the knife would say to the
sucker, "There comes a fellow; say nothing to him about the spring,
and we will win some money."

The capper would take the knife and try to open it, then he would
say, "That is a dummy; it was not made to open."

The owner of the knife would then say, "Yes, it can be opened."

Then the nice man would try it again, and finally he would offer
to bet that no man could open the knife in ten or fifteen minutes.
The sucker would take him up; and as he did not know anything about
the second spring, of course he lost his money.

I did not have any use for such contrivances, as old monte was good
enough for me; but I always tried to keep posted on all the tricks
and schemes, so as to be able to down the schemers at their own
games.

Bill and I went on board the steamer _Bart Able_, bound for New
Orleans, late one night. I was tired and sleepy, so I told Bill
I would go to bed. He said he would take a smoke, and then join
me. I had not been in bed but a few moments, when a black boy
called me and said that my partner was in trouble in the barber
shop. I was up and into my pants in a moment. I grabbed old Betsy
Jane and started. When I arrived at the shop door, I saw two
fellows standing over Bill; one had a big pocket-knife, the other
had a poker. I did not stop to inquire what the trouble was about,
but rushed in, struck the fellow with the knife, and as the fellow
with the poker started to run I let him have one, and they both
measured their lengths on the floor. I turned to ask Bill what
the d---l the fellows were after him for, when they both jumped up
and lit out. Bill said:

"Well, George, I'll tell you. Them fellows took me for a sucker,
and bet me $10 that I couldn't open a big knife they had; but,
George, I knew how to open her just as well as they did, and I won
their mon