e were all friends, I did not want to
change the social to a butting match, so I said:

"Boys, don't bet, and Mr. Carroll and I will come together just
once for fun."

The Robinson boys had great confidence in Carroll, and so did "Dutch
Jake" have in me. I was at least fifty pounds heavier than Carroll,
and I knew that was a great advantage, even if his head was as hard
as my own. It was finally agreed that there would be no betting,
so we came together. I did not strike my very best, for I was a
little afraid of hurting the little fellow; but then he traveled
on his head, so I thought I could give him a pretty good one.
After we struck, Carroll walked up to me, laid his hand on my head,
and said:

"Gentlemen, I have found my papa at last."

He had the hardest head I ever ran against; and if he had been as
heavy as I was, I can't say what the result would have been if we
had come together in earnest.

Poor fellow! He is dead now, and I know of no other man with as
hard a head, except it is myself. My old head is hard and thick,
and maybe that is the reason I never had sense enough to save my
money. It is said of me that I have won more money than any sporting
man in this country. I will say that I hadn't sense enough to keep
it; but if I had never seen a faro bank, I would be a wealthy man
to-day.

SAVED BY HIS WIFE.

I shall never forget a trip that I took many years ago in the
steamer _Tagleona_, a Pittsburg boat. It was her first trip out,
and Adam Clark, who has now been dead for many years, was with me
as a partner. He was doing the playing, and money was plenty.
Clark was an Englishman, and when he spread his board in the hall-
way and made his introductory speech, a great crowd gathered about;
for as he dropped his h's, like all Cockneys, it was very amusing
to hear him talk. In those days the big fish had the first choice,
and the small fry, or poor fish, had to wait around some time before
they got a chance to lose their money. I noticed an old man hanging
around, and so I sized him up as a pretty solid fellow, and giving
my partner the wink, I called up all hands to the bar, and they
all came willingly enough except a couple of fellows, who hung
back. I sent one of the crowd back to invite them up, as I did
not want them to see what the old man lost. They came along, and
while we were at the bar Adam downed his man for $4,000 at one bet.
When we came back from the bar, Adam kept right