playing him, and finally he said:

"I'll go yer once for $5, anyhow."

I told him to put up. I turned and lost again.

Then old Jack rolled off his chair and roared so loud that I was
afraid he would wake up all the passengers on the boat. The room
was soon full of people, and every one was crowding around to get
a look at the old fool that was making so much noise.

Jack ordered the drinks, saying:

"You fellars think I haint got no sense, but I'll bet yer's long's
I's got two kerds to yer's one."

While old Jack was paying the barkeeper for the drams I put a pencil
mark on the boy ticket, and my friend saw me do it.

I then offered to make another bet.

Old Jack said: "I'll bet $10 this time."

I told him to put up, and he did. Then I replied:

"I will raise you $500," and I put up the amount in my friend's
hands.

"What's that? What yer put up $500 agin my $10 for?"

My friend told him he would have to put up $500 more, or he would
lose his $10.

"Wall, I'll be gol darned; I haint goin' to be backed out, fur if
the boys in Greenups would hear on't they wouldn't speak to me when
I go back thar."

He put up $500 more, then mixed the cards, and I turned the winner.
Everybody roared with laughter. Old Jack turned around, looked at
the crowd for a moment, then said:

"You fellars kin laugh at me just's much as yer like, but I don't
'low no man to back me down."

He then told the barkeeper to bring him a dram.

I said to my friend: "That old fool will lose all his money before
he gets to Texas, and I may as well have it as any one else."

He replied: "Yes; and I'm going to have some of it myself."

He then insisted on making a bet. I told him to make a good big
one, as the old fellow was getting too drunk to handle his cards,
and he might fall over and stop the game.

My friend then ordered the drinks, thinking, no doubt, that if he
would treat, old Jack would bet more liberally with him.

When the bystanders saw Jack take another of those big drams, some
of them remarked:

"Those gamblers have that old fellow so drunk they will win all of
his money before they let him go. It's a shame, and we ought to
stop it."

My friend offered to bet $500, when old Jack said:

"Boys, I'm drinking, and I don't care, fur my spunk's up, and I'd
just's soon bet her all the first bet; them tarnal fellers guzzled
me out of $1,000 in Cincinnater, and I wants ter get even." So
saying he pulled out