Part 21

Canada Bill and I were on board the steamer Doubloon, going up the Red River on one occasion. Bill was doing the playing, and I was driving and baiting. We had caught a nice string of fish, and had about come to the conclusion that there were no more of our kind left worth fishing for, when a nice looking young man came swimming up. We thought at first he was too small to angle for; but you can't sometimes always tell, for we found out that this one was larger than anything we had caught that evening.

He came right up, and, before we had time to put on fresh bait, wanted to bet $500 that he could turn the winner.

Bill said, "All right; I'll go you just once," and began counting out the money.

I caught a glimpse of the sucker's leather, and gave Bill the office to raise him about $4,000.

Bill then said, "I'll just raise you $3,000 if it breaks me."

The young one then turned to me and asked if I would hold the money.

I told him that I did not like to hold stakes, for one or the other must lose when two men bet, but if they had a thorough understanding, and would promise not to quarrel, I would hold the money.

The sucker replied: "I guess I understand what I'm about, and all you have to do is to give the money to the one who wins it."

"All right," says I; "but I know the loser is not as well satisfied as the winner, and I want you gentlemen to have a fair understanding. Put up your money, and I will hand it over to the one who is the lucky man."

He counted out what he thought was $3,500, but I saw it was $3,800, for I was not a bit excited, although I did not like to hold stakes.

Bill put up $3,500, for he heard me tell the young man he had put up that amount. After Bill had mixed them up and said he was ready, the sucker made a dive and nabbed the card with the mark on it, but it was not the winner. I asked him if I should give up the money (just as if I did not know anything about the game).

He replied, "I made a mistake. Give him the money."

I handed it over to Bill, and said to the young man as he was walking away, "I am sorry for your loss, but some one must lose when two men bet."

He replied, "It's all right, but I thought I had a sure thing."

After we closed up, and were taking our night-cap, I said to Bill, "What do you think of our last catch?"

"Well, George, when that chap came right up and offered to bet $500, without any coaxing, I thought he was a smart one, and may be he would get the right card. I don't believe I would have raised that $3,000 if it had not been he wanted you to hold the stakes. Then I knew he was a sucker sure enough."

We had another night-cap and then went to bed. The next day we settled up, and when Bill divided the $3,800 we had won on the last shuffle, he only accounted for $3,500.

I said, "Bill, that fellow put up $3,800."

"I guess not, George," he replied; but I could see that he had knocked down $300 on me.

MY VISIT TO OLD BILL.

A short time after the occurrence narrated in the preceding story, Canada Bill said to me, "George, don't you think we could make big money on the wharf-boat at the mouth of the Red River, out of those Texas boys that get off there to take the Red River boats?"

I replied, "Yes, there is plenty of money there, Bill. When do you want to go up?"

I thought he wanted to stop off for a few days, as we had often done before; but he said, "George, I am in poor health, and I want to quit the river and settle down, and I want you to be with me."

I did not blame the old fellow, for many a time we would have some pretty hard knocks and duckings in our business on the rivers and railroads; but I was well and hearty--and then I was of a roving disposition, and enjoyed the life I was leading--so I said: "Bill, you go up there and take a rest just as long as you like; but for me, I could not think of settling down on a wharf-boat, with nothing but cow-boys to break the monotony. I'll stick to the old thing as long as they will let me, or until I get married."

I did not think just then there was any possibility of my doing the latter thing; but men don't always know just what they will do, for I am married now, and have a dear old mother-in-law, too.

"Well, George, I don't like to leave you, but I will try her just once, anyhow."

We separated. Bill went to the wharf-boat, and I began looking for another partner. A few months after dissolving partnership with my old friend Bill, I met a man from Red River who told me that Bill was making big money up there. He said, "Why, that crazy looking old fellow is running a corner grocery, livery stable, and winning all the money and horses about the landing." I was not sorry he was doing well--in fact, I was glad of it; and I resolved that I would stop off on my next trip and see him. So in a few days I was on my way up to the mouth of the Red River. When the boat landed I started off, and there stood the old fellow, just as natural as life. I would have known him among ten thousand. He caught sight of me, and then he began to stretch those long thin legs of his, and in an instant he had me by the hand, saying, "Why, George! I'll be gol darned if I haint down-right glad to see you, old boy. Come right up and let's take something."

We had a few drinks, talked over old times, and to tell the truth, I was just as glad to see the old boy as he appeared to be to see me. After we had drank enough to make us feel pretty good, Bill said, "George, I've got some of the best critters in my barn that there is in this part of the country, and I won most of 'em playing the baby ticket."