“A dumb bell,” answered Ben.
“But there isn’t any one hundred and thirty pound dumb bell in the town!”
“Well,” said Ben, “I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll bet you the five hundred dollars that I can throw you across the Erie canal!”
“I’ll bet you can’t!” was the prompt rejoinder.
“All right!” exclaimed Ben. “We’ll make the trial, and if I fail, the one who gives out first and wants to stop shall lose his money.”
This was agreed to by the stranger, who put up his five hundred dollars, and with the landlord and Ben, proceeded to the canal.
It was a chilly day, and the water was anything but inviting. The man of course had counted upon being pitched in to the canal, but he had also reckoned that he could stand the ducking longer than Ben could stand the throwing. That was where he made a mistake. Hogan seized hold of the chap, who weighed about one hundred and twenty-five pounds, and pitched him head foremost into the chilling water. He came out with his teeth chattering and his skin blue.
“That’s one failure!” exclaimed Ben, “but never mind; I shall get you across, yet. There’s nothing like patience in these things.”
Thereupon he seized hold of his victim again, and pitched him a second time into the water. Shaking as if he had the ague, the fellow pulled himself out, while the landlord and Ben roared with laughter. A third time Hogan picked up the unfortunate man, and threw him out into the canal. By this time he was pretty nearly frozen to death, and when he got out, he swore he wouldn’t be thrown in again if he could win ten times five hundred dollars. Ben and the landlord divided the stakes, and Hogan left Little Falls seventy-five dollars ahead, in spite of the unfortunate boxing contest.
The ups and downs of an adventurer’s life found an illustration in the journey to Syracuse. A couple of railroad sharpers, who made a living by betting on sure things, came up to Ben on the train, and told him they had a chance to bleed a “sucker,” but they needed a little ready money to do it. Would Ben go them two hundred or two hundred and fifty dollars for about half an hour? They would stand in with him evenly for all they made. Ben gave the fellows his money, and they went forward to another car to operate upon the “sucker.”