KNOCKED DOWN $300.
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."