Some men are born rascals, some men have rascality thrust upon them, others achieve it. This is a story of a chap that I think must have had a birthmark of knavery somewhere concealed about his body. It was during the war, and I was going up on the steamer Fashion, Captain Pratt. I was dealing red and black, and had a big game, as there were a number of cotton buyers on board. One of them was a fine appearing gentleman from New York, who was soon $3,800 loser; then he began to play reckless, and was still followed by his bad luck. I noticed his nervousness, and came to the conclusion that he was not playing with his own money.

Finally looking up, he said, “How much will you turn for?”

Noticing his excited condition, I said, “Put down as much as you think proper, and if you go too high I’ll tell you.” With that he pulled out a long pocket-book, and drawing forth a roll of hundred-dollar bills threw them on the red. I picked up the money and counted it, and found there were thirty-three one-hundred-dollar bills.

“That’s beyond my limit,” I said; “but as I know you are a great deal heavier loser than that, I’ll give you a chance to get even, so crack her down.”

I made a turn, he lost. With a trembling hand and wild eye he counted out the balance of his money and laid it before me, saying: “This is my last bet; if I lose, there is $4,000, and there is $200 more. Will you turn for it?”

“Lay her up,” was all I said.

Down it went, just as any high-roller would do if he had some one else’s money; he lost, and fell back in his chair in a dead faint; ice water was brought and he was revived. After the game he came to me and said, “Not a dollar of that money was my own; it belonged to a wealthy New York firm, one of the members of which I was to meet in New Orleans, and render an account.” I told him that he would have to say that the money was invested in cotton that would be shipped in a few days. “That will give you time to skip,” I said, “for the affair is bound to come out, and then you will be in trouble.”

“No,” he said, “I won’t run away. I have thought of a plan that will let me out of the scrape. There is another man on the boat who is buying for the same firm. I will go to him and get a bundle of money which I will hand to you privately, and then you come before the passengers and hand it to me. You can say, ’I don’t want your money, so here it is, take it.’ I will thank you kindly, and there will be plenty of witnesses to say that I did not lose the money gambling.” I did exactly as the fellow wanted, much to the astonishment of the passengers, who said that I must either be the biggest-hearted man in the country, or the biggest fool that ever ran unhung, to give a man back that much money after fairly winning it.

When New Orleans was reached I was arrested, but easily proved that I had returned the money, or rather refused to take it, and was discharged; but the good old greenbacks were safe in my inside pocket, all the same.