University of Virginia Library

"FALLING OFF A LOG," IN A GAME OF
"SEVEN-UP."

"Hoss and hoss!"

"Yes; `hoss and hoss,' and my deal!"

"I'll double the bet, and have the whole bottle or
none."

"Let me cut, and I'll stand it."

" 'Spose we both take a little drink first," said
Chunkey.

"No: darned if I do! thar aint enough for us both—
if I win I'll drink it, and you must wait till a boat
comes, if you die! If you win, I'll wait, if I die!"

Such was the conversation between Jim and Chunkey,
as they were sitting across a log on the banks of the
Yazoo River, surrounded by a cloud of musquitoes,
playing "seven-up" for a remaining bottle of whisky,
which was not enough for the two, and "wouldn't set
one forward" much. They were just returning from
Bear Creek, in Township 17, Range I, where they had

some hands deadening timber, preparatory to opening a
plantation in the Fall. They had sent the negroes to
the river to take a steamboat, whilst they, with their
furniture, and the remains of a forty-two gallon "redhead,"
came down Deer Creek in a day out into False
Lake, through False Lake into Wasp Lake, and down
that to where it empties into the Yazoo, and here on
the banks of that river our scene opens.

"Go ahead, then," said Chunkey, "shuffle, deal,
and win, if you can, but take out that Jack what's
torn!"

I took the Jack out, shuffled, dealt, and at it we
went. Chunkey looked mighty scared; his eye was
sorter oneasy, and dartin about, and he seemed to be
choked, as he kept tryin to swaller somethin—the long
beard on his face looked powerful black, or else his face
looked powerful white, one or the 'yether. We both
played mighty slow and careful. The first hand I made
"high, low," and Chunkey "game;" the second hand
I made "low, Jack," and Chunkey "high, game."

"Four to three," says I.

"Yes, and my deal," said Chunkey.

He gin 'em the Sunflower "shuffle," and I the Big
Greasy "cut," and pushed 'em back. Chunkey dealt
em mighty slow, and kept tryin to see my cards, but I
laid my hand on 'em as fast as they fell on the log, to
prevent him from seem the marks. He turned up the
Ace of Clubs. When I looked at my hand, thar was
the King, Jack, Nine, and Deuce,—I led my King—

"High!" says I.

"Low!" said Chunkey, poppin down the Tray.

"Not edzactly," said I, hawlin in the trick, and

leadin the Deuce, and jist as I done so, I seed Chunkey
starin over my shoulder, lookin wilder nor a dyin bar.
I never seed a man look so awful in my life. I thought
he were gwine to have a fit.

"Ya, ya!" said he, "fallin off the log," cryin
"Snake! snake!!"

I never took time to look, but made a big he-spring
about twenty feet in the cane, the har on my head
standin stiff as bristles and ratlin like a raftsman's bones,
with the Sky Lake ager, and the bad feelins runnin
down to my toes. I reckon you never seed a man so
afraid of snakes as I is, and I've been so all my life;
I'd rather fight the biggest bar in the swamp with his
own weapons, teeth and claws, takin it rough and tumble,
dependin on my mind and knowledge of a bar's
character, than come in contact with a big rusty highland
moccasin or rattlesnake, and that's the reason I never
hunts in the summer time. When I lived up on Deer
Creek, thar was a perfect cord of all sorts, and I used
to wear all summer the thickest kind of cow-hide boots,
reachin up to my hips, and I never went into the field,
'ceptin on a mule, with a double-barreled gun at that.
This, Chunkey knowed; and whenever he seed one he
gin me warnin. Chunkey aint afraid of snakes; he'd
jist as soon eat of a gourd with a snake, as not, if the
snake would help himself and not meddle with his
licker.

Well, arter lookin about a spell I couldn't see no
snake sign, and I then hollered to Chunkey, but darned
a word did he say. It then flashed across my mind that
as Chunkey fell on the side of the log whar the licker
lay, he might sorter taste it, as he were dry enough to

be able to swaller a little at a time; so I struck a lick
back to the log and looked over, and thar he lay, jist
curled up like a coon in the sunshine, and the bottle jist
glued to his lips, and the licker runnin down his throat
like a storm! darn him, I hadden't no time to think afore
I bounced at him! I struck across his snout, and he
nailed my thumb in his jaws, and rostled up a handful
of dirt and throwed it in my eyes, and that sot me to
gwine, and I throwed the licks into him right and left,
and I made the fur fly, I tell you; but Chunkey stood
it like a man! Darned the word did he say; he
wouldn't holler, he was perfectly game!

"No, that's a fact! I didn't holler; I didn't have
time; while you were working away on that gum knot,
I were standin up agin a little dog-wood finishin the
licker!"

"How comes it that you never wrung in that part of
the story about the knot before?"

"'Cause, I'd done got the licker, and I was satisfied;
you thought you'd gin me some mighty big licks, and
you was satisfied; and it would have been mean in me
to crow over you then: you was out of licker, tobacco,
and had your fist all skinned and beat as soft as a bar's
foot! Oh no, Jim, I'm reasonable, I is."

"Well, go along; if I don't set you to gnawin
somethin harder than that knot afore long, then my
name aint nothin to me, and I don't car for nobody,
that's all."

"All sot," says Chunkey, "let's licker. You
wanted to know what `fallin off a log,' meant, and I
thought I'd show you; but, my honey, I'll jist let you
know if you'd a hit me any of them licks what you

struck `right and left' into that knot, I'd a gin you a
touch of panter fistcuffs—a sort of cross of the scratch
on the bite—and a powerful strong game it is, in a close
fight. Come, gents, let's licker, and then I can beat
any man that wars har, for a mighty nice chunk of a
poney, at any game of short cards—