Even a more fruitful source of income than the pulley-weights was the interesting little game known as three-card monte. In this Ben was assisted by Hank Johnson, who could manipulate the pasteboards with surprising skill. Ben acted as a sort of general patron of the game, always sympathizing with the fellows who lost, and frequently putting in money himself to help make up a stake. He felt very sorry to see his rural friends lose their money--very sorry indeed. But for all that, he didn't object to sharing the profits with Johnson. Three-card monte is what Hogan used to call "catching suckers by wholesale," and that was an excellent name for it. One case, in particular, was most amusing. A highly respectable old chap from Titusville came in one day with a load of fish. After he sold his stock he was introduced to Hank Johnson, who was illustrating the way they used to draft men in the South. "You see," said Hank, "they would throw down three cards in this manner. Well, if a man could pick out the queen, he wouldn't be drafted; but if he didn't hit the queen, he was a goner!" "Waal, now, I want teu know if that's the way they did it!" exclaimed the first dealer. "I'll bet if I'd a been down there they wouldn't a drafted me!" "You think you could have picked out the right card, do you?" asked Johnson, carelessly. "Think? Why, Lord bless you, I don't think nothin' about it; I _know_ I could!" "Well, suppose you try it once, just for fun." Johnson threw down the cards, and, sure enough, the Titusville man picked out the queen. "You wouldn't want to bet five dollars that you could do it again, would you?" observed Hank, playing with the pasteboards in an unconcerned manner. "Wouldn't I, now?" said the fish-dealer. "You jest believe I would!" So saying, he pulled out five dollars, planked it down, and for the second time turned the queen. All this time Ben had been watching the game, and now the Titusviller turned to him and whispered: "Why, Lord bless you, I can pick out that kerd every time. Don't you see it's got a mark on it?" Sure enough, the queen did have a mark on the back, and the only wonder was that Johnson hadn't discovered it. Probably he would if he hadn't made the mark himself. [Illustration: _FRENCH KATE._] "Go him fifty this time," suggested Ben. "Here, make it a hundred, and I'll stand in with you." Hogan slipped some bank notes in the countryman's hand, and the latter bet his pile on the throw. "There she is!" he exclaimed, laying his finger on the card with the spot on it. Johnson turned it over, when, to the Titusviller's amazement, it proved to be the ten-spot of clubs, instead of the queen.