In descending the river there was a juggler on board, who performed many skilful juggling tricks. and by various feats of gambling won much money from his dupes.  Crockett was opposed to gambling in all its forms.  Becoming acquainted with the juggler and, finding him at heart a well-meaning, good-natured fellow, he endeavored to remonstrate with him upon his evil practices.

“I told him,” says Crockett, “that it was a burlesque on human nature, that an able-bodied man, possessed of his full share of good sense, should voluntarily debase himself, and be indebted for subsistence to such a pitiful artifice.

“‘But what’s to be done, Colonel?’ says he.  ’I’m in the slough of despond, up to the very chin.  A miry and slippery path to travel.’

“‘Then hold your head up,’ says I, ’before the slough reaches your lips.’

“‘But what’s the use?’ says he:  ’it’s utterly impossible for me to wade through; and even if I could, I should be in such a dirty plight, that it would defy all the waters in the Mississippi to wash me clean again.  No,’ he added in a desponding tone, ’I should be like a live eel in a frying-pan, Colonel, sort of out of my element, if I attempted to live like an honest man at this time o’ day.’

“‘That I deny.  It is never too late to become honest,’ said I.  ’But even admit what you say to be true—­that you cannot live like an honest man—­you have at least the next best thing in your power, and no one can say nay to it.’

“‘And what is that?’

“’Die like a brave one.  And I know not whether, in the eyes of the world, a brilliant death is not preferred to an obscure life of rectitude.  Most men are remembered as they died, and not as they lived.  We gaze with admiration upon the glories of the setting sun, yet scarcely bestow a passing glance upon its noonday splendor.’

“‘You are right; but how is this to be done?’

“’Accompany me to Texas.  Cut aloof from your degrading habits and associates here, and, in fighting for the freedom of the Texans, regain your own.’

“The man seemed much moved.  He caught up his gambling instruments, thrust them into his pocket, with hasty strides traversed the floor two or three times, and then exclaimed: 

“’By heaven, I will try to be a man again.  I will live honestly, or die bravely.  I will go with you to Texas.’”

To confirm him in his good resolution, Crockett “asked him to liquor.”  At Natchitoches, Crockett encountered another very singular character.  He was a remarkably handsome young man, of poetic imagination, a sweet singer, and with innumerable scraps of poetry and of song ever at his tongue’s end.  Honey-trees, as they were called, were very abundant in Texas The prairies were almost boundless parterres of the richest flowers, from which the bees made large quantities of the most delicious honey.  This they deposited in the hollows of trees.  Not only was the honey valuable, but the wax constituted a very important article of commerce in Mexico, and brought a high price, being used for the immense candles which they burned in their churches.  The bee-hunter, by practice, acquired much skill in coursing the bees to their hives.