One of the most famous humorists in world literature, O. Henry created a unique panorama of American life at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries, in grotesque situations, he conveyed the contrasts and paradoxes of his era, which opened up space for people with business acumen, whom the game of chance raises to the top of success, then throws to the very bottom of life. “When I entered the smoking car of the San Francisco Express New York, I found Jefferson Peters there. Of all the people living west of the Wabash River, he is the only one endowed with real savvy. He is able to use both hemispheres of the brain at once, and even the cerebellum in addition to . Jeff's profession is lawless cheating. Widows and orphans should not be afraid of him; he withdraws only the surplus. Most of all, he likes to compare himself to that target in the form of a small bird, in which any wasteful or rash investor can shoot two or three dollars with a pile of money. His conversational abilities are well influenced by tobacco; knowing this, I learned the story of his last adventure with the help of two thick and easily flammable “breve” cigars.