' « hearty, a littlo moro impulsive utt lemow 'cany, true that oftEn b£firof his extreme liberality ■■■: '&.%&* equality partook somewhat ' ~ »nd brot?,;"' it is true that a few who -■""t'Cf been most bonoljtted by this ffllß, j^umel recorded him with a singular J* d ? truo that his liberality was insinuating quality, ac of an «SKh but little sacrifice; his ac cojnjxmiw collection taken up in a w^w saloon for the rebuilding of his destroyed by fire, gave him a • 9""T -u Tlarce enough, it must be con- P°Pj to cover the sins of tho gamblers fessea>, „.. ; t was no t proved that he **"B^H«d any form of relief. But •^ frue that local history somehow PJKed him as an exponent of mining "^^titv without tho least reference to jfs& of the Christian miners themselves. m , g Überal , ]abits and ■La we're not, however, shared by his "^daughter, a motherless young lady of !r NelHe Wynn was in the eye of liceWor, an unapproachab c d,vinity,_ as • Sasible and cold as her father was im *tataf and familiar. An atmosphere of "find proud virginity made itself felt in the starched integrity of her spot- Tf.kirts, in her neatly gloved finger tips, ■llr clear amber eyes, in her imperious ULnios in her sensitive nostrils. Need it {Tgaid that the youth and middle age of Fscclsior were madly, because apparently Sessly, in love with For the rest Shad been expensively educated, was ignorant in two languages, with KB of music and 'rotating, and a natural and faultless taste Thlfßev. Mr Wynn was engaged in a '■ characteristic hearty parting with one of his Sat converts, upon his own doorstep, ■ i£fa admirable al fresco effect. He had ! totclappedhim on the shoulder. "Good- ; lie eood-bye, Charley, my boy, and keep in S e right path; not up, or down, or round the gildl. y°u know—ha, ha!—bu t straight L^ lots to the shining gate." He had mised his voice under the stimulus of a few admiring spectators, and backed his convert nkvfully against the wall. " You see ! we're goin' in to win—you bet. Good-bye! I'd ask y°u to step in and have a chat, but I've got my work to do, and so have you. The uospel mustn't keep us from that— mast it, Charley? ha, ha!" The convert (who elsewhere was a pro fane expressman, and had become quite im becile under Mr Wynn's active heartiness and brotherly horse-play before spectators) managed, however, to feebly stammer with ablu&i something about" Miss Nellie." "Ah, Nellie. She, too, is at her tasks— trimming her lamps, you know, tho parable of the wise virgins," continued jSther Wynn, hastily, fearing that the OOnTert might takotlie illustration literally. "There, thero—good-bye. Keep in tho right path." And with a parting shove he dismissed Charley, and entered his own house. : That wise virgin, Nellie, had evidently finished with the lamp, as she was fully pressed and gloved and had a pink parasol in her hand as her father entered tho sitting worn. His bluff heartiness seemed to fade »way as he removed his soft broad-brimmed lot and glanced across the too fresh-looking ! apartment. There was a smell of mortar still in the air, and a faint suggestion that at any moment green grass might appear between the interstices of the red brick ■hearth. The room, yielding a little in the point of cold, seemed to share Miss Nellie's freshness, and, barring the pink parasol, set her off, as in a vestal's cell. '.■' "Isupposed you wouldn't care to see Brace, the expressman, so I got rid of him I at the door," Baid her father, drawing one of the new chairs toward him slowly, and sitting down carefully, as if it were a hithsr to untried experiment. Miss Nellie's face took a tint of interest. ;" Then he doesn't go with the coach to Indian Spring to-day ?" "No; why?" "I though of going over myself to get theßurnham girls to come to choir meet ing,V replied Miss Nellie, carelessly, " and i ho might have been company." "He'd go now if he knew you were going," laid her father, "but it's just as well he shouldn't be needlessly encouraged. I : rather think that Sheriff Dunn is a little jealous of him. By tho way, the Sheriff is lanch bettor. I called to cheer him up to day" (Mr Wynn had, in fact, tumultuously ■ accelerated the sick man's pulse), " and he talked of you as usual. In fact, he said he 'had only two things to get well for. One \ Was to catch and hang that woman Teresa, who shot him ; the other—can't you guess the other ?" he added, archly, with a faint suggestion of his other manner. Mas Nellie coldly could not. The Rev. Mr Wynn's archness vanished. "Don't be a fool," ho said, drily. "He wants to marry you, and you know it."

"Most of the men here do," responded Miss Nellie, without the least traco of coquetry. "Is the wedding or the hanging to take place first, or together—so he can officiate at both?"

" His share in the Union Ditch is worth a hundred thousand dollars," continued her father, "and if he isn't nominated for District Judge this fall, he's bound to go to the Legislature any way. I don't think a girl with your advantages and education can afford to throw away the chance of shining in Sacramento, San Francisco, or, in good time, perhaps in Washington." Miss Nellie's eyes did not retlect entire disapproval of this suggestion, although she replied with something of her father's prac tical quality: " Mr Dunn is not out of his bed yet, and they say Teresa's got away to Arizona, so there isn't any hurry." "Perhaps not. But see here, Nellie, I've some important news for you. You know your young friend of the Carquinez woods —Dorman, the botanist,, eh ? Well, Brace knows all about him. And what do you think he is ?"

Miss Nellie took upon herself a few extra degrees of cold, and didn't know. "An Injin! Yes, an out-and-out Cherokee.' You see, he calls himself Donnan—Low Dornaan. That's only French for ' sleeping water' —his Injin name, Low Dorman. "

" You mean l'Bau Donnante,' " said Nellie.

"■That's what I said. The chief called him 'Sleeping Water' when he was a boy, and p.ne of them French Canadian trappers translated it into French when he brought him to California to school. But he's an Injin, sure. No wonder he prefers to live in the woods."

"Well?" said Nellie. "Well," echoed hor father, impatiently. ' he's an Injin, I toll you, and you can't, of course, have anything to do with him. He mustn't come here again."

" But you forget," said Nellie, impertur bakly, "that it was you who invited him here, and were so much exercised over him. You remember you introduced him to the ■Bishop and those Eastern clergymen as, a Magnificent specimien of a young Califor nian. You forget what an occasion you made of his coming to church on Sunday, and how you made him come in his buck win shirt and walk down the street with you after service!"

_" Yes, yes," said the Rev. Mr Wynn, hurriedly.

"AntJ." continued Nellie, carelessly how you made us s}Hg out of the gai^ o oook, Children of our Father's Fold,' and how you preached at him until ho actually got a colour !" '

"Yes," said her father; " but it wasn't known then he was an Injin, and they are frightfully unpopular with thoßo South wostern men among whom we labour. In deed, I am quite convinced that when Brace said 'the only good Injin was a dead one ' his expression, though extravagant perhaps really voiced the sentiments of tho majority It would be only kindness to the unfortu nate creature to warn him from exposing himself to their rude but conscientous an tagonism."

"Perhaps you'd better tell him, then, in your own popular way, which they all seem to understand so well," reeponded the daughter. Mr Wynn cast a quick glance at her, but there was no trace of irony in her face—nothing but a half-bored indiffer ence as she walked toward the window. " I will go with you to the coach office," said her father, who generally gave these simple paternal duties the pronounced character of a public Christian example. " It's hardly worth while," replied Miss Nellio. " I've to stop at the Watsons', at the foot of the hill, and ask after the baby, so I shall go on to tho Crossing and pick up the coach when it passes. Good-bye."

Nevertheless, as soon as Nellie had de parted, the Rev. Mr Wynn' proceeded to the coach office, and, publicly grasping the hand of Yuba Bill, the driver, commended his daughter to hie care in the name of the universal brotherhood of man and the Christian fraternity. Carried away by his heartiness, he forgot his previous caution and confided to the expressmen Miss Nellie's regrets that she was not to ha"vo that gentleman's company. The result was tlafc Mid) Nellie found the coach with its passengers awaiting her with uplifted hats and wreathed smiles at the Crossing, and the box seat (from which an unfortunate stranger, who had expensively paid for it, had been summarily ejected) at her service beside Yuba Bill, who had thrown away his cigar and donned a new pair of buck skin gloves to do her honour. But a more serious result to the young beauty was the effect of the Rev. !Mr Wynn's confidences upon the impulsive heart of Jack Brace, the expressman. It has been already intimated that it was hiß "day off." Unable to summarily *eassume his usual func tions beside the driver without some prac tical reason.and ashamed to go so palpably as a mere passenger, he was forced to let the coach proceed without him. Discom fitted for the moment, ho was not, however, beaten. He had lost the blissful journey by her side, which would have been his professional right, bub—she was goring to Indian Spring; could ho not anticipate her there'? Might they not meet in the most accidental manner ? And what might not como from that meeting, away from the prying eyes of their own town? Mr Brace did not hesitate, but saddling his fleet Buckskin, by the tinio the stage had passed the Crossing in tho high rood he had mounted the hill and was dashing along the "cut off" in tho same direction, a full milo in advanco. Arriving at Indian Spring, he left his horse at a Mexican posada on the confines of the settlement, and from the piled debris of a tunnel excavation awaited tho slow arrival of the coach. On mature reflection ho could give no reason why he had not boldly awaited it at the Express office, except a certain bashful consciousness of hi« own folly, and a belief that it might be glaringly apparent to tho bystanders. When too coack arrived and he had overcome this consciousness, it was too late. Yuba Bill had discharged his passengers for Indian Spring and driven away,; Mies Nellie was in the settlement, but where? As timo passed he became more desperato and bold. Ho walked recklessly up and down the main street, glancing in at tho open doors of shops, and even in tho windows of private dwellings. It might have seemed a poor compliment to Miss Nellie, but it waa an evidence of his complete preoccupation ■when tho sight of a female face at the window, even though it was plain, or perhaps painted, caused his heart to bound, or the glancing of a skirt in tho distance quickened his feet and his pulses. Had Jack contented himself with remain ing at Excelsior, ho might havo vaguely ro gretted, but as soon becamo as vaguely accustomed to, Miss Nollio's absence. But it was not until his hitherto quiet and passive love took this first step of action that it fully declared itself. When he had made the tour of tho town a dozon timos unsuccessfully, he had perfectly made up his mind that marriage with Nellie or the fipoedy death of several peoplo, includ ing jxissibly himself, was the only altorna tive. Ho regretted ho had not accompanied her ; ho regretted ho had not demanded where she was going ; he contemplated a oonrsu of future action that two hours ago would havo filled him with bashful terror. Thero was clearly but one thing to do—to declare his passion the instant he mot hor, and return with her to Excelsior an accepted suitor or not to return at all.

Suddenly he wag vexatiously conscious of hearing his name lazily called, and, looking up, found that he was on the outskirts of the town, and interrogated by two horse men.

"Got down to walk, and the coach got away from you, Jack, eh ?"

A little ashamed of hie preoccupation, Brace stammered something about "col lections." He did not recognise the men, but his own face, name, and business were familiar to everybody for fifty miles along the stage road.

"Well, you can settle a bet for us, I reckon. Bill Daere thar bet me five dollars and the drinks that a young gal we mot at the edge of the Carquinez Woods, dressed in a long, brown duster, and half-muffled up in a hood, was the daughter of Father Wynn, of Excelsior. I did not get a fair look at her, but it stands to reason that a high-toned young lady like Nellie Wynn don't go trapsing along the wood like a Pike country tramp. I took the bet. Maybe you know if she's here or in Excel sior f

Mr Brace felt himself turning pale with eagerness and excitement. But the near prospect of seeing her presently gave him back his caution, and he answered truth fully that he had left her in Excelsior, and that in his two hours' sojourn in Indian Spring he had not met ho* once. " But," he added, with a Californian's reverence for the sanctity of abet. "I reckon you'd better make it a stand-off for twenty-four hours, and 111 find out and let you know," which, it is only fair to say, he honestly intended to do.

Witli a hurried nod of parting, ho con tinued >n the direction of the woods. When he had satisfied himself that the strangers had entered the settlement and would not follow him for further explanation; he quickened his pace. In half an hour he passed between twoof the gigantic sentinels that guarded the entrance to a trail. Hero he paused to collect his thoughts. The woods were vast in extent, the trails dim and uncertain—at times apparently break ing off, or intersectihg another trail as faint as itself. Believing that Mies Nellio had diverged from the highway only a momen tary excursion into the shade, and that she would not dare to penetrate its more sombre and unknown recesses, ho kept within sight of the skirting

plain. By degrees the sedate in fluence of the silent vaults seemed to depress him. Tho ardour of the chase began to flag. Under tho calm of their dim roof the fever of his veins began to subside. His pace slackened ;he reasoned more deliberately. It was by no means probable that the young woman in a brown duster was Nellio. It was not her habitual travelling dress; it was not like her to walk unattended in the road ; thero was nothing in her tastes and habits to take her into this gloomy forest, allowing that she had even entered it, and on this abso lute question of hor identity the two wit nesses wore divided. He stopped irreso lutely and cast a last, long, half-despairing look around him. Hitherto he had given that part of the wood nearest tho plain his greatest attention. His glance now sought its darker recesses. Suddenly ho became breathless. Was it a beam of sunlight that had pierced tho groined roof above and now rested against the trunk of one of the dimmer more secluded giants ? No, it was moving ; even as he gazed it slipped away, glanced against another tree, passed across one of the vaulted aisles, and then was lost again. Brief as was the flimpso, he was not mistaken—it was the gure of a woman.

In another moment he was on her track, and soon had the satisfaction of seeing hor reappear at a lesser distance. But tho con tinual intervention of the massive trunks made the chase by no means an easy ono, and, as lie could not keep her always in sight, he was unable to follow or under stand the one intelligent direction which she seemed to invariably keep. Neverthe less, he gained upon hor breathlessly, and, thanks to the bark-strewn floof, noiselessly. He was near enough to distinguish and recognise the dress she wore, a pale yellow that he hed admired _ when he fint saw her. It was Nellie, unmistakably ; if it were she of the brown duster, she had discarded it, perhaps for greater freedom. Ho was near enough to call out now, but a certain nervous timidity overcamo him—his lips grew dry. What should he say to her ? How account for his presence? "Miss Nellio, ono moment I" he gasped. She darted forward and—vanished.

At this moment he was not more than a dozen yards from her. Ho rushed to where she had been standing, but her disappear ance was perfect and complete. Ho made a circuit of the group of trees within wlio.se radius she had last appeared, but thero was neither trace of her nor a suggestion of her modo of escape. He called aloud to her. The vacant woods lot his holpless voice dio in their unresponsive depths. Ho gazed into tho air and down at tho bark strewn carpet at his feet. Liko most of his vocation, he was sparing of speoch, and epi grammatic after his fashion. Comprehend ing in ono swift but despairing flash of intelligence tho cxistenco of .some fateful power boyond his own weak endeavour, ho accepted its logical result with character istic grimnese. threw his hat upon tho ground, put his hands in his pockots, and said: " Woll, I'm d-d !"

{To be Continued.)

More About Irving Bishop.

[By Mr Lauouohkrk in "Tkutii."]

A very curious robbery is reported in the Livorpool nowspapors. Irving Bishop, according to his account, wont from his room to pay his bill nt his hotel in that city, leaving on his tables some bank notes; when ho returned the notes wore gone^ Tho polices wero sont for, and searched everywhere for thonoteswithoutdisoovering thorn. Ono of the notes boro precisely tho samo number as that handed up to tho " thought-roader " to bo rend at his seance by nn " independent" investigator. " Tho polico," continues the roport, "camototho conclusion that tho notes had been taken from tho tablo by someono in tho hotel." This conclusion is, I should funcy, correct. Hum ! Bishop botook himself from Liverpool to Leeds, whore few persons attended his seanres, and where his failure appears to havo been complete, Yorkshiremen not being proverbial for credulity. Ho tried his pin trick with Mr Gaunt, an Alderman, who took the pre caution to hide it in ono place, and to appear to do so in another. From tho latter place Bishop triumphantly extracted ft pin. Whon tho Alderman protested, Bishop abused him, and when the Mayor, who had taken tho ciinir, took the Alderman's part, he abused tho Mayor. Ho subsequently failed to read tho numbor of a note, the audience having insisted that a mysterious strangor of tho namo of lliloy, who had dropped from the clouds amongst the committeemen, should withdraw. The impostor seoms to bo at his last shifts, and endeavaurs to cover his failures by bounce, bluster, and insolence. 1 gather from tho reports in the local newspapers that a good deal of tho time at these dismal moot ings is consumed in abuse of tho humblo writer of these lines. This does not surprise mo ; but what does is that Mayors and Alder men should havo anything to do with the rogue, and that sane human boings should pay money (flattering as this is to mo) to listen to this abuse, and to witness an American either fail to porform miracles, or perform them by moans of tho most bung ling and transparent trickery or collusion.

American Road-Agents.

Thk great Jesse James, though dead, yet lives in the affectionate remembrance and imitation of his countrymen. The in cident just reported from Coolidge, on the Denver and Kansas line, is worthy of the best days of the James boys. A train having halted at that place for five minutes to take in water, a band of heroes, whose names are as yet unknown, opened fire upon it, killing the engine-driver and wounding the fireman. So far so good, but Fortune did not continue to favour the bold. The assailants, of courso, having disabled the locomotive, went straight for the treasure which was in charge of the ex press-messenger. The lattor, having been alarmed by the firing, barricaded the door of his car and opened fire on the maraudersthrough the window. Abriskfusil lade ensued, which seems not to have led to any injuries. It sufficed, however, to spoil the assailants' game, for the .passengers, having by this time been thoroughly roused, came to tho aid of the expre«s messenger, and the " bravo boys," seeing that all was lost except honour, had to decamp without any pecuniary reward for their dashing murder. Tho whole country, it appears, is in a hue and cry after them, and there seems to be some fear that if '' caught before reaching cover " they may bo treated with inconsiderate harshness. With the acquittal of Frank James fresh in their memory, people who have a prejudice against marauding may be more inclined than ever to shoot marauders out of hand, lest a high-spirited and romantic jury should perchance shrink from convicting them.—" Pall Mall Gazette."

A TERRIBLE FIX.

It is now about six years since I formed one of a party of four, all of us being old hands (it the game. We made our camping ground rather near to the coast. When we had got everything settled and made proper, it was about four o'clock in the day, and we had not shot a tiling. Well, we did not like tho idea of eating our supper on tho hunt ing ground without game, so we determined that two of us should go out and see if we could not get something. I volunteered as one of tho caterers, and I took with me a Madras fellow I had picked up in Calcutta a few weeks before. I took a shot gun in my hand, and he carried my double-bar relled rifle. I had not been away from camp more than half an hour when I had brought down several fine plump birds of different kinds. After going on for a little distance I came across what I detected at once as a tiger-path. As soon as I made this discovery I told my man to return to the camp with the spoil, and to tell the others I would return by the time tho re past was ready. I took from him my rifie and half a dozen rounds of ball cartridge. When I had lost sight of him I at once proceeled to follow up the trail in hopes that I might find the lair of my whiskered friend, and that I might perhaps be fortunate enough to get a shot at him. So intent, was lin tho pursuit in which I was engaged that I had not noticed tho quickness with which King Sol was making his way to the west. There is no twilight in India, or rather very little. At last the jungle becoming denser and ob scuring tho oblique rays of the setting sun, I looked at my watch, when I found instead of having been out an hour I had been over two. As soon as I became aware of this I at once took bearings of the spot and started post-haste back iti the direction of the camp. Whether it was my haste or tho dark shadows which tho fast-departing sun cast, I can't say, but before I had gone very far I knew from various signs I had lost my way. I was too old an Indian to attempt to re cover tho path I had lost. I knew my only chanco of getting back to our camp lay in finding my way to tho shore and following up the coast line. I, therefore, by tho aid of my pocket-compass, started in tho direc tion of tho sea, but what with tho dense mass of rank luxuviancj and tho swampy ground, I was compelled to mako many detours, so I had not covered half the dis tance which I had calculated lay between mo and the beach when 1 found myself onvolopcd in tho vast folds of tho cloak of darkness. You may imagine my sensations on finding myself alone in the jungle, and night fairly set in. I am not naturally a coward, but I must certainly own to a very peculiar feeling as I groped my way, every now and then stopping to stlike a light ([ fortunately had matches) in order that I might consult my faithful little compass. Tho stillness of (ho atmosphere was as oppressive as tho darkness, and tho silence was fearful, only broken now and then by those davils in tho nlinpo of iiminn] H , tho jackals, or by tho crying Bcronm of tho nyrena. So far tho sounds had boon far enough away, but I knew that 1 was in a regular hotbed of dovilry—l did not know tho miuuto I might fed mysolf in tho clutchot) of ono of tho many beasts of prey that frequent thtjso " pastures green." However, I kept j>lodding on, and folt Hiiro 1 could not now have much further to go boforo I got clear out of the jungle. What.! Could it bo possible ! Yes, gon tlomen, I found myself sinking, and, in spite of stronuous oxortions, in less timo tlian it takes mo to toll you, I found mysolf waist-deop in a kind of bog. I found also that tho more I tried to freo myself tho deeper I sank. What was Itodo ? lam sorry to say n soldier's life does not generally lead to Godliness, but if ovor a prayer went up to tho Almighty, ono went up that night. After tho first foelings of despair had worn off I began to recover my calmness. I remombored I had n. largo brandy-flask hung over my shoulder. 1 had forgotten to loavo it behind at tho camp. I took a good pull at this, and then began moro par ticularly to examine into my circumstances. I found, mnch to my joy, that I did not sink any deeper, therefore concluded the bog had a firm bottom. I also found that my rille was dry, but tho cartridges J had dropped loosely into my pocket wero ruined and unserviceable. I know that if attacked by any beast of prey I must loly on tho ammunition contained in my ritle. Fortunately, both barrels wore loaded with ball, I had mado these discoveries, and was endeavouring to forco my way through tho thick, heavy mud, and slime in which I was imbedded, in a direction which, by tho nature of the surface, gave me hopes of loading to firing round, when my ellbrts wero arrested by a horrible ronr, which ap peared to shako tho very ground itself by its power. I turned as well as I was able in tho direction from which tho sound ap peared to proceed, but could see nothing. Anothor roar, which seemed to bo louder than tho first, then another, and another in quick succession, and I ]>erceived straight in front of mo two livid balls of fire, which appeared to make the surrounding darkness more thick. I now certainly gave myself up for lost. I know too well whence those sounds which had so abruptly broken tho stillness of the night proceeded. I was in a, terriblo fix, fastened in n bog unablo to move a foot, and a tiger's oyes a few yards in front of mo tho only visible object. I hayo read somewhero that calm ness is often tho offspring of despair, and that as some people's trouble mcroases so does their fortitude. Whether lam ono of theso persqns I know not; but this Ido know, that when I felt sure of my death, as I did now, I never once lost my presence of mind. As soon as I clearly mado out the two sparkling orbs, I took steady aim right betweon the,m, and thinking a prayer, I fired. Anotli* horriblo yell and growl, and tho beast's eyes still glaring at mo in nearly tho same position. Again I fire; this timo thero was no other sound than tho report, but when tho smoke cleared, there were tho eyes with their deadly glare fixed upon me. I gave myself >up for lost, and turned slightly away. But no. I folt no venomous claw,s enter my flesh, I felt no hot broath, no hungry fangs were lending me limb from limb. I continued in this horriblo suspense for, I daro say, five minutes. Heaven only knows what agonies of suffering I. went through in that short space ! I then ventured to look again, when, horror of horrors! there wero the samo pair of eyes, seeming to eat into my very soul with their horriblo ghastly glare. The cold beads of perspiration rolled down mo. What oould it mean ? I cried out aloud, I shouted, I screamed, I laughed, but still those eyes shed forth their horribly baleful light. I tried to shut my own, but the terrible fascination I was labouring under compelled me to open them again. There they wore, still glaring right into my face.

Now belonging to them I see a grinning, hideous face. In my frenzy I scream, I swear, I pray; but still the steady glare of those frightful Qptics seems to burn into my brain. In the distance I now see hundreds of pairs of eyes advancing upon me. I shout aloud with all my energy for them to come on, to do their worst. I eeem

to be joining a, diabolical dance, with tho owner of those eyes for a partner. I feel myself whirled round, untl round, and round into eternal space. Then all is quiet. I remember no more until I wake up one lovely morning anil rind myself lying on a mattress in a native hut, with several familiar faces round me. I had just re covered from a six weeks' attack of brain fever.

It seems when my servant got back to camp he delivered my message! My com panions knew I could be trusted to take care of myself, and so did not trouble them selves about me till darkness set in. They then began to fear some mishap. One of them remembered we had put some old sail cloth and a small keg of tar into the bottom of the boat to patch up our tent in case of bad weather. They at once set out for the boat, and with the means at hand extemporised torches, which answered their purpose very well. After searching for a considerable time with no result, they were about giving it up as use less until morning, when they were startled by hearing strange shouts and noises issuing from what appeared to them a thick patch of jungle grass; but when they had pene trated a few yards in the direction of the sounds, they found an open space. Think ing this peculiar, they advanced very care fully, and found they were on the borders of a small morass. They could still hear the shouts, though growing thicker and feebler every minute.

By catching hold of each other's hands, and utilising the hard clumps with which tho place was plentifully besprinkled, they managed to reach me, and draw mo out jnst as I was sinking into a boggy grave. Not above six yards from where they found me, they found the immense body of a man eater (a tiger who lias once lusted human flesh cares for no other, and goes by this name ; lie is the most vicious of hie species). Ho was almost entirely buried in bog, but liis head was quite uncovered, and lay motionless on the treacherous surface. Thoy found two bullets had entered the skull botween the eyes. It appeared the tiger had sniffed me from a distance, and had come rushing forward to the spot where I was hold a prisoner. In his eagerness his usual prudoncehad forsaken him, and he had leapt right into the slime and mud, and was hold as close a prisoner as myself. My first shot must havo killed him, but his head lying at the top in tho manner it did, had made his eyes plainly visible nftcr death. Tho other eyes I hud soon were tho torehen of my frionda, which my frenzied fancy multiplied into hundreds. The remainder was tho commoncemont of my fever. '

Runaway Lads Armed for the Backwoods.

Many extraordinary scenes lmvo been enacted on the Liverpool Landing-stage, and many remarkable instances have oc curred of runaways being caught there by tho vigilance of tho Liverpool police. Ono of the.so strange captures occurred on tho ntugo ono Wednesday in September. Ono of tho oilieera who lias for a long period done duty on tho stage is Police-constable NOi 546 (Wigganu), an old member of tho city force, while watching tho departures for America WigganH noticed two youths, of evident respectibilty, strutting about tho stage, flourishing heavily • mounted sticks, and whoso extraordinary bulky ap pearance about the wuist attracted the Keen otlicer's attention. He put a lew questions to them, from which he ascer tained that they hud como from Lancaster, and that it was their intention to procee/J to America. Thero was something sus picious about the youths, and Wiggans took them into the river police station on tho stage. Ho thcro searched them, and found that each youth was wearing a " bushman's bolt," to which was suspended a six-chambered revolver (loaded) and a formidable bowio knife. The ollicer ascer tained that tho youths had been reading romantic stories of lifo in the backwoods, such as aro depicted by Fcuniinoro Cooper in tho "Last of tho Mohicans," and Cap tain Maync Kcid in hie description of ad venturos on tho prairies. The youths, wJfc) woto about IS years of age, and named Jowittand Wilson, were respectably connected, and belonged to Lancaster. Ono of them had taken twenty -fix sovereigns belonging to his father. They had run away from home, como to Liverpool, and purchased an outfit, including tiie revol vers, ammunition,and bowioknives, suitable for tho wild lifo of adventuro that they had pictured for themselves. They had taken passages to Now York intholnmnn steamer City of Richmond, and had upon them a considerable sum of money in American dollars. Wiggans escorted tho youths to tho detective ollicc in Dale-street; their parents in Lancaster wore telegraphed to, informing them of what had occurred, and they took tho runaways brick to thoir homes.—"Liverpool Post."

Perverted Talent.

Tim story of Robert Danks, agcd2l, present address unknown, but urgently wanted, is as unpleasantly suggestive an it is extra ordinary in its character. At the ago of 18 Dunks was convicted of forging cheques, having got tho cheques to manipulate by i first forging an order on tho bank for a cheque-book. Ho was sentenced to five years' penal servitude; but Mr Her bert, tho barrister who defended him, subsequently irmdo Bitch an earnest ap]>cal to the judge for mercy that tho punishmontwas reduced to eighteen months' imprisonment. On its coining to an end, Mr Horbcrt took Danks into his employ mont, and was so struck with his assiduity and elevorness that ho speedily mado him his confidential clerk. In this capacity Dankß appears to havo had tho right to open all Mr Herbert's letters, and ho made good use of his position, for. after ho hnd been some time in his post, dunning letters camo in from unpaid tradesmen, and by and-by notices from Mr Herbert's bankers that his account was overdrawn. This arose from the fact that (lie confidential clerk retained tho money given him to pay bills, as well as the sums which he Mas ?ent to pay into tho bank. Creditors' receipts, wore, however, always ready for Mr Her berts inspection, though not in the ciecK tors' own handwriting, and tho pass book was always in order. So until a week ago th.at gentleman was under the delusion that he owed no man anything. He now knows that lie has boon living on credit for about two years, and that his balance is a minus quantity. Danks could imitate, other men's voices us well as other men's writing, and when lie wanted £5 forliis flight obtained if. by asking for it as Mr Herbert through the telephone, having first arranged to get ?>lr Herbert out ot the oiliee by sending him a lieiiiious telegram. Pew confidential clerks are as clever as Robert Danks, but tho Police Court proceedings show that many are not more honest. An uncomfortable suspicion cannot be avoided sometimes that tho universal teaching of tho Three R's has not been tho unmixed blessing wo have been taught to think it. Wo havo tho testimony of prison chaplains to tho fact that crimes like those charged against Dnnks have greatly increased of late years among tho class to which it belongs. How is the increase to bo explained ?—" Globe,."

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT. NOVEMBER 24, 1883

7