ards mer showed the enigmatical numbers '38.

I sprang to my legs and uttered a cry of surprise.

"Well, what is it, master?" said Ben, looking up, and probably expecting
to see me take a header into the muddy stream.

"That's the number!" cried I, not knowing what I said. "That's the very
number!"

"Very true, master, so it is, but you ha'n't got the counterpart, I
guess!"

"Yes, but I have, though!" said I, producing the ticket from the
pocket-book.

"Why, darn me if that a'n't himself!" cried the men; and they sung out
three hearty cheers at the discovery.

"Were you there long, old fellow?" said Ben.

"About half an hour," said I.

"Tarnation! and why did ye keep us a-waitin'? didn't you see the tide
was on the ebb, and that Christy was making signals every five minutes
or so?"

"I was waiting--waiting--"

"Waiting for what? I 'd like to know."

"Waiting for my baggage," said I, taking a long breath.

"An' it ain't come yet?"

"No; I 'm afraid they missed the road."

"Be that as it may, master, I'll not stay longer. Come along without
your kit, or stay behind with it, whichever you please."

"Hang the traps!" said I, affecting a bold carelessness; "I've a few
things there I left out loose, that will do. When shall we be there?"
This was a leading question, for I did not yet know whither we were
bound.

"At Galveston? Well, to-morrow evening or by nightfall, I guess, if
the wind hold. Sit down there and make yourself snug; there's always
a little splash of a sea in this river. And now, lads, pull away,--all
together!"

A second shot from the smack announced that her anchor was tripped, and
we saw her now lurch over as her foresail filled.

The men pulled vigorously, and in about twenty minutes I stood upon the
deck of the "Christobal," making sundry excuses to her skipper for being
late, and assuring him, on the faith of a gentleman, that I had utterly
forgotten all about my voyage till the last moment.

"They only sent me the number from the office late last night," said he,
"and told me to look out for the gemman about the docks. But I war n't
goin' to do that, I said. He's got a passage and grub to Galveston,--as
good as ere a gemman can desire; he's won a nag they says is worth
seven or eight hundred dollars, with furniture and arms for the new
expedition; and I take it them things is worth a-looking arter,--so darn
me blue if I gives myself no trouble about 'em."

These scattered hin