dollars for a quarter
dollar of 1827; the same sum for a half dollar, fillet head, of 1796;
and, what caps all, five hundred dollars for a silver dollar of 1804.
There are only five or six of the latter in existence, and I shall sell
this specimen for at least eight hundred dollars. Mr. Ashton,
sometimes a mean man overreaches himself, and it looks as though you
had made a mistake. I bid you good-day, sir."

The numismatist spoke the truth; and when the miserly old farmer
realized how completely he had turned the tables on himself, it is
enough to say that his feelings may be "better imagined than described."

A BATTLE IN THE AIR.

One of the most interesting towns I ever visited is New Braunfels,
Texas. It was founded by a colony of Germans, and experienced the most
distressing trials during its early days; but it is now a picture of
thrift and industry. The cowboy who attempts to ride through New
Braunfels, with his revolvers displayed, is promptly pulled off his
mustang and compelled to pay a round fine for violating a city
ordinance. If he undertakes to "kick," it won't help him a bit, and
probably will increase the penalty imposed. Our German cousins propose
to run that town to suit themselves, and they succeed quite well.

The rivers of Texas are subjected to violent rises, often as great as
twenty feet in an hour or less. Such sudden floods play havoc with the
bridges along the bank, but I noticed in riding into New Braunfels an
ingenious arrangement of the wooden structure by which, no matter how
high the stream may rise, the bridge accommodates itself, and floats on
the surface, while securely held from being carried away by the current.

But I set out to tell you a true incident of what happened a few years
since, to a bright, lively youngster, sixteen years old, who lives in
New Braunfels, and is brimful of pluck. His name is Lee Hemingway; he
is an orphan, and if his life is spared, he is certain to be heard from
when he reaches man's estate.

Prof. McInery, the well-known naturalist, spent several weeks last
spring in the neighborhood of New Braunfels, hunting ornithological
specimens for his collection, and he offered fifty dollars to any one
who would bring him an eagle's nest, with living eaglets or with eggs
in it.

When Lee Hemingway learned of the offer, he determined to earn it. It
was rather early in the season for our emblematical birds to hatch
their young, but, by carefull