othing more was ever heard of them or the goods;
and as the State laws made the Railroad Company responsible for wearing
apparel only, I could collect nothing from them. But as the trunk
happened to contain a small compartment in which I carried my shirts,
underwear, handkerchiefs, socks, etc., I made Mr. Superintendent smile,
a few weeks later, when I handed in my bill for them, at Fargo. He
laughed, and said he had never happened to meet a man before who wore
such high-priced shirts and underwear.

After giving up my trunk and goods as lost, I looked over my stock of
jewelry in the case; and although it was badly in need of a few extras
to make it complete, I considered it enough to commence with again, and
started out to see what I could do.

[Illustration: A COLLAPSE NEAR BRAINERD, MINN.--PAGE 557.]

I was unable to do anything at Brainerd, and concluded to visit smaller
towns, where my little stock would look larger. I took an evening train,
arriving at a small hamlet a few miles west, in time to work the town
that evening. But fate seemed to be against me, for I couldn't make a
sale, and to make time I would have to get up the next morning about
half past two to get a local freight train going west.

The landlord called me, and after making my toilet I started for the
depot, a few rods distant across the track. He had cautioned me about
the fast express, which would be due in a few minutes going west, and
which did not stop there, but passed through at lightning speed. On
passing out I discovered that a terrible snow and wind storm was raging,
and with much difficulty found my way towards the depot. Just as I was
crossing the Railroad track the lock on my case gave way and the side
lid fell down, and the top cover to which the handle was fastened raised
up, letting every tray of jewelry fall in a heap in the middle of the
track. I stopped to pick it up, but at that instant heard the engine
whistle close by, and had no sooner gained a foothold on the platform of
the depot than the engine came dashing along, with its bright
head-light, and the sparks flying from it in all directions, and the
steam whistle blowing and screeching like a demon, and struck my pile of
trays and jewelry and sent them skyward and entirely out of existence.

A million things ran through my mind in an instant, but I think about
the first I thought of was the "Incomprehensible."

I saw the utter foolishness of trying to find any of the j