--his horses were kept in the house (that is the
practice in the houses of Spain); but when he rode out they pulled him
off his horse and pushed him back, and said that he should not go until
he had paid them the money. He passed the night in terror, with loaded
pistols and guns, expecting that he and his family would be massacred
every minute, but he contrived eventually to send his staff-holder to
Bilbao on horseback. The man galloped all the way to Bilbao, a distance
of twenty-five miles, and went to Mr. Bartlett in the middle of the
night, and told him what had happened. Mr. Bartlett immediately sent a
detachment up to the place to disperse the men. This Carlist threatened
that if Mr. Small did not pay the money he would kill every person in the
house. When he was asked, 'Would you kill a man for that?' he replied,
'Yes, like a fly,' and this coming from a man who, as I was told, had
already killed fourteen men with his own hand, was rather alarming. Mr.
Brassey and his partners suffer a great amount of loss by their contracts
for the Bilbao railway."

HOW TO BEAR LOSSES.

During the construction of the Bilbao line, shortly before the proposed
opening, it set in to rain in such an exceptional manner that some of the
works were destroyed. The agent telegraphed to Mr. Brassey to come
immediately, as a certain bridge had been washed down. About three hours
afterwards another telegram was sent, stating that a large bank was
washed away; and next morning, another, stating the rain continued, and
more damage had been done. Mr. Brassey, turning to a friend, said,
laughingly: "I think I had better wait until I hear that the rain has
ceased, so that when I do go, I may see what is left of the works, and
estimate all the disasters at once, and so save a second journey."

No doubt Mr. Brassey felt these great losses that occasionally came upon
him much as other men do; but he had an excellent way of bearing them,
and, like a great general, never, if possible, gave way to despondency in
the presence of his officers.

RAILROAD INCIDENT.

An Englishwoman who travelled some years ago in America writes:--"I had
found it necessary to study physiognomy since leaving England, and was
horrified by the appearance of my next neighbour. His forehead was low,
his deep-set and restless eyes significant of cunning, and I at once set
him down as a swindler or a pickpocket. My conviction of the truth of my
infer