arole, and tried to board us by
surprise, and I gin' him my starboard battery--that's all."

"Then I'm off for blue water!" cried the captain.

"And I for the mountains!" said Martinez. "The mules are all packed
and the horses saddled. The vigilantes must wear sharp spurs if they
catch us."

It was a hurried parting--that of the smuggler and his bride with the
captain and mate of the Zanthe. But they got safely on shore, and the
whole band effected their escape.

The Zanthe spread her wings, and some days afterwards was crossing the
equator. She was never known again as a free trader. The captain and
mate had both "made their piles," and after arriving at the Atlantic
states retired from sea. Pardon G. Simpkins took up his residence in
Boston, and during the late war with Mexico, was very prominent in his
denunciations of that republic, and very liberal in his donations to
the Massachusetts regiment, to the members of which his parting
admonition was, to "give them greasers fits."

THE STAGE-STRUCK GENTLEMAN.

Few amateurs of the drama have passed through their town lives,
without having been, at some one period of their career, what is
called stage struck, afflicted with a maniacal desire to make a "first
appearance," to be designated in posters as a "YOUNG GENTLEMAN OF
THIS CITY," in connection with one Mr. Shakspeare, the "author of
certain plays." The stage-struck youth is easily recognized by certain
symptoms which manifest themselves at an early stage of the disorder.
He is apt to pass his hand frequently through his "horrent locks," to
frown darkly without any possible reason, and to look daggers at his
landlady when invited to help himself to brown-bread toast. His voice,
in imitation of the "Boy," the "Great American tragedian," alternates
between the deep bass of a veteran porker and the mellifluous tenor of
a "pig's whisper." He is apt to roll his eyes quickly from side to
side, to gasp and heave his chest most unaccountably. He reads nothing
of the papers but the theatrical advertisements and critiques. He has
an acquaintance with two or three fourth-rate stock actors and a scene
shifter, and is consequently "up" in any amount of professional
information and slang, which he retails to every one he meets, without
regard to the taste or time of his auditors. Have you seen the new
drama of the Parricidal Oysterman? If you have, you must agree with
him it is the greatest affair old Pel. has ever b