am, and
what the deuce I'm here for."

"Well, you'll soon diskiver the perticklers, for here comes the _Court_,
and they'll have you dancin' on nothin' and kickin' at the wind, pooty
soon; you kin stake your pile on that!"

And with this, a hum was heard, and soon a mob of a dozen
well-_stimulated_ citizens, and strangers about the Point, came rushing
and yelling on to the wharf-boat and were quite as immediately gathered
around the captive. The first impulse of the _posse comitatus_ appeared
to manifest itself in a desire to hang the victim--straight up! A second
(how _sober_ we know not) thought induced them to ask a question or two,
and for this purpose the presiding _judge_ drew up before the still
prostrate captive, and said--

"Who are you? What have you got to say for yourself, anyhow?"

The sunburnt, ragged, and rather romantic-looking prisoner turned his
face towards the _judge_, and replied--

"I have nothing of consequence to say, neighbor. I would like to know,
however, what all this means!"

"Where's your crew, you villain?" said the _judge_.

"Crew? I have never found it necessary to have any, neighbor; navigation
never engrossed a great deal of my attention, but I get along down here
very well--without a crew!"

"You do?" responded the _judge_; "well, we're going to hang you up."

"You are, eh?" was the cool reply; "well, I have always been opposed to
capital punishment, neighbor, and I know it would be unpleasant to me
now!"

The quiet manner of his reply rather won upon the _Court_, and says the
_judge_--

"Who are you, and where are you from?"

"My name is Banvard--John Banvard, from Boston!"

"It is, eh? What are you doing along here, alone in a canoe?"

"_Taking a panorama of the Mississippi, neighbor, that's all._"

The _Court_ adjourned _sine die_; the clever artist was untied, treated
to the best the market afforded, that night; his canoe, rifle, &c.,
restored next day, and John went on his way rejoicing in his narrow
escape--finished his sketches, and the first great panorama "got up" in
our country, and which he took to Europe, after making a fortune by it
in America.

Genius for Business.

It's a highly prized faculty in shop-keeping to sell something when a
customer comes in, if you can. A female relative of ours went into a
Hanover street fancy store 'tother day, to "look over" some ivory card
and needle cases; the slightly agricultural-looking clerk "flew around