nd so absorbed my thoughts that the old skipper, seeing my
inattention, and believing that I was weary and inclined for sleep, left
me for the deck; and I lay still, pondering over these sad themes.

At last I roused myself and went on deck. The city had long since
disappeared from view, and even the low land at the mouth of the river
had faded in the distance; while, instead or the yellow, polluted
flood of the Mississippi, the blue waves, shining and sparkling, danced
merrily past, or broke in foam-sheets at the bow. The white sails were
bent like boards, firm and immovable before the breeze, and the swift
vessel darted her way onward as proudly as though her freight were
something prouder and better than a poor adventurer, without one in the
wide world who cared whether he won or lost the game with Fortune.

My spirits rose every mile we left New Orleans behind us; I felt,
besides, that to bring my skill to such a market was but to carry "coals
to Newcastle;" nor, from the skipper's account, did Texas offer a much
more favorable field. However, it smacked of adventure; the very name
had a charm for me; and I thought I should far rather confront actual
danger than live a life of petty schemes and small expedients. But what
a strange crucible is the human heart! here was I, placed in a situation
to which an incident had elevated me,--of a kind which a more scrupulous
sense of honor would have made some shudder at,--fancying, ay, and
persuading myself too, that, in the main, I possessed very admirable
sentiments and most laudable ambitions; that the occasional little
straits to which I was reduced were only so many practical jokes played
on me by "Fate," which took, doubtless, a high delight in the ingenuity
by which I always fell on my feet,--while I felt certain that, were I
only fairly treated, a more upright, honorable, straightforward young
gentleman never lived than I should prove!

"Let Dame Fortune only deal me trumps," said I, "and I'll promise never
'to look into my neighbor's hand.'" Gentle reader, you smile at my
humility; well, then, it's clear you are neither a secretary of state
nor a railway director,--that's all.

We dropped anchor off Galveston just as the sun was setting; and the
evening being calm, and the reflection of the houses and steeples in the
water sharp and defined, the scene was sufficiently striking. The city
itself was more important as to size and wealth than I had anticipated,
and th