ng, after the fashion of a porpoise, and having absorbed a
barrel or more of river water, he was with difficulty rescued. Being
dragged ashore, and before the agonies of drowning had fairly relinquished
his frame, a sympathizing bystander asked if he had been much scared. His
reply was characteristic of the Caucasian blood, "No-o-o (splutter); I've
(splutter) seen the critters afore."

Not many hundred miles north of the city of Galveston, while the Texas
Central Railroad was in course of construction, and at a little town
which formed its northern terminus for the time being, occurred the
following:

Two individuals of African lineage, hailing from the upper districts of
the State, who had never seen an "ingine," but had long promised
themselves that felicity, stood at the depot awaiting with some impatience
the arrival of the evening train. Standing hand in hand, and conversing
excitedly on the topic uppermost in their minds, their _outre_ appearance,
coupled with the exceeding verdancy of some of their observations, became
the subject of attention, and then of amused remark from the bystanders.
This they were unable to appreciate for various reasons, and soon the
appearance of the winged monster around a neighboring curve, with
appalling and most unpreconceived suddenness, took away their breaths and
rocked their bodies with shivers of dread. Their first impulse was to
dismiss their corner of the meeting and pass to the rear; but, looking
around upon the broadly smiling crowd, they were reassured for the moment,
and each grasping the other's horny palm with a grip which evinced their
respective determinations not to be left, whatever might happen, they
stood hearkening to the thunderous echoes, and noting with special wonder
the cow-catching and other aggressive features of the steadily approaching
monster. It had now stolen by slow degrees to within twenty feet of the
spot which they occupied, and the whistle breaking into a peculiarly loud
accompaniment to the huff--huff--huff of the bellowing engine, the
expression, "Dar, she's busted!" startled even the man of iron at the
throttle-valve, and prefacing the exertion with a ten-feet leap into the
air, the panic-stricken darkies broke across the landscape with a yearning
desire for tall timber that was eloquently depicted on every motion of the
supple limbs, and in each sway of the backward leant and pendulous
cerebellums. The cheers of the crowd, and a few extra flo