s delighted to recognize
in the husband of his long-lost daughter a very rich cattle-owner in
Southern California, called Jarman; but he never knew that he had been
an escaped convict from Sydney, who had lately received a full pardon
through the instrumentality of divers distinguished people in Australia.

AN ESMERALDA OF ROCKY CANYON

It is to be feared that the hero of this chronicle began life as an
impostor. He was offered to the credulous and sympathetic family of a
San Francisco citizen as a lamb, who, unless bought as a playmate
for the children, would inevitably pass into the butcher's hands.
A combination of refined sensibility and urban ignorance of nature
prevented them from discerning certain glaring facts that betrayed his
caprid origin. So a ribbon was duly tied round his neck, and in pleasing
emulation of the legendary "Mary," he was taken to school by the
confiding children. Here, alas the fraud was discovered, and history was
reversed by his being turned out by the teacher, because he was NOT "a
lamb at school." Nevertheless, the kind-hearted mother of the family
persisted in retaining him, on the plea that he might yet become
"useful." To her husband's feeble suggestion of "gloves," she returned
a scornful negative, and spoke of the weakly infant of a neighbor, who
might later receive nourishment from this providential animal. But even
this hope was destroyed by the eventual discovery of his sex. Nothing
remained now but to accept him as an ordinary kid, and to find amusement
in his accomplishments,--eating, climbing, and butting. It must be
confessed that these were of a superior quality; a capacity to eat
everything from a cambric handkerchief to an election poster, an
agility which brought him even to the roofs of houses, and a power of
overturning by a single push the chubbiest child who opposed him, made
him a fearful joy to the nursery. This last quality was incautiously
developed in him by a negro boy-servant, who, later, was hurriedly
propelled down a flight of stairs by his too proficient scholar.
Having once tasted victory, "Billy" needed no further incitement to his
performances. The small wagon which he sometimes consented to draw for
the benefit of the children never hindered his attempts to butt the
passer-by. On the contrary, on well-known scientific principles he added
the impact of the bodies of the children projected over his head in his
charge, and the infelicitous pedestri