188 B1MXETSIN A BVtL. 



ftven accused of stealing them, but strongly protested his innocence of th# 

 latter charge. 



" Among our passengers was an old whaleman, who, being very expert 

 m the use of the harpoon, took it into his head one day to victimize the 

 Bhark. After several ineffectual attempts, he finally succeeded in forcing 

 his instrument through the monster's vitals, and drew the lifeless carcase 

 alongside. 



"The piratical cruiser was so thundering big, it took eight men with 

 tackles to raise it on board ; — it must have weighed at least sixteen hun- 

 dred pounds ! The body of the greedy creature was then laid upon deck, 

 and on opening it all were astonished ! What do you think was foundj 

 Gumbo ?'^ 



" Sacre sharp ! Certes me tink dey fine de spoon, de fork an de knife ♦ 

 Him shark no follow de ship for nottin." 



" Well, boys, what do you all suppose was found ?" 



'* Indeed, we could'nt say." 



" Guess," 



'•• The knives and sp(X)ns, of course,' 



'• You are wrong, to a man." - 



" What, in the name of reason, could it have been ? Do tell — we give 

 it up." 



"tiang me, if you aint a bright set of fellows! — Can't guess a thing 

 so easy ? Why, if I must tell you — 'twas guts, — only guts — nothing in 

 ;• le world but giUs .'" 



" Look here, Jack," said one of the listeners, advancing towards him hat 

 * 1 hand, " you can take this. We'U be quite likely to remember hereafter 

 ' lat fish generally carry their guts inside !" 



Tiie old Frenchman looked rather crest-fallen at the curious manner in 

 /hich his extraordinary fish story had been matched, — but felt little dis- 

 osed to yield his laurels witlioiit au effort to retrieve them, — so, calling to 

 ' id his recollections of the marvellous, he again commenced. 



Several years ago, while in the employ of the American Fur Company, 

 ur hero and another man were sent expresses to a distant post It was 

 r. 'inter; and they travelled on foot, depending for daily subsistence upon 

 ffuch game as chance brought in their way. Their course lay through an 

 open and cheerless prairie, covered with snow, and the journey occupied 

 iiearly a month. 



Having been en route some five or six days, their ammunition began t© 

 fail in the item of lead, — and only two bullets were left. Their condition 

 now became extremely desperate, as there was no way of procuring a 

 re-supply,-— -and anticipated starvation stared them in the face. 



Determined to eat as long as the means of subsistejice remained, their 

 last balls were shot away in killing a bufiulo bull. After furnishing them- 

 selves from his carcase with a large supply of meat for present and future 

 use, our hero proceeded to cut a few locks of hair from off the creature's 

 head, for the purpose of stuffing his moccasins. 



**BorDieu! Vat you tink me fine? You no can tell all day ! Me 

 no fuk yoQ gnesB. Bon Dieu ! c'etre admirable. Me tme forty faallas, io 



