4 COLLECTOR'S RAMBLES 



cultivated. As the sun rose, the brown and frosty 

 fields had a very inviting look ; and I felt very like 

 shouldering my gun, and stepping off the train for a 

 day's sport. Flocks of quails and prairie chickens 

 were often to be seen scudding through the dead grass, 

 or flying over the fields with the speed of the wind. 



One often meets, while travelling, the professional 

 sharper. He is dressed in many ways, but is almost 

 sure to display a large quantity of cheap jewelry. He 

 has a flashy, hungry look; is partial to velvet vests, 

 checkered pants, with large square figures and gor- 

 geous neckties. His cheek is unbounded, and the tact 

 he displays in worming himself into the confidence of 

 unsuspecting people is worthy of note. Such an indi- 

 vidual boarded our train at one of the small stations, 

 and soon began to make himself very entertaining to 

 the passengers. He sang songs, told stories, and 

 played cards. I thought I knew his character, and 

 was not very much surprised when a stranger sat down 

 in the seat opposite me, and commenced in a very cow- 

 boy style to talk of cattle, horses, etc. He was a large, 

 round-shouldered, red-faced fellow, and with his high 

 boots, slouch hat, and general make-up, looked what 

 he professed to be, a herder and dealer in "horse 

 flesh." He said he came up from Texas with a large 

 herd of horses a few days before, and sold them in 

 Kansas City. He received fifteen hundred dollars for 

 his share of the proceeds, but it was of little use to him, 



