"old man " came on board in a worse humour
than usual.— Myers had his share of abuse
first; and then, to my astonishment, he
commenced upon me.

"What! ain't those flags finished yet?
If they 'd been anything good to eat, they 'd
have been done long before this, I guess!"

"I've not been hurrying about them, sir,"
I rejoined, respectfully.

"So it appears;" added he sharply. " Come,
now; just bring 'em up here, and let's see
what you've done."

I went below to the steerage at once, and
brought up the bundle.

"Well! where's the rest of them? " said
the captain, after looking through and count-
ing them. " There ought to be four more."

I looked them through, and noticed that
some I remembered working on were not
there. So down I went again, to see if I had
overlooked them. I could see no more below.
I came and told the captain. He was
striding up and down, and evidently working
himself into a passion.

"So, there ain't any more, ain't there?
Now I can tell you what it is, young fellow;
if you think you've got a fool to deal with,
you're most tarnation mistaken. Myers tells
me he's missed a lot of things; and it's my
belief them flags are gone with the rest. So
the sooner you say where they are, the better;
or else off you slope to the jail at Orleans
slick."

I was, as may be supposed, rather taken by
surprise at this.

"I know nothing about the flags," I said.

"Oh! of course not, I dare say you don't.
We 'll see if we can't make you know, though.
Here, Myers"—

"Sir?"

"Get yourself ready to go over with me to
the magistrate at Orleans, at once."

"What for, sir?" said Myers, looking from
me to the captain with astonishment.

"Why, to put this young blackguard in
prison," said the captain, striding up and
down furiously.

"'What!" shouted Myers.  "What! put
him in prison ? It would be the worst piece
of business you ever did in your life. Do you
think he'd steal flags, or anything else? I'll
go before the magistrate at once; but to swear
he hasn't left the ship on any such errand as
that, since he and I have been together."

"You're a pair of scoundrels," cried the
captain, actually foaming with passion; "come
along with you both — now — at once."

Accordingly, Myers and I prepared to
cross the river with the captain, who was
quite beside himself with rage at first; but
soon got a little cooler. Just as we were
about to leave the ship, two men came on
board. They accosted the captain; "We're
on the look-out, sir," said one of them, " for
a runaway nigger — answers to the name of
' Tom ' — marked B on the left arm—left Mr.
Bandon's plantation, five miles up the river,
a week ago. May we look through your ship.
sir, as we hear he's been seen somewhere
hereabouts ? "

"Oh! yes, of course," said our captain,
stopping his intended journey at once.

Lights were procured, and immediately the
men commenced a strict search in every part of
the ship. Myers and I remained on deck. At
last, after the lapse of a quarter of an hour,
we heard a great outcry below; and up came
our captain, followed by the slave-hunters,
dragging an unfortunate runaway they had
found concealed behind a water-cask in the
after-part of the ship's hold; and, in a corner of
the transom that it would not have seemed
possible for a human being to squeeze himself.
The missing flags were found there. He had
taken them for a bed and covering."

"Do not take me back; I shall be flogged
again. Dear, good captain, help me!" said
the poor wretch, as he sank on his knees on
the deck, clasping his arms, and pitifully
appealing to our captain.

"I wish I could help you," said our captain;
and Myers and I looked on, too, now with
intense interest; for, heedless of the poor
fellow's prayers, tears, and cries, he was
dragged away by the men. He never ceased
appealing to us and our captain as he was
carried off. Our "old man" wiped a sort of
half tear away as he turned to us, and said,

"I beg your pardons, both of you. Will
you stop with me after what has occurred?
I am ashamed of myself; and if you can forget
it, we'll say no more about it."

Myers looked at me, and I looked at Myers.
Certainly, ten minutes before, I should have
thought any one who had predicted that I
should stay that day in the " Bohemian," a
false prophet; but we could not refuse, nor
had we afterwards any occasion to repent it.

The poor runaway threw himself over-
board, and was drowned, on the way to the
plantation.

BITS OF LIFE IN MUNICH.

THE FAIR.

I WONDER when there is not a fair in
Munich. This, however, was Die Drei-
Königs Dult, or the Fair of the Three
Kings. By way of amusement, I thought
I would go to it; but as I could not very
well go alone, I invited Madame Thekla to
accompany me, with which she was very
well pleased, as I promised to treat her to the
shows. As far as buying and selling, and the
crowds of peasants, and townspeople, and
students, and soldiers, go, it was like any
other fair. At a little distance from the long
array of booths, stood the shows— and thither
we bent our steps.

The first thing we came upon was a small
ladder-wagon, covered with an arched awning;
and, bound to one side of the wagon, were tall
poles, from which floated a series of ghastly
pictures — hideous raw-head-and-bloody-bone