A friend of Barnum's, Mr. J. D. Johnson, had a fine place near Iranistan; and Barnum owned a couple of acres just beyond and adjoining his property. This plot Barnum presently converted into a deer park, stocking it with fine animals from the Rocky Mountains. From its location, however, everybody supposed it to be a part of Johnson's estate, and to confirm this notion--in a waggish spirit--a member of Johnson's family put up in the park a conspicuous sign, which every passer-by on the street could read: "All persons are forbid trespassing on these grounds, or disturbing the deer. --J. D. JOHNSON." Barnum "acknowledged the corn," and was much pleased with the joke. Johnson was delighted, and bragged considerably of having got ahead of Barnum, and the sign remained undisturbed for several days. It happened, at length, that a party of friends came to visit him from New York, arriving in the evening. Johnson told them that he had got a capital joke on Barnum; he would not explain, but said they should see it for themselves the next morning. Bright and early he led them into the street, and, after conducting them a proper distance, wheeled them around in front of the sign. To his dismay he discovered that I had added directly under his name the words "Game-keeper to P. T. Barnum." Thereafter Mr. Johnson was known among his friends and acquaintances as "Barnum's gamekeeper." Johnson had his revenge, however. Some time afterward Barnum became president of the Pequonnock Bank, and gave each year a grand dinner at Iranistan to the directors. In preparing for these banquets he would send to the West for some boxes of prairie chickens and other choice game. So, one day, Johnson saw a big case at the railroad station, addressed to Barnum, and marked "Game." "See here," said he to the station-master, "I am Mr. Barnum's game-keeper, and I'll take charge of that!" And he did so, taking it to his house, and then notifying Barnum that it could only be redeemed at cost of a new hat. He knew very well that Barnum would rather give him a dozen hats than lose the box; and he added that unless he got the hat very soon he would give a game dinner on his own account! Barnum sent an order for the hat in a hurry, and recovered his game, enjoying the whole joke as much as Johnson did. In 1848, Mr. Frank Leslie, afterward famous as a publisher, came to America, bringing letters of introduction to Barnum from friends in England, and Barnum gave him a start in business by employing him to prepare an elaborate illustrated catalogue of the American Museum. This he did in an admirable manner, and hundreds of thousands of copies of it were distributed throughout the country. CHAPTER XVI. JENNY LIND. DARING VENTURE--BARNUM'S AMBASSADOR--UNPRECEDENTED TERMS OFFERED--TEXT OF THE CONTRACT--HARD WORK TO RAISE THE GUARANTEE FUND--EDUCATING THE AMERICAN MIND TO RECEIVE THE FAMOUS SINGER.