A man seated at a coarse deal table was cutting out paragraphs from various newspapers, which, as he threw them at either side of him, were eagerly caught up by two or three ragged urchins who were in waiting behind him. He looked up at me as I entered, and roughly asked what I wanted. "I have seen an advertisement in your paper, headed, 'Expedition to Texas '------" "Upstairs,--No. 3,--two-pair back," said he, and went on with his labor. I hesitated, hoping he might add something; but seeing that he had said all he intended or was likely to say, I slowly withdrew. "Upstairs, then,--No. 3,--two-pair back," said I to myself, and mounted, with the very vaguest notions of what business I had when I got there. There was no difficulty in finding the place; many others were hastening towards it at the same time; and, in company with some half-dozen very ill-favored and meanly clad fellows, I entered a large room, where about forty men were assembled, who stood in knots or groups, talking in low and confidential tones together. "Is there a committee to-day?" asked one of those who came in with me. "Business is over," said another. "And is the lottery drawn?" "Ay, every ticket, except one or two." "Who's won Butcher's mare?" "Tell us that if you can," said a huge fellow, with a red worsted comforter round his throat; "that's exactly what we want to know." "Well, I'm whipped if it ain't among those numbers," said a pale man with one eye, "and I 'll give fifty dollars for one of 'em." "You would, would you?" said another, jeering. "Lord, how soft you 've grown! Why, she's worth five hundred dollars, that 'ere beast!" "Butcher gave a mustang and two hundred and seventy for her," cried another. "Well, she broke his neck, for all that," growled out he of the red neckcloth; "you'll see that some chap will win her that don't want a beast, and she 'll be sold for a trifle." "And there's a free passage to Galveston, grub and liquor, in the same ticket," said another,--"an almighty sight of luck for one man!" "It ain't me, anyhow," said red cravat; and then, with a tremendous oath, added: "I've been a putter in at these Texas lotteries for four years, and never won anything but a blessed rosary." "What became of it, Dick?" said another, laughing. "The beads fitted my rifle-bore, and I fired 'em away when lead was scarce." Various discussions followed about luck and lotteries, with anecdotes of all kinds respecting fortunate winners; then came stories of Texan expeditions in former times, which I began to perceive were little else than speculations of a gambling kind, rarely intended to go farther than the quay of New Orleans. On the present occasion, however, it would seem a real expedition had been planned. Some had already sailed, others were to follow the very day after the lottery, and only waited to learn who was the fortunate winner of Butcher's mare, at that time waiting at Galveston for an owner.