houses by the appearance of bears and snakes, but they are few in number, and seldom or ever visit the Lake. The great bug bear that deter most of the visitors is the fear of snakes falling in the gondola, as she passes along, from overhanging limbs of trees. If passengers would keep in their state-rooms on the gondola, snakes might fall into it and they would know nothing about it, as they would be thrown out as soon as found. Lizzards sometimes run up the pantaloons leg of some who are not on the lookout for such things; but that causes a fellow to run out of his trousers so quick that very few ever get bitten. I have visited the Lake at various times and under different circumstances, but do not recollect that anything unaccountable happened to me but once, which I will relate: On one occasion as I was going down the canal, toward the Lake, the driver of the skiff exclaimed, "Boss, did you see dat?" "No," I exclaimed; "What was it?" "It was a ball of fire." "A what?" I said. "A jack-mer-lantern," said he. "And what is that?" I asked. "It's a sperit. I ceed dem ebery nite, an' when I go to kotch one dey ain't nobody." "Then you believe in spirits?" "Yes, sar; dat I dus. When I pass Paradise Old Field I kin always see dem." "Have you ever been told anything about the ball of fire and Jack-mer-lantern, as you call them?" "Yes, sir; dat I hab." "Then let me hear what you have been told." "Yes, sir; Boss, I'se gwine tu tell you de God's trufe." "Well, proceed." "Boss, I'm gwine to tole you dey tole me dat long time 'go dat a man by de name of Pluter was come up dar in dat field wid a 'omun, an' dat dey loss demselves, an' hab neber bin seed since; and dat ebery nite wen you go by dar you kin see somfin. One nite as I was gwine 'long I thort dat a ball of fire wus gwine tu hit me in de face. I axed who wus dat; nobody said nuffin. I hit at it an' it turned to a Jack-mer-lantern." "And what was that," I asked. "I 'spec dat it wus dat man Pluter, an' de ball ob fire wus de 'omun dat wus wid him." "And they are what you call 'sperits?' Then you are a natural born fool; if you do not shove this boat along I will break your head with this pole." "Boss, I shall always blebe in dem sperits."