A pair of boots now commenced a very fair forward-two to a boot-jack which was busily engaged in executing a chassez before a nodding hat,--stockings were wriggling about, as if pleased with the fun, and, in a few minutes more, all was a scene of life among the sleepers' “unconsidered trifles” of wardrobe carelessly cast upon the floor. The water having reached within a few inches of the slumbering pair upon the cane-bottomed settees, I sounded the alarm, by shouting--“Murder! boat's sinking! hurrah! help!” Off tumbled the Irishman and Yankee--splash--dash--flounder and exclamation! “Holy Virgin! what's this?” inquired Pat. “Cre-a-tion and the deluge!” shouted Jonathan “Good gwacious!” piped in the dandy. Down hopped the tenants of the shelves, like bodies in a family vault at the general rising--up again they hopped, light as spirits and twice as natural, the instant their pedal extremities touched the water. “Take it cool, gentlemen,” shouted a westerner, from a top berth, “these are the canal extras.” A lady, at this moment, parted the curtains of their cabin--the Emeralder, with true gallantry, seized her in his arms, with a shout of “Riscue the ladies!” and bore her out on deck. Jonathan, not to be outdone by a foreigner, stood ready for the second, but her weight (only two hundred pounds) put a stumper on his gallantry. Yankee ingenuity, however, overcame the difficulty,--by making a bridge of the cane settees, the ladies were safely conducted from their watery quarters. It was a funny scene on deck, that night, and little ceremony was observed in making a toilet. None, however, seemed to take the matter seriously but the dandy--he had lost all his beautifying essentials, in the confusion, and was almost frightened to death at his hair-breadth 'scape. Jonathan was offering him some crumbs of comfort, to induce him to make a purchase for his future safety. “I'll tell you what, Mister,” says Jonathan, “jest buy one of my everlastin'-no-drownin'-dry-and-water-tight-life-presarvers, and when you git it _fixed right_, it'll keep you so dry you'll have to sprinkle yourself to _stick together._” THE STANDING CANDIDATE. HIS EXCUSE FOR BEING A BACHELOR. |At Buffalo Head, Nianga county, state of Missouri, during the canvass of 1844, there was held an extensive political _Barbecue_, and the several candidates for congress, legislature, county offices, &c., were all congregated at this southern point for the purpose of making an immense demonstration. Hards, softs, whigs and Tylerites were represented, and to hear their several expositions of state and general policy, a vast gathering of the Missouri sovereigns had also assembled. While the impatient candidates were awaiting the signal to mount the “stump,” an odd-looking old man made his appearance at the brow of a small hill bounding the place of meeting. “Hurrah for old _Sugar!_” shouted an hundred voices, while on, steadily, progressed the object of the cheer. [Illustration: 0307]