Walking On A Raft

Mace Sloper, Jisij.. in the Kntckerbocker, tells the following story : There was a fellow once steppod out of the Joor of a tavern, on the Mississip pi, meaning to walk a niile up the shore to the next tavern. Just ut the landing there lay a big ruft, one of the regular old fshioiied whalers - a raft a mile long. Well. the fellow heard the landlord eny the raft was a mile long, and he aaid unto hinist'lf, I wili go fortíi and see this gicat wonder, and let mine cyes behnld the timber whicli the hand of man hath hewn." So he got on at the lower end, and began to unibulate over the wood in pretty fair time. Bu! just as he walked up the river it. walked down, both travel ing at the same rate. Wtien he got to the end of tbe stick, he found they were pretty near i-hore, and in sight of a tavei n ; so heliinded :md went straight in to the bar room ho had come out of. The general spiueness of tliings took him a little aback, but he looked the land lord straight in the f;ice, and ettled it in hts own way : "Publican," said he, "are you gifled with any twin bruther, who keeps a rtra ilar sized tavern, with a duplícate wif'e, a coinporting woodpile, and correspond inu c reus bilis, a mile off from here V" The tiiverii keeper was fond of fun, und accordingly said it was ju-t so "Aud, Publican, have ynu amongynur dry goods, fnr the entertainment of man and horse any whisky of the same size of that of your brother'c?" Aud the tavern man said, that from the riing of the sun, even to the going down of the same, i.e had. They took di inks when the stranger said : "Publican tht are twin brothor of yours is a inighty fine man a very fine man indeed. But do you know l'm ateered he suffers a good deal with Ohi cagwdiptheria."' "And hat is that ?" asked the toddy sticker. '■It is when the truth settles so firm in a man that none of it ever comes out. Common doctor?, of the catnip sort, called it lyin' When I left your brotlier's emfectionery tb re was a rafl at hisdoor wliich lie gwore bis life wan a mile long Well, Publican, I walked that raft froin bill to tail, from bis door to youro. - Now I know my time, an' l'm just as good for myself p for a hoss, and bei ter for th"t than any man you ever did see. I always walk a niile in exactly twenty minutes on a good road, and 111 be busted with au overloaded injun gun if I've been mor'n ten minutes coming here, stepping over the bbuned logs at that."