steadily, resuming its stare of blank scrutiny at my patient, who did
not at all fancy the interest taken in him.

I could not help laughing at the strange manoeuvres of the creature,
familiar as I was with them.

"It is only one of our Texan bugs, Jackson," said I; "it is harmless
enough."

"It's got a pesky look, though, Doctor! I thought I'd seen enough curus
creturs in the Marquesas, but that beats all!"

Seeing the insect really irritated and annoyed him, I put it out of the
window, and turned the blinds closely to prevent its reëntrance, and he
went on with his story.

"So I tramped it to Hartford that night, got a lodgin' with a first
cousin I had there, worked my passage to Boston in a coaster, and after
hangin' about Long Wharf day in and day out for a week, I was driv' to
ship myself aboard of a whaler, the Lowisy Miles, Twist, cap'en; and I
writ from there to Hetty, so't she could know my bearin's so fur, and
tell my father.

"It would take a week, Doctor, to tell you what a rough-an'-tumble time
I had on that 'are whaler. There's a feller's writ a book about v'yagin'
afore the mast that'll give ye an idee on't; he had an eddication so't
he could set it off, and I fell foul of his book down to Valparaiso
more'n a year back, and I swear I wanted to shake hands with him. I
heerd he was gone ashore somewheres down to Boston, and hed cast anchor
for good. But I tell you he's a brick, and what he said's gospel truth.