five miles into the mystic recesses of the Swamp, when they suddenly
stopped with a cry of "Breakers ahead!" Mr. P. rushed to the bow, and
there he beheld two doleful heads just peering above the waters of the
narrow canal. He started back in amazement. He thought, at first, that
they were Naiads--(they could not be Dryads)--or some other watery
spirits of these wilds. But he soon saw that they were nothing of the
kind. It was only Messrs. SCHENCK, of Ohio, and KELLEY, of Pennsylvania,
and through the limpid water it was easy to see that each of them was
endeavoring to raise a sunken log from the bottom.

[Illustration]

"Why, what in the world are you doing here?" cried Mr. P.

Mr. SCHENCK, of Ohio, looked up sadly, and, dropping his log upon the
bottom, stood upon it, and thus replied:

"You may well be surprised, Mr. PUNCHINELLO, but we are here for the
public good. We have reason to suspect, that, following the example of
the Chinese Opium-smugglers, the vile traitors who are trying to break
down our iron interests have smuggled quantities of scrap--iron into
this country, and it is our belief that these sunken logs have been
bored and are full of it."

At this Mr. P. laughed right out.

"Oh, you may laugh if you please!" cried SCHENCK, of Ohio, "and perhaps
you can tell me why these logs are so heavy--why they lie here at the
bottom instead of floating--why--" but at this instant he slipped from
the log on which he was standing, and with a splash and a bubbling, he