MONTHS afterward the hope within me struggled to a reluctant death,and I found myself without an ambition. But I was ashamed to go home.

I was in Cincinnati, and I set to work to map out a new career.

I had been reading about the recent exploration of the river Amazonby an expedition sent out by our government. It was said thatthe expedition, owing to difficulties, had not thoroughly explored a partof the country lying about the head-waters, some four thousand milesfrom the mouth of the river. It was only about fifteen hundred milesfrom Cincinnati to New Orleans, where I could doubtless get a ship.

I had thirty dollars left; I would go and complete the explorationof the Amazon. This was all the thought I gave to the subject.

I never was great in matters of detail. I packed my valise, and tookpassage on an ancient tub called the 'Paul Jones,' for New Orleans.

For the sum of sixteen dollars I had the scarred and tarnished splendorsof 'her' main saloon principally to myself, for she was not a creature toattract the eye of wiser travelers.

When we presently got under way and went poking down the broad Ohio,I became a new being, and the subject of my own admiration.

I was a traveler! A word never had tasted so good in my mouth before.

I had an exultant sense of being bound for mysterious lands and distantclimes which I never have felt in so uplifting a degree since.

I was in such a glorified condition that all ignoble feelings departedout of me, and I was able to look down and pity the untraveledwith a compassion that had hardly a trace of contempt in it.

Still, when we stopped at villages and wood-yards, I could not helplolling carelessly upon the railings of the boiler deck to enjoythe envy of the country boys on the bank. If they did not seemto discover me, I presently sneezed to attract their attention,or moved to a position where they could not help seeing me.

And as soon as I knew they saw me I gaped and stretched, and gave othersigns of being mightily bored with traveling.

I kept my hat off all the time, and stayed where the windand the sun could strike me, because I wanted to getthe bronzed and weather-beaten look of an old traveler.

Before the second day was half gone I experienced a joywhich filled me with the purest gratitude; for I saw thatthe skin had begun to blister and peel off my face and neck.

I wished that the boys and girls at home could see me now.

We reached Louisville in time--at least the neighborhood of it.

We stuck hard and fast on the rocks in the middle of the river,and lay there four days. I was now beginning to feel a strongsense of being a part of the boat's family, a sort of infantson to the captain and younger brother to the officers.

There is no estimating the pride I took in this grandeur,or the affection that began to swell and grow in me forthose people. I could not know how the lordly steamboatmanscorns that sort of presumption in a mere landsman.

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