Sam scratched his gray wool and departed.
The Colonel and his friends smoked and chatted for a long while, and still no Sam and no snail.
"Well, that fellow is really lazy," said the gentleman who had sent him on the quest. "Colonel, would you mind sending for him, and see what on earth he is doing?"
The Colonel did so, and Sam entered the room.
"Well," said the gentleman, "did you catch one of those snails?"
"'Deed no, sah," replied Sam; "dey was too powerful quick fo' me. Ise couldn't catch up wid dem!"
That settled the question.
A NEW COUNTRY.
A party of tourists were examining one of the large trees of California. One of the party remarked: