264 THE FAT OF THE LAND 



Entering the room, I found the lads in bed, 

 but hilarious. They had sent for Lars and had 

 filled him full of hot stuff and commendation. 

 He was sitting on the edge of a chair between 

 the two beds, his honest eyes bulging and his 

 head rolling from the effects of unusual pota- 

 tions. The lads had tasted the cup, too, but 

 lightly ; their high spirits came from other 

 sources. Victories in war and in love deserve 

 celebration ; and when the two are united, a bit 

 of freedom must be permitted. They sat bolt 

 upright against the heads of their beds with 

 flushed faces and shining eyes. They shouted 

 Greek and Latin verse at the bewildered Swede ; 

 they gave him the story of Lars Porsena in the 

 original, and then in bad Swedish. They called 

 him Lars Porsena, for had he not fought gal- 

 lantly ? Then he was Gustavus Adolphus, for 

 had he not come to the aid of the Protestants 

 when they were in sore need ? And then things 

 got mixed and the " Royal Swede " was Lars 

 Adolphus or Gustavus Porsena Viking all in one. 

 The honest fellow was more than half crazed by 

 strong waters, incomprehensible words, and "jol- 

 lying up" which the young chaps had given him. 



" See here, boys, don't you see that you're 

 sending your noble Swede to his Lutzen before 

 his time, not dead, indeed, but dead drunk ? 

 This isn't the sort of medicine for either of you ; 

 you should have been asleep three hours ago. 

 I'll take your last victim home." 



