WARWICK WOODLANDS. 85 



Well ! we peeped in, aided by the glare of the streaming tal- 

 low candle, and there, sure enough, with all the clothes kicked 

 otF him, and his immense rotundity protected only from the 

 cold by an exceeding scanty shirt of most ancient cotton, lay 

 Tom, flat on his back, like a stranded porpoise, with his mouth 

 wide open, through which he was puffing and breathing like a 

 broken-winded cab-horse, while through his expanded nostrils 

 he was snoring loudly enough to have awaked the seven sleep- 

 ers. Neither of us could well stand up for laughing. One 

 bucket was deposited behind the door, and back stood Harry 

 ready to slip behind it also at half a moment's warning the 

 candlestick was placed upon the floor, which I was to kick over 

 in my flight. 



" Stand by to heave !" whispered my trusty comrade 

 " heave !" and with the word flash ! slush ! out went the 

 whole contents of the full pail, two gallons at the least of ice- 

 cold water, slap in the chaps, neck, breast, and stomach of the 

 sound sleeper. With the most wondrous noise that ears of 

 mine have ever witnessed a mixture of sob, snort, and groan, 

 concluding in the longest and most portentous howl that mouth 

 of man ever uttered Tom started out of bed ; but, at the 

 very instant I discharged my bucket, I put my foot upon the 

 light, flung down the empty pail, and bolted. Poor devil ! as 

 he got upon his feet the bucket rolled up with its iron handles 

 full against his shins, the oath he swore at which encounter, 

 while he dashed headlong after me, directed by the noise I made 

 on purpose, is most unmentionable. Well knowing where it 

 was, I easily jumped over the stick which barred the passage. 

 Not so Tom for going at the very top of his pace, swearing 

 like forty troopers all the time, he caught it with both legs just 

 below the knees, and went down with a squelch that shook the 

 whole hut to the rooftree, while at the self-same instant Harry 

 once again soused him with the contents of the second pail, 

 and made his escape unobserved by the window of Tom's own 

 chamber. Meanwhile I had reached my room, and flinging off my 

 jacket, carne running out with nothing but my shirt and a light- 

 ed candle, to Tom's assistance, in which the next moment I was 

 joined by Harry, who rushed in from out of doors with the sta- 

 ble lanthorn. 



" What's the row now ?" he said, with his face admirably 

 cool and quiet. " What the devil's in the wind ?" 



" Oh ! Archer !" grunted poor Tom, in most piteous accents 



