ELEVATED POSITION. 14;9 



bar, the access to which was by wooden 

 steps from the road. Without a moment's 

 thought of the danger or the consequences, 

 whether instigated by the rather unusual 

 quantity of spirits I had taken with my 

 pipe, or prompted by an innate love of 

 mischief, I, without checking her, guided 

 my high-spirited but well-trained black 

 mare up the steps and in at the door. 

 My friend, at all times ready for what is 

 now vulgarly called a lark, followed me; 

 and there we sat, erect in our saddles, 

 our swords drawn, and* our pistols in the 

 holsters, to the amazement and consterna- 

 tion of the whole party. 



After the screaming of the softer sex and 

 the uproarious laughter of the other, which 

 so foolish an exhibition had at first elicited, 

 had somewhat subsided, our first con- 

 sideration for we had none before was 

 how to beat a retreat from an assembly 

 whose numbers were overpowering, and 

 whose merriment, I begun to suspect, 



