LUDICROUS SCENE. 249 



continued at regular intervals. It now appeared that 

 the cause of his alarm was on the inside; and my host 

 who believed that a party of robbers had introduced 

 themselves into his premises, hailed them in a loud 

 voice, promising that if they did not cease their ham- 

 mering, and surrender, he would put them every one 

 to death. So far from attending to his suggestion 

 the thumps increased in rapidity and violence, and 

 he had scarcely time to put himself in a defensive 

 position when the door burst open and out rushed 

 his assailants — a multitude of round figures of all 

 sizes, without heads, legs, or arms ! His first thought 

 was that the supernatural existences of New South 

 Wales had now for the first time revealed themselves 

 to his eyes ! Here was material for a fairy tale ! The 

 genii of this country in which everything runs into 

 leg were then it appeared all body I Such were the 

 fancies that flashed through his mind as he made 

 a desperate lunge at the advancing foe, one of whom 

 he transfixed from breast to back, whilst the rest in 

 an instant overthrew and trampled him under foot, 

 if I may use the expression. And now arose a wild 

 scream — of laughter from myself and the others who 

 had witnessed this mortal combat, for the disturbers 

 of our night's repose were no other than a number 

 of huge pumpkins, which had been placed in a heap 

 upon a press on the landing, and from having been 

 perhaps carelessly piled had given way, and rolled, 

 one by one, down stairs, accumulating at the bottom 



