90 WAHWICK WOODLAJSDS. 



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, came running out with nothing 

 but my shirt and a lighted candle, to Tom's assistance, 

 in which the next moment I was joined by Harry, who 

 rushed in from out of doors with the stable lanthom. 



"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 ac- 

 cents — ^"them darned etamal Teachmans — they've mur- 

 dered me right out! I'll never get over this — ugh! ugh! 

 ugh! Half drowned and smashed up the darndest! Now 

 aint it an etarnal shame! Cuss them, if I doos n't sarve 

 them out for it, my name's not Thomas Draw!" 



"Well, it is not," rejoined Harry, "who in the name of 

 wonder ever called you Thomas? Christened you never 

 were at all, that's evident enough, you barbarous old 

 heathen — but you were certainly named Tom." 



Swearing, and vowing vengeance on Jem Lyn, and 

 Garry, and the Teachmans — each one of whom, by the 

 way, was sound asleep during this pleasant interlude — 

 and shaking with the cold, and sputtering with uncon- 

 trollable fury, the fat man did at length get dressed, and 

 after two or three libations of milk punch, recovered his 

 temper somewhat, and his spirits altogether. 



Although, however, Hairy and I told him very franldy 

 that we were not merely the sole planners, but the sole 

 executors, of the trick — it was in vain we spoke. Tom 

 would not have it. 



"No — he knew — he knew well enough; did we go for 

 to think he was such an old etarnal fool as not to know 

 Jem's voice — a bloody Decker — he would be the death 

 of him." 



And direful, in good truth, I do believe, were the jokes 

 practical, and to him no jokes at all, which poor Jem had 

 to undergo, in expiation of his fancied share in this our 

 misdemeanor. 



Scarce had the row subsided, ■ before the horses were 



