t became dark, and I had no fixed plan.
A gentleman's carriage came by; I took up a position in the rear of it,
and had ridden four miles, when, as the carriage was slowly dragging up
a hill, I was discovered by the parties inside; and the postilion, who
had dismounted and been informed of it, saluted me with two or three
smart cuts of his whip, intimating that I was of no use, but rather an
incumbrance which could be dispensed with.

My readers know that I had long since adopted the motto of our northern
neighbours, _Nemo me_, etcetera; so waiting very quietly till the driver
had mounted his horses, at the top of the hill, that he might be more at
my mercy, I discharged a stone at his head which caused him to vacate
his seat, and fall under his horse's belly. The animals, frightened at
his fall, turned short round to the right, or they would have gone over
him, and ran furiously down the hill. The post-boy, recovering his
legs, followed his horses without bestowing a thought on the author of
the mischief; and I made all the haste I could in the opposite
direction, perfectly indifferent as to the fate of the parties inside of
the carriage, for I still smarted with the blows I had received.

"Fools, and unkind," muttered I, looking back, as they disappeared at
the bottom of the hill, with frightful velocity, "you are rightly
served. I was a trespasser, 'tis true, but a civil request would have
had all the effect you required--that of inducing me to get down; but a
whip to me--" And with my blood still boiling at the recollection, I
hastily pursued my journey.

In a few minutes I reached the little town of ---, the lights of which
were visible at the time the horses had turned down the hill and ran
away. Entering the first inn I came to, I found the large room below
occupied by a set of strolling players, who had just returned from a
successful performance of "Romeo and Juliet"; and, from the excitement
among them, it was easy to perceive that their success had been fully
equal to their expectations. They were fourteen in number, seated round
a table, not indifferently covered with the good things of this life;
they were clad in theatrical costume, which, with the rapid circulation
of the bottle, gave the whole scene an air of romantic freedom,
calculated to interest the mind of a thoughtless half-pay midshipman.

Being hungry after my walk, I determined to join the party at supper,
which, being a table d'hote was