Turpin ranged over the whole assemblage. Amidst that
throng of dark faces there was not one familiar to him.

Before him stood the upright man, Zoroaster--so was he called--, a
sturdy, stalwart rogue, whose superior strength and stature--as has not
unfrequently been the case in the infancy of governments that have risen
to more importance than is likely to be the case with that of Lesser
Egypt--had been the means of his elevation to his present dignified
position. Zoroaster literally _fought_ his way upwards, and had at first
to maintain his situation by the strong arm; but he now was enabled to
repose upon his hard-won laurels, to smoke "the calumet of peace," and
quaff his tipple with impunity. For one of gipsy blood, he presented an
unusually jovial, liquor-loving countenance: his eye was mirthful; his
lip moist, as if from oft potations; his cheek mellow as an Orleans
plum, which fruit, in color and texture, it mightily resembled. Strange
to say, also, for one of that lithe race, his person was heavy and
hebetudinous; the consequence, no doubt, of habitual intemperance. Like
Cribb, he waxed obese upon the championship. There was a kind of mock
state in his carriage, as he placed himself before Turpin, and with his
left hand twisted up the tail of his dressing-gown, while the right
thrust his truncheon into his hip, which was infinitely diverting to the
highwayman.

Turpin's attention, however, was chiefly directed towards his neighbor,
the ruffler, in whom he recognized a famous impostor of the day, with
whose history he was sufficiently well acquainted to be able at once to
identify the individual. We have before stated, that a magnificent
coal-black beard decorated the chin of this worthy; but this was not
all--his costume was in perfect keeping with his beard, and consisted of
a very theatrical-looking tunic, upon the breast of which was
embroidered, in golden wire, the Maltese cross; while over his shoulders
were thrown the folds of an ample cloak of Tyrian hue. To his side was
girt a long and doughty sword, which he termed, in his knightly phrase,
Excalibur; and upon his profuse hair rested a hat as broad in the brim
as a Spanish sombrero.

Exaggerated as this description may appear, we can assure our readers
that it is not overdrawn; and that a counterpart of the sketch we have
given of the ruffler certainly "strutted his hour" upon the stage of
human life, and that the very ancient and discriminating city o