adjacent to a railway,
with a view of starting by the early train on the following morning.
Previous to retiring to rest, he called the "boots" to him, told him that
he wished to be called for the early train, and said that it was of the
utmost importance that he should not oversleep himself. The reverend
gentleman at the same time confessed that he was a very heavy sleeper,
and as there would be probably the greatest difficulty in awakening him,
he (the "boots") was to resort to any means he thought proper in order to
effect his object. And, further, that if the business were effectually
accomplished, the fee should be a liberal one. The preliminaries being
thus settled, the clergyman sought his couch, and "boots" left the room
with the air of a determined man. At a quarter to five on the following
morning, "boots" walked straight to "No. twenty-three," and commenced a
vigorous rattling and hammering at the door, but the only answer he
received was "All right!" uttered in a very faint and drowsy tone. Five
minutes later, "boots" approached the door, placing his ear at the
keyhole, and detecting no other sound than a most unearthly snore, he
unceremoniously entered the room, and laying his brawny hands upon the
prostrate form of the sleeper, shook him violently and long. This attack
was replied to by a testy observation that he "knew all about it, and
there was not the least occasion to shake him so." "Boots" thereupon
left the room, somewhat doubtingly, and only to return in a few minutes
afterwards and find the Rev. Mr. -- as sound asleep as ever. This time
the clothes were stripped off, and a species of baptismal process was
adopted, familiarly known as "cold pig." At this assault the enraged
gentleman sat bolt upright in bed, and with much other bitter remark,
denounced "boots" as a barbarous follow. An explanation was then come
to, and the drowsy man professed he understood it all, and was _about_ to
arise. But the gentleman who officiated at the -- hotel, having had some
experience in these matters, placed no reliance upon the promise he had
just received, and shortly visited "No. twenty-three" again. There he
found that the occupant certainly had got up, but it was only to replace
the bedclothes and to lie down again. "Boots" now felt convinced that
this was one of those cases which required prompt and vigorous handling,
and without more ado, therefore, he again stripped off the upper
clothing, and sei