repared to back out of the room, and as
far as a negro can turn pale, he did so, and seemed at once to lose all
power of speech.

"You've hit the right nail on the head, O'Driscoll," observed Delisle;
"however, there is no use in exciting the anger of the people, we may
suffer for it in the end."

Others were of the latter opinion; and at last we all rose, and paying
the landlord's somewhat extortionate demand with the best grace we
could, considering the hole it made in our pocket, went out to inspect
our beasts. They were tolerably strong animals, and two or three looked
as if they had some go in them, at all events.

"I say, Hurry, just keep an eye on those two beasts," said O'Driscoll,
pointing at two of the best mules. "No one else seems to know one brute
from another."

Such was the case, for all hands, except Delisle, were more than three
sheets in the wind. Poor Robson, one of the lieutenants, was one of the
worst. Two negroes mounted on mules appeared to serve as our escort or
guard. They were armed with long, formidable-looking pistols stuck in
their belts, with hangers by their sides. Had we wished to get away, or
had we known of any place to which we could fly, we should have used
wondrous little ceremony in disposing of them.

"Mount, gen'men, mount!" exclaimed the black officer.

"More easily said than done, old codger," hiccoughed Robson, essaying to
get across the back of a restive mule. "I should like to see your
nigger grand excellency with three bottles of Burgundy under your belt
attempting to do that same. However, to men of courage nothing is
impossible--so here goes. Heave ahead, my hearties!" Making a spring,
he threw himself on to the top of the saddle, but with an impetus so
great that he toppled over completely and came down on his nose on the
opposite side.

One of our black escort, seeing the catastrophe, hurried up to help the
fallen officer. Robson seeing him coming, and not comprehending his
intentions, tackled him at once as if he had been an enemy, and the
moment he came within reach began pommelling him away most vehemently.
This naturally excited Sambo's anger, and forgetting his habitual dread
of white men, he paid him back much in the same coin. The spectators
meantime shouted with laughter, urging on the combatants. Drunk as he
was, Robson soon, I saw, got much the best of it, and was punishing the
nigger most severely. The latter did not like this treatment,