. When I reached his door, there stood Harry, laughing to
himself, with a small quiet chuckle, perfectly inaudible at three feet
distance, the intensity of which could, however, be judged by the manner
in which it shook his whole person. Two huge horse-buckets, filled to
the brim, were set beside him; and he had cut a piece of an old
broomstick so as to fit exactly to the width of the passage, across
which he had fastened it, at about two feet from the ground, so that it
must most indubitably trip up any person, who should attempt to run
along that dark and narrow thoroughfare.

"Now, Frank," said he, "see here! I'll set this bucket here behind the
door--we'll heave the other slap into his face--there he lies, full on
the broad of his fat back, with his mouth wide open--and when he jumps
up full of fight, which he is sure to do, run you with the candle, which
blow out the moment he appears, straight down the passage. I'll stand
back here, and as he trips over that broomstick, which he is certain to
do, I'll pitch the other bucket on his back--and if he does not think
he's bewitched, I'll promise not to laugh. I owe him two or three
practical jokes, and now I've got a chance, so I'll pay him all at
once."

Well! we peeped in, aided by the glare of the streaming tallow candle,
and there, sure enough, with all the clothes kicked off him, and his
immense rotundity protected only from the cold by an exceeding scanty
shirt of most ancient cotton, lay Tom, flat on his back, like a stranded
porpoise, with his mouth wide open, through which he was puffing and
breathing like a broken-winded cab-horse, while through his expanded
nostrils he was snoring loudly enough to have awaked the seven sleepers.
Neither of us could well stand up for laughing. One bucket was deposited
behind the door, and back stood Harry ready to slip behind it also at
half a moment's warning--the candlestick was placed upon the floor,
which I was to kick over in my flight.

"Stand by to heave!" whispered my trusty comrade--"heave!" and with the
word--flash!--slush!--out went the whole contents of the full pail, two
gallons at the least of ice-cold water, slap in the chaps, neck, breast,
and stomach of the sound sleeper. With the most wondrous noise that ears
of mine have ever witnessed--a mixture of sob, snort, and groan,
concluding in the longest and most portentous howl that mouth of man
ever uttered--Tom started out of bed; but, at the very instant I
d