rment of
constant use, is elegantly designated "a jumper;" and heavy knee riding
boots with spurs. The name in which he seemed to be recognised, from its
frequent mention by the company, was Smith. Adding to his uncouth
appearance and wild gesticulation, he had a voice decidedly unmusical;
while his conversation was copiously interlarded with expletives,
anathematizing some portion of his anatomy. This was the presiding
spirit of the conclave.

The excitement by this time ran high; great had been the exploits
detailed by the company of their various steeds, and the dangers through
which they had carried their several owners; while the prodigies of
speed, power, patience, and endurance, enumerated of the wonderful
animals, would have made even Bucephalus hang his head at the idea of
his own ordinary capacity. How long this state of braggadocio would have
lasted, it is impossible to say; probably until a vinous philanthropy
subdued the mental faculties of the company, and acted as an opiate on
their senses, by composing them to sleep under the canopy (not of
heaven), but of the table. But the mere relation of deeds was speedily
brought to a stand, by the challenge of Smith to bet "a shout" to the
party all round, or accept the same himself from any one there, that he
would ride his own horse into the room, and leap him over the table
without touching or displacing anything on it. No one of the boasted
equestrians offered to perform the feat; though the bet was readily
accepted involving Smith's performance of the exploit; but before we
proceed to detail the attempt, we may be permitted to enlighten our
readers upon the nature of the bet. "A shout," in the parlance of the
Australian bush, is an authority or request to the party in waiting in a
public-house to supply the bibulous wants of the companions of the
shouter, who of course bears the expense; and when a shout is proffered
as an earnest of sociality, or as an obligation in a bet, it indicates
the disposition, in the one case, to increase as much as possible the
cost of the shout, while it involves the necessity, in the other, to
provide whatever is required by the recipients.

Smith speedily appeared with his horse saddled and ready for the leap;
and to give him a better opportunity of performing his task, his friends
had removed the table to a transverse position, and stationed
themselves along the sides of the room, to witness the performance:
carrying on their