rnest confabulation, while the stramash was drawing to a bloody
conclusion, with Mr Harry Molasses, the fourth in the spree, who was
standing behind Bloatsheet with a large mahogany box under his arm,
something in shape like that of a licensed packman, ganging about from
house to house, through the country-side, selling toys and trinkets; or
niffering plaited ear-rings, and suchlike, with young lasses, for old
silver coins or cracked teaspoons.

"Oh!" answered he, very composedly, as if it had been a canister full of
black-rapee or black-guard, that he had just lifted down from his top-
shelf, "it's just Doctor Blister's saws, whittles, and big knives, in
case any of their legs or arms be blown away, that he may cut them off."
Little would have prevented me sinking down through the ground, had I not
remembered at the preceese moment, that I myself was a soldier, and
liable, when the hour of danger threatened, to be called out, in marching-
order, to the field of battle. But by this time the pistols were in the
hands of the two infatuated young men, Mr Bloatsheet, as fierce as a
hussar dragoon, and Magneezhy as supple in the knees as if he was all on
oiled hinges; so the next consideration was to get well out of the way,
the lookers-on running nearly as great a chance of being shot as the
principals, they not being accustomed, like me for instance, to the use
of arms; on which account, I scougged myself behind a big pear-tree; both
being to fire when Blister gave the word "Off!"

I had scarcely jouked into my hidy-hole, when "crack--crack" played the
pistols like lightning; and as soon as I got my cowl taken from my eyes,
and looked about, woes me! I saw Magneezhy clap his hand to his brow,
wheel round like a peerie, or a sheep seized with the sturdie, and then
play flap down on his broadside, breaking the necks of half-a-dozen
cabbage-stocks--three of which were afterwards clean lost, as we could
not put them all into the pot at one time. The whole of us ran forward,
but foremost was Bloatsheet, who seizing Magneezhy by the hand, cried,
with a mournful face, "I hope you forgive me? Only say this as long as
you have breath; for I am off to Leith harbour in half a minute."

The blood was running over poor Magneezhy's eyes, and drib-dribbling from
the neb of his nose, so he was truly in a pitiful state; but he said with
more strength than I thought he could have mustered,--"Yes, yes, fly for
your life. I am dying wit