water and
pieces of floating ice, like some amphibious animal to the shore;
sometimes his feet slipped, and down he tumbled, and then he struggled
up again, shaking the water from his hair and clothes. Now his feet
stuck fast in the mud, and now, by a desperate effort, he disengaged
himself with the loss of both his shoes; thus labouring on, with
infinite pain and difficulty he reached the land. The whole troop of
spectators were now incapable of stifling their laughter, which broke
forth in such redoubled peals, that the unfortunate hero was irritated
to an extreme degree of rage, so that, forgetting his own sufferings and
necessities, as soon as he had struggled to the shore, he fell upon them
in a fury, and dealt his blows so liberally on every side, that he put
the whole company to flight. Tommy was now in the situation of a warrior
that pursues a routed army. Dismay and terror scattered all his little
associates a hundred different ways, while passion and revenge animated
him to the pursuit, and made him forgetful of the wetness of his
clothes, and the uncomfortableness of his situation. Whatever
unfortunate boy came within his reach was sure to be unmercifully cuffed
and pommelled; for, in the fury with which he felt himself inspired, he
did not wait to consider the exact rules of justice.

While Tommy was thus revenging the affronts he imagined he had received,
and chasing the vanquished about the court, the unusual noise and uproar
which ensued reached the ears of Mr Barlow, and brought him to the door.
He could hardly help laughing at the rueful figure of his friend, with
the water dropping from every part of his body in copious streams, and
at the rage which seemed to animate him in spite of his disaster. It was
with some difficulty that Tommy could compose himself enough to give Mr
Barlow an account of his misfortunes, which, when he had heard, he
immediately led him into the house, and advised him to undress and go to
bed. He then brought him some warm diluting liquors, by which means he
avoided all the bad effects which might otherwise have arisen from so
complete a drenching.

The next day Mr Barlow laughed at Tommy in his usual good-natured
manner, and asked him if he intended to ride out in the Kamtschatkan
manner; adding, however, that he should be afraid to attend him, as he
had the habit of beating his companions. Tommy was a little confounded
at this insinuation, but replied, "that he should not hav