s, bounded from the earth,
and spun his giddy round before them with singular agility, which, when
contrasted with his slight and wasted figure, and diminutive appearance,
made him resemble a withered leaf twirled round and round at the
pleasure of the winter's breeze. His single lock of hair streamed
upwards from his bald and shaven head, as if some genie upheld him by
it; and indeed it seemed as if supernatural art were necessary to the
execution of the wild, whirling dance, in which scarce the tiptoe of
the performer was seen to touch the ground. Amid the vagaries of his
performance he flew here and there, from one spot to another, still
approaching, however, though almost imperceptibly, to the entrance of
the royal tent; so that, when at length he sunk exhausted on the earth,
after two or three bounds still higher than those which he had yet
executed, he was not above thirty yards from the King's person.

"Give him water," said one yeoman; "they always crave a drink after
their merry-go-round."

"Aha, water, sayest thou, Long Allen?" exclaimed another archer, with a
most scornful emphasis on the despised element; "how wouldst like such
beverage thyself, after such a morrice dancing?"

"The devil a water-drop he gets here," said a third. "We will teach
the light-footed old infidel to be a good Christian, and drink wine of
Cyprus."

"Ay, ay," said a fourth; "and in case he be restive, fetch thou Dick
Hunter's horn, that he drenches his mare withal."

A circle was instantly formed around the prostrate and exhausted
dervise, and while one tall yeoman raised his feeble form from the
ground, another presented to him a huge flagon of wine. Incapable of
speech, the old man shook his head, and waved away from him with his
hand the liquor forbidden by the Prophet. But his tormentors were not
thus to be appeased.

"The horn, the horn!" exclaimed one. "Little difference between a Turk
and a Turkish horse, and we will use him conforming."

"By Saint George, you will choke him!" said Long Allen; "and besides, it
is a sin to throw away upon a heathen dog as much wine as would serve a
good Christian for a treble night-cap."

"Thou knowest not the nature of these Turks and pagans, Long Allen,"
replied Henry Woodstall. "I tell thee, man, that this flagon of Cyprus
will set his brains a-spinning, just in the opposite direction that they
went whirling in the dancing, and so bring him, as it were, to himself
again. Choke? He w