ging,
entertaining fellows that he had met with in the whole course of his
life. Oh! it was delicious.

After an hour's dashing drive, he arrived at a city which, had he not
seen Hubbabub, he should have imagined was one of the most considerable
in the world; but compared with the Vraibleusian capital it was a
street.

Shortly after his arrival, according to the custom of the place,
Popanilla joined the public table of his hotel at dinner. He was
rather surprised that, instead of knives and forks being laid for
the convenience of the guests, the plates were flanked by daggers and
pistols. As Popanilla now made a point of never asking a question of
Skindeep, he addressed himself for information to his other neighbour,
one of the civilest, most hospitable, and joyous rogues that ever set a
table in a roar. On Popanilla inquiring the reason of their using these
singular instruments, his neighbour, with an air of great astonishment,
confessed his ignorance of any people ever using any other; and in
his turn asked how they could possibly eat their dinner without. The
Chevalier was puzzled, but he was now too well bred ever to pursue an
inquiry.

Popanilla, being thirsty, helped himself to a goblet of water, which was
at hand. It was the most delightful water that he ever tasted. In a few
minutes he found that he was a little dizzy, and, supposing this megrim
to be occasioned by the heat of the room, he took another draught of
water to recover himself.

As his neighbour was telling him an excellent joke a man entered the
room and shot the joker through the head. The opposite guest immediately
charged his pistol with effect, and revenged the loss. A party of men,
well armed, now rushed in, and a brisk conflict immediately ensued.
Popanilla, who was very dizzy, was fortunately pushed under the table.
When the firing and slashing had ceased, he ventured to crawl out. He
found that the assailants had been beaten off, though unfortunately with
the total loss of all the guests, who lay lifeless about the room. Even
the prudent Skindeep, who had sought refuge in a closet, had lost his
nose, which was a pity; because, although this gentleman had never been
in Blunderland before, he had passed his whole life in maintaining
that the accounts of the disturbances in that country were greatly
exaggerated. Popanilla rang the bell, and the waiters, who were
remarkably attentive, swept away the dead bodies, and brought him a
roasted po