The whole party which accompanied these two worthies, musicians and
tail, were dressed out so as to give a tolerable resemblance of the Bar
broke loose, and they were all pretty considerably well drunk. As we
passed along, the Device was once more laid down, and we could notice a
shield of tough hide strapped over the fellow's stem frame, so as to
save the lashes of the cat, which John Canoe was administering with all
his force, while the Device walloped about and yelled, as if he had been
receiving the punishment on his naked flesh. Presently, as he rolled
over and over in the sand, bellowing to the life, I noticed the leather
shield slip upwards to the small of his back, leaving the lower story
uncovered in reality; but the driver and his tail were too drunk to
observe this, and the former continued to lay on and laugh, while one of
his people stood by in all the gravity of drunkenness, counting, as a
first Lieutenant does, when a poor fellow is polishing at the gangway,--
"Twenty--twenty--one twenty--two"--and so on, while the patient roared
you, an it were any thing but a nightingales At length he broke away
from the men who held him, after receiving a most sufficient flogging,
to revenge which he immediately fastened on the John Canoe, wrenched his
cat from him, and employed it so scientifically on him and his
followers, giving them passing taps on the shins now and then with the
handle, by way of spice to the dose, that the whole crew pulled foot as
if Old Nick had held them in chase.
Pages:
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392