nd
negus. At length, when nearly everybody was gone, with the exception of
a few other midshipmen, and the musicians could no longer wag their
bows, we deemed it time also to retire. We had got leave to stay on
shore, but it just then occurred to us that we had forgot to order our
beds.

"Never mind," said Dicky; "we are certain to find them at some hotel or
other."

As we were putting on our cloaks, we found that there were five or six
more midshipmen belonging to other ships in the same predicament as
ourselves. To get beds at that hour of the morning, we discovered was
not so easy, as all the Hotels, from some cause or other, were full. We
hunted about for some time, and were proposing trying to get on board
our ships,--though Dicky Sharpe declared he should take up his berth
inside one of the casks generally found down on the shore of the
harbour, with their heads off; but we advised him not, as they are the
usual abode of the beggar boys who infest Nix Mangiare stairs, and would
be apt to have more inhabitants than one,--when some of the party who
were on ahead, shouted out that they had found as cozy a place of
shelter as they could wish. We were in the upper part of the town,
which, as most of my readers probably know, is at a considerable
elevation above the water. As it had lately begun to rain hard, and we
had no desire to wander farther, there was a general rush made to the
front. The cozy place to which we were invited, turned out to be an old
family coach, which was standing at the top of a narrow lane intended to
be used only by foot passengers. However, it was a place where some
midshipmen had lately amused themselves by galloping up and down; but,
to prevent such an exhibition of horsemanship, a guard had been
stationed at the bottom, to prevent any similar attempt for the future.
But to return to the coach. The first comers had taken possession, and
one after the other the rest scrambled in, till by the time Dicky and I,
who were rather behind, got up, it could hold no more: at all events
those inside decided that such was the case. This was not what we had
bargained for, and neither of us was inclined to yield his right to a
share and shelter without a struggle. The doors had not been shut; and
while Dicky boarded on one side, I tried to get in on the other. Wet
caps and fists were dashed in our faces, but, undaunted, we strove on.
I had actually forced my way in, and was stretching over