my hand to my
chum, who had got his feet on the step, when some one exclaimed, "By
Jupiter! she is under way." And, sure enough, our struggles had set the
lumbering old vehicle moving. On it went, rolling and rattling down the
steep pathway, which we had totally forgotten. To get out was
impossible, without the certainty almost of knocking our heads against
the walls of the houses on either side, of being jammed between them and
the wheels, or of being run over. We hauled Dicky in to save his life,
and away we all went together, the vehicle every moment increasing its
velocity. The path, from sloping from each side to the centre, kept her
on a straight course, or we should have brought up against some steps,
or a kerbstone, and been saved from the approaching catastrophe. But no
such good fortune was in store for us. Rolling and rattling, and
screeching and creaking, and bumping and thumping, downward went the
carriage, we inside keeping up a chorus of shouts and shrieks. Most of
us laughed; but one or two, who were strangers to the place, were in a
mortal fright, not knowing whether we might find a precipice at the
bottom, and be shot over, perhaps into the sea. Very soon, too, we
reached some steps, down which we went, of course faster than ever, with
terrific bounds, till the cranky old vehicle could no longer stand the
unusual movement.

"Who goes there?" shouted the sentry at the bottom of the steps.

"Turn out the guard," echoed the sergeant, not able to make out the
cause of the unusual commotion. Just then the carriage split asunder,
and sent us flying, with swords, dirks, and hats, in different
directions.

"Arrah, was ever such an egg hatched before?" exclaimed the sergeant,
who was an Irishman, running up and seizing hold of the first he could
lay hands on. "Come, young gentlemen, I must march you off to the
guard-house."

"March the coach off, if you please, sergeant; but we are innocent, like
the new-hatched babes which we are," cried Dicky Sharpe, who was one of
those in custody. "The order is against people on horseback coming this
way: we hadn't even horses to our egg-shell."

The sergeant, amused by the way Dicky took up his joke, and seeing there
was no use detaining us, consented not to molest us. We then invited
ourselves to go to the guard-house, where we passed the remainder of the
night, with our cigars to comfort us. I am sorry to say that we did not
go back to try and find th