said I. "Open, Sambo, you
rascal, or I shall be apt to break your head or your shins rather before
long if you are not quick about it."

Still Sambo seemed to have his suspicions that all was not right, and
very soon we heard somebody else come to the door and a discussion
commence as to who we could be. Again I knocked and began to lose
patience.

"Open, friend!" I exclaimed; "we are not robbers, nor are we officers
of the law, but we have a matter in which we want your assistance, but
cannot delay."

Soft words often have an effect when rough ones would fail. The bolts
were withdrawn, and, the door opening, a gentleman in a dressing-gown
and slippers, his wig off, his waistcoat unbuttoned, and his whole
appearance showing that he had made himself comfortable for the evening,
stood, candle in hand, before us. He held up the light and peered
before him into the darkness to ascertain who we could be. When his eye
fell on our uniforms and the red-coats of the soldiers his countenance
assumed a most ridiculously scared appearance, and with a groan of
terror he let the candlestick fall from his hands. The expiring flame,
as the candle reached the ground, showed me a female arm stretched out.
It hauled him through a doorway, and the door was slammed and bolted in
our faces. Directly afterwards we heard a window thrown up, and a voice
exclaimed--

"Fly, Ebenezer, love! fly and hide thyself, or these red-coated villains
will be the death of thee!"

We stood very quietly waiting the result. I knew pretty well what it
would be. In two minutes a voice was heard outside the window--

"Oh, mercy, mercy! Bridget, let me in again, let me in!" it said. "The
house is surrounded by armed men, and thy unhappy husband is truly
caught in the snares of the enemy."

We had no time to spare, so I thought it best to catch our friend and
see what we could make of him. I accordingly knocked at the door and
desired to be admitted.

"Oh, mercy, mercy! oh dear, oh dear!" was the only answer I got.

"Well, my friends, I can wait no longer," I exclaimed, in a voice which
showed that I would not be trifled with. "I have something to
communicate to you, and if you come out peaceably it will save trouble,
and be better for all parties. You have my word that no harm whatever
is intended you."

There was some discussion inside. I knocked pretty loudly two or three
times with the hilt of my sword. The hint was taken, and at le