ent. The height of the cave, added
to the universal reconciler (custom), prevented, however, this evil from
being seriously unpleasant; and, indeed, like the tenants of an
Irish cabin, perhaps the inmates attached a degree of comfort to
a circumstance which was coupled with their dearest household
associations. A table, formed of a board coarsely planed, and supported
by four legs of irregular size, made equal by the introduction of blocks
or wedges between the legs and the floor, stood warming its uncouth self
by the fire. At one corner a covered cart made a conspicuous article of
furniture, no doubt useful either in conveying plunder or provisions;
beside the wheels were carelessly thrown two or three coarse carpenter's
tools, and the more warlike utilities of a blunderbuss, a rifle, and two
broadswords. In the other corner was an open cupboard, containing rows
of pewter platters, mugs, etc. Opposite the fireplace, which was to the
left of the entrance, an excavation had been turned into a dormitory;
and fronting the entrance was a pair of broad, strong wooden steps,
ascending to a large hollow about eight feet from the ground. This was
the entrance to the stables; and as soon as their owners released the
reins of the horses, the docile animals proceeded one by one leisurely
up the steps, in the manner of quadrupeds educated at the public
seminary of Astley's, and disappeared within the aperture.

These steps, when drawn up,--which, however, from their extreme
clumsiness, required the united strength of two ordinary men, and was
not that instantaneous work which it should have been,--made the place
above a tolerably strong hold; for the wall was perfectly perpendicular
and level, and it was only by placing his hands upon the ledge, and so
lifting himself gymnastically upward, that an active assailant could
have reached the eminence,--a work which defenders equally active, it
may easily be supposed, would not be likely to allow.

This upper cave--for our robbers paid more attention to their horses
than themselves, as the nobler animals of the two species--was evidently
fitted up with some labour. The stalls were rudely divided, the litter
of dry fern was clean, troughs were filled with oats, and a large tub
had been supplied from a pond at a little distance. A cart-harness and
some old wagoners' frocks were fixed on pegs to the wall; while at the
far end of these singular stables was a door strongly barred, and only
j