lves in a circle round the
viands, which were spread under the tree, crossed their legs, after the
Mahometan custom, and made a furious attack upon the provender.

Macallan, to secure his newly-acquired treasure, hung the chatty, by its
string, upon one of the long thorns of the acacia, and then took his
seat with the rest. Ample justice having been done to what had been
placed before them, mirth and good-humour prevailed. Courtenay had just
persuaded the grave old deputy to break through the precepts of his
religion, and partake of the forbidden cup, in the shape of a tumbler of
madeira, when the chatty, which the doctor had suspended aloft, by the
constant waving of the tree to the wind, worked off the thorn, and
falling down in the very centre of the circle, smashed into atoms, and
the cobra di capella met their gaze, reared upon the very tip of his
tail, his hood expanded to the utmost in his wrath, hissing horribly,
and darting out his forked tongue,--wavering, among the many, upon whom
first to dart.

Never was a convivial party so suddenly dispersed. For one, and but one
moment, they were all paralysed; no one attempted to get up and run
away--then, as if by a simultaneous thought, they all threw themselves
back, tossing their heels over their heads, and continuing their
eccentric career. Mussulmen and Europeans all tumbled backwards, heels
over heads, down the descent, diverging in every point of the compass,
until they reached their respective situations at the bottom of the
mount; while the cobra di capella still remained in his menacing
attitude, as if satisfied with the universal homage paid to his dreadful
powers.

They all recovered their legs (as they had gained the bottom of the
hill) about the same time. Courtenay and Seymour, now that the danger
was over, were convulsed with laughter--Macallan in amazement--Prose,
with his eyes starting out of his head, uttering his usual "I do
declare"--the deputy as grave as ever--and the remainder, fortunately,
more frightened than they were hurt.

One of the native servants put an end to the scene, by reascending the
hill with a long bamboo, with which he struck the animal to the ground,
and subsequently despatched him. By this time all had recovered from
their alarm, and in a few minutes their seats were resumed. The doctor,
who was vexed at the loss of his snake, commenced an examination of the
body, and was still more mortified to find that the wily H