"
Well! we peeped in, aided by the glare of the streaming tallow candle,
and there, sure enough, with all the clothes kicked off him, and his
immense rotundity protected only from the cold by an exceeding scanty
shirt of most ancient cotton, lay Tom, flat on his back, like a stranded
porpoise, with his mouth wide open, through which he was puffing and
breathing like a broken-winded cab-horse, while through his expanded
nostrils he was snoring loudly enough to have awaked the seven sleepers.
Neither of us could well stand up for laughing. One bucket was deposited
behind the door, and back stood Harry ready to slip behind it also at
half a moment's warning--the candlestick was placed upon the floor,
which I was to kick over in my flight.
"Stand by to heave!" whispered my trusty comrade--"heave!" and with the
word--flash!--slush!--out went the whole contents of the full pail, two
gallons at the least of ice-cold water, slap in the chaps, neck, breast,
and stomach of the sound sleeper. With the most wondrous noise that ears
of mine have ever witnessed--a mixture of sob, snort, and groan,
concluding in the longest and most portentous howl that mouth of man
ever uttered--Tom started out of bed; but, at the very instant I
discharged my bucket, I put my foot upon the light, flung down the empty
pail, and bolted.
Pages:
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149