12 THE MONTHLY
yet it had been only slight skirmishing among some of their leaders, particularly Clover senior and old Anvil; the different allies had begun to fall in, and a few missile weapons had been played off, when a bottle, aimed at Anvil's head, took the candle in its way, and lodged it in the pocket of Tom the joiner, who happening to have a small quantity of gunpowder there, in a piece of brown paper, the said powder, now, in imitation of the company, burst forth in a blaze; but luckily did no serious harm, further than singeing Tom's whiskers; unless we add a contingency, of which it was doubtless the occasion, namely, that Arthur Clod, in his hurry to escape from the blaze, attempted to jump on the table, but coming short, stript the skin from his shins, and overset the table; by which accident, a large decanter of water was thrown topsy turvy, and the contents, by the law of gravity, descended on the floor; but in its passage, a very considerable quantity lodged in the small-clothes of a lusty farmer, who sat contiguous. Its temperature being rather beyond blood heat, produced him no small uneasiness; but the present was not a time to make noise about a trifle. When the table was overturned, the remaining candle went along with it, and being unaccustonied to, burn on a floor, in a horizontal position, it went out in a pet.
All was now dark, but still the battle raged with unremitted fury; the missile weapons were on the floor, and several of the company lay beside them. Blows were dealt at random, aud few of them fell ineffectual. Some, who still kept on their legs, endeavoured to get out, and when obstructed in
