Imatges de pàgina
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"I met the raving lion when he roar'd, "With sharp constraint of hunger!"

"In vain his little children, peeping out "Into the mingling storm, demand their sire, "With tears of artless innocence. Alas!

" Nor wife, nor children, more shall he behold, "Nor friends, nor sacred home."

CHAPTER FIFTH.

"Meantime the village rouses up the fire;
"While well attested, and as well believ'd,
"Heard solemn, goes the goblin-story round;
"Till superstitious horror creeps o'er all."

AFTER a few minutes solemn pause, a body of invalids sallied from the fort, with lights in their hands; and upon approaching the fatal spot, their lanthorns discovered to my aching sight a tremendous chasm, made by a giving way of a large part of the bridge and by which means had my unfortunate guide sunk to all the horrors of an untimely death.

This part of the bridge was undergoing some repairs, and the careless workmen having neglected to place any barrier, a hideous gulph yawned to my sight, which I had no other means of passing, than by calling to some invalids of the Fort, desiring them to procure a few long planks, which I ordered to be laid across the chasm. This being done, and after they were united together as closely as circumstances would allow, I ventured to cross the dangerous place, and had

the good fortune to reach the opposite side in perfect safety, though not without being opprest by the most melancholy thoughts. I related the sad story to those of the invalids who had so kindly assisted me, and begged that they would use every exertion in their power to dis cover the body of the unfortunate man, who had fallen so dreadful a sacirfice to his voluntary generosity, and I promised a considerable reward to those who should convey it to me at the little inn where I intended to remain during the night. When I had stimulated them sufficiently to the painful search, I took my leave and went in quest of the public house, which stood at no great distance from the foot of the bridge.

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My little shelty, whose instinct had been (upon two occasions that melancholy night) instrumen tal in the preservation of my life, being housed and properly taken care of, I was conducted by a little skinny old hag into a miserable habitation, which was there considered as an hotel of vast magnitude and convenience.

Perceiving that my language and manners bore not the least resemblance to the Scotch, she imagined that I was an Englishman, and in this belief began to squeak such an horrid dialect that

I was obliged to put a stop to a stream of the very lowest cockney eloquence that entirely disorganised my delicate hearing. I was made to understand that she was a native of Chatham, and that she thoroughly dispised the Scotch canaille by whom she was surrounded: observing that " no christian would live among such filth, if he could live any where else, and that for her part, she was necessited to dwell there because her husband who had been a soldier, was dead and had left her that inn for her fortune; and that being the case she could not leave it." However, she observed that as I was an Englishman and a proper christian, I should have a good supper.

I put an end to her loquacity by desiring to be. shewn into a room. I was directed into the kitchen, whose peat-fire being surrounded by some half-naked, lousy wretches, drinking whiskey, I was so disgusted that I retired to my bedroom, in which I ordered a fire to be made. This apartment was (if possible) more filthy than the other, and the floor which was made of mud not having been swept out, I suppose since its first formation, was covered to the depth of several inches with dust and dirt, amongst which all manner of noxious insects held their

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