CHAPTER III.
IN WHICH OUR HERO POLISHES A ROUGH-RIDER.
'Fire and furies!' exclaimed Mr.Schnackenberger, as Juno broke out into uproarious barking about midnight: the door was opened from the outside; and in stepped the landlady, arrayed in a night-dress that improved her charms into a rivalry with those of her sign at the street-door; accompanied by a fellow, who, by way of salutation, cracked an immense hunting-whip.
'So it's here that I'm to get my own again ?' cried the fellow: and forthwith Mr.Jeremiah stepped out of bed, and hauled him up to the light of the lamp which the landlady carried.
'Yes, Sir,' said, the rough-rider, 'it's I, sure enough;' and, to judge by the countenance of his female conductor, every accent of his anger was music of the spheres to her unquenchable wrath: 'I'm the man, sure enough, whose horse you rode away with; and _that_ you'll find to be a true bill.' 'Rode away with!' cried Mr.Jeremiah: 'Now, may the sweetest of all thunderbolts----But, rascal, this instant what's to pay?
then take thy carrion out of the stable, and be off.' So saying, Mr.Schnackenberger strode to the bed for his well-filled purse.
On these signs of solvency, however, the horse-dealer turned up the gentle phasis of his character, and said, 'Nay, nay; since things are so, why it's all right; and, in the Lord's name, keep the horse as long as you want him.' 'Dog! in the first place, and firstly, tell me what's your demand?
in the second place, and secondly, go to the d----l.' But whilst the rough-rider continued with low bows to decline the first offer, being satisfied, as it seemed, with the second, the choleric Mr.
Schnackenberger cried out, 'Seize him, Juno!' And straightway Juno leaped upon him, and executed the arrest so punctually--that the trembling equestrian, without further regard to ceremony, made out his charge.
Forthwith Mr.Jeremiah paid down the demand upon the table, throwing in something extra, with the words, '_That_ for the fright.' The dealer in horse-flesh returned him a thousand thanks; hoped for his honour's further patronage; and then, upon being civilly assured by Mr.Jeremiah, that if he did not in one instant _walk_ down the stairs, he would, to his certain knowledge, have to _fly_ down them; the rough-rider, in company with the landlady, took a rapid and polite leave of Mr.
Schnackenberger; who was too much irritated by the affront to compose himself again to sleep..