Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-08-04
csloqae, oad himself seen tho approaching figures.


staring ti.c:t ojes, a, ' l. ''.'e>"'' r'H-'.'t;e
most, his chatterhg teeth. 4iuJn, i.,s.: sl.j l..
cooking my pistol, while Nj did tho same; for
none but myself know they were unloaded. To
add to our CONSERVATION, tho malignant neon with
drew tho small scanluC of light she ha,t been do
ling out To US. and sunk beneath vast cloud, back
as Ercbus," bu. not before wo had caught glimpse
of two more figures moving towards us in an OPP
posite direction s'Surro,rnded!" two of muttcr-
ed in the Same breath. We all roso to feet, and
stood together, not knowing what to do---unable in
the darkness 10 sec one another distinctly. Pre-
sently we heard voice say, "Where are they2
where? Sure I saw them. Oh, there they are.
Ualloo halloa.'
That was onough--thc signal for our flight. With
out an msicnrs pause, uteriug another syllable,
off we sprung like snall-shot from guns mouth,
all of us in different directions wo knew not whith-
err. | heard the report of gun--mcrcy on me.
and pellcd away, scarce knowing what was about,
lodging among the gravcs,--now coming full butt
against a plaguy tombstone, then stumbling the
slippery grass, while ono followed close ut my
heels painting and putting, but whether friend foe,
I knew not. AT length stumbled against largo
tombstone; and finding 1t open at the two ends,
cropt under it. resolved there to abide the issue.
Al the uonont OF my ensconciug myself, the sound
Of the PERSONS footsteps who had followed sud-
denly ceased heard splashing sound, then
kicking and scrambng, q FAINT staed cry of,
"Ugh-oh-ughw and al was still. Doubtless it
must be Of my companions, who had been
wounded. What could do. however! | did n OF
know i'll what direction he lay, the night pitch
dark, and if crcpt from my hiding, for all knew,
L might DO shot myself.
l shall mover forget that hour, never. There
was 1, squatting like toad tho wet grass and
Weeds not daring to do than breathe.
Hero was predicament! 1 could not conjecture
how the affair would terminate. Was to lie where
L was till Daylight What become of my
companions7 While was turning these thou ghts
in my mind, and wondering that all was quiet,
my caught the sound of the splashing of ater,
apparently at but yard or two's distance min ged
tlna dc
Ugll!ugh--Ocl, murther murther murther ~
another spash----"and isn't it drowned and kilt
] am"-
"Whew! Tip in trouble" thought 1, not daring
to speak. les-it was poor Tip, l afterwards
found-who had followed at my heels, scampering
after fast fright could drive him, till his
career was unexpectedly ended by his tumbEng
-souse-head over hcels, into newly-opencd
grave in lis path, with more than foot Of water
in it, There the poor fellow remained, after re-
covering from the first shock of s fall not daring
TO utter Il word for time lest he should be
MISUNDERSTANDING the water with his toes
and elbows stuck into the loose soil each side to
support him. This was his interesting position, as
he subsequently informed me, at the time of utter
ing the sound which first attracted my attention.
Though not aware of his situation at the time,
was almost choaked with laughter as he went on
with his soliloquy, somewhat in this strain:-
'Och, Tip, yo ould divel! Don't it sarge We
right, We fool? Ye villainous ould coffin robber!
Won't we burn for this hereafter, We sinner Uu-
100 w men We are DEAD yourself, may be treat
ed like that poor cratur-and yourself alive to see
It! Och, hubbaboo! hubbaboo. Isn't it sure thai
I'll be drowned, an the it's kilt I'll be"-a loud
splash, and pause for few moments as if he
was e-adjusting his footing-"Oc, an Pan catch
ing my dith of could! Fat, an it's dvel drop
O. the two bottles o. whskey I'll ever see-Och,
och, och!''-anothcr splash-'Och, an isn't this
uncomfortable! Och, an ifever come out of this
-sha'n't be dead before L do.'
''Tp-Tip-Tip!' I whispered in a low tone,
L here dead silence. s'IIp, Tin where ora
you? What's the matter, eh?"-No answer; but he
muttcred in low tone to himself-'IVhere am 1
by my soul! Isn't it, dead and kilt and drowned
and murthered an,-that's ALL"
"Tlp-Tip-Tip!" l repeated little louder.
Tip, indeed! Fait, ye may call, bad luck to We
whoever We are-but it's divel word'll be after
spanking 10 ye.
Tip, You simpleton! It's mir. -w
In an instant there a sound of Jumping and
| spashng as if surprise had made him Slip from
his standing again, and he called out, ''Whoo
Whoo! an ist yom, sweet Mr.. -? What is the
matter wild ye? Are we kilt? Where are thew all?
Have they taken ye away, every mothers son of
! you2" he asked eagerly a breath.
| you?n
"Fait, an it's being mashed am, in the feet.
and in the queerest tub your honor ever saw!"-A
NOISE OF scuitling not many yards off silenced us
both III an instant Presently distinguished the
voice OF e. calling out,-"HelP, M" my
|
lurking place, and aided at Tips resurrection and
both of us hurried towards the spot where the sound
came from. BY the flint moonlight, I could lust
sec the outlines of two figures violently Struggling
and graphing together. Before / could come UP to
| them, both fell down locked in each others arms
| rofng over each other, grasping one another's
| collars gasping and painting if in mortal strup-
gle' ne moon suddenly emerged and who do
! you think, reader, was Els antagonist Why,
the person whose appearance had discounted and
| afrighted us all-oUR coACHMAN. That worthy
| lndlyldual alarmed at protracted stay, had
contrary to injunctions, left his coach to como
and search after us.-He 1t was whom we had seen
stealing towards us; his steps, his voice had alarm
ed us, for he could see us distinctly enough to
discover whether we were his fare or not. He was
on the point of whispering my name, when we
should all have understood one another-when 10,
we all started off in the manner which has been
described, and he himself, not knowing that he
was the reason of it, had taken TO his heels and
fled for his life He supposed we had fallen into n
sort of ambuscade. He happened to hide himself
behind the tombstone next but one to that which
sheltered E. Finding all quiet, he and E,
as II by natural consent, cropping from their
hldingplaces, when they unexpectedly fell foul of
one another-each too affrightcd to speak-and
hence the scuffle.
Alter this satisfactory denouement We all re-
pared to the graves mouth, and found the CORPSE
ana coffin precisely had left them. We were
not many moments in taking out the body strip
ping 1t u thrusng it into the sack we had brought
We thcn tied the top of the sack carefully do
posted the shroud, &c. in tho coffin, rc.scfovye
down the hd-fcarful-impious mockery, and CON
lgned 1T once more 10 it's resting place-Tip scat
erng handful of earth on the lid and exclaimin O
revercntly,-"An' may the Lord fornive MS for
what we have done to We" The coachInan and
then took the body between to the coach, leav-