| 'Come, drink, ha, ha! come laugh, ha, ha! Oh, ha!'—— |
Hip, horsey, hip!" And thus he went on, now spurring the timber flanks of his charger, and now trolling forth the drunken chorus, in the midst of the stream, where he would perhaps have remained until morning, or until sleep had caused him to relax his hold, had not his extraordinary outcries reached the ears of a traveller, who rode to his assistance, the water being already reduced to its ordinary level, and finding him incapable of helping himself, pulled him from his seat, and dragged him to the other side of the stream.
"Botheration, what's the matter?" cried the attorney, who seemed to recover his senses a little, upon finding himself on his feet; "where's Durgan? Sure, o' my life, I did'nt come here on foot! Odds bodikins! where's Schlachtenschlager?—Hillo, there! botheration, you sir! what are you doing with my horse?"
"Your horse!" exclaimed the traveller. "Are you drunk yet?"
"Drunk! I defy the insinuation," cried Affidavy, "and demand protection of the court.—Down, you rogue, or I'll indict you for horse-thieving. A pretty prank to play upon an honest man, riding for life and death! Botheration, Sir Sauce-box, whoever you are, give me my horse, or I shall lose the best case was ever entrusted to a lawyer—a gold watch worth forty pounds—bills of exchange—letters of credit—and a purse of guineas!"
"Now were you not drunk," said the traveller, "and more of a beast than the animal that bore you, I could tell you of a case much more to your interest to be engaged in."
"Hah! a case? what sort of a case? Odds bodikins, I'm your man!"
"You are drunken Tef Affidavy?"
"Drunken! That's actionable. Tef! Tef Affidavy! Theophilus Affidavy, Esq.—Esquire, do you hear?"
"Ay, it is all one. Theophilus Affidavy, sober, might be the man for my money, with twenty guineas to begin upon; but Theophilus Affidavy, drunk"—