"Top, you tief!--top, you tief!--for me piece dat," shouted the pursuer.
"You dam rascal!" quoth the dame. But she had no time to utter another
word, before the fugitive pitched, with all his weight, against her;
and at the very moment another servant came trundling down with a large
tray full of all kinds of meats--and I especially remember that two
large crystal stands of jellies composed part of his load--so there we
were regularly capsized, and caught all of a heap in the dark
landing-place, halfway up the stair; and down the other flight tumbled
our guide, with Mr. Treenail and myself, and the two blackies on the
top of her, rolling in our descent over, or rather into, another large
mahogany tray which had just been carried out, with a tureen of turtle
soup in it, and a dish of roast-beef, and platefuls of land-crabs, and
the Lord knows what all besides.
The crash reached the ear of the landlord, who was seated at the head
of his table in the upper piazza, a long gallery about fifty feet long
by fourteen wide, and he immediately rose and ordered his butler to
take a light. When he came down to ascertain the cause of the uproar.
I shall never forget the scene.
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