"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, right 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,
half way 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, Tolling 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 platefulls 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.

There was, first of all, mine host, a remarkably neat personage, standing
on the polished mahogany stair, three steps above his servant, who was a
very well--dressed respectable elderly negro, with a candle in each hand;
and beneath him, on the landing--place, lay two trays of viands, broken
tureens of soup, fragments of dishes, and fractured glasses, and a chaos of
eatables and drinkables, and table gear scattered all about, amidst which
lay scrambling my lieutenant and myself, the brown housekeeper, and the two
negro servants, all more or less covered with gravy and wine dregs.
However, after a good laugh, we gathered ourselves up, and at length we