soon as I cleverly could, I off and turned in.

"Well I am an airly riser myself. I always was from a
boy, so I waked up jist about the time when day ought to
break, and was a thinkin' to get up; but the shutters
was too, and it was as dark as ink in the room, and I
heer'd it rainin' away for dear life. 'So,' sais I to
myself, 'what the dogs is the use of gittin' up so airly?
I can't get out and get a smoke, and I can't do nothin'
here; so here goes for a second nap.' Well I was soon
off agin in a most a beautiful of a snore, when all at
once I heard thump-thump agin the shutter--and the most
horrid noise I ever heerd since I was raised; it was
sunthin' quite onairthly.

"'Hallo!' says I to myself, 'what in natur is all this
hubbub about? Can this here confounded old house be
harnted? Is them spirits that's jabbering gibberish there,
or is I wide awake or no?' So I sets right up on my hind
legs in bed, rubs my eyes, opens my ears and listens
agin, when whop went every shutter agin, with a dead
heavy sound, like somethin' or another thrown agin 'em,
or fallin' agin 'em, and then comes the unknown tongues
in discord chorus like. Sais I, 'I know now, it's them
cussed navigators. They've besot the house, and are a
givin' lip to frighten folks. It's regular banditti.'

"So I jist hops out of bed, and feels for my trunk, and
outs with my talkin' irons, that was all ready loaded,
pokes my way to the winder--shoves the sash up and outs