In her fall, she dashed
the whole mess against the legs of a drummer belonging to the
foot-guards, who happened to be in her way, and scalded him so
miserably, that he started up, and danced up and down, uttering a
volley of execrations that made my hair stand on end.
While he entertained the company in this manner, with an eloquence
peculiar to himself, the cook got up, and after a hearty curse on
the poor author of this mischance, who lay under the table with a
woful countenance, emptied a salt-cellar in her hand, and, stripping
down the patient's stocking, which brought the skin along with it,
applied the contents to the sore. This poultice was scarce laid
on, when the drummer, who had begun to abate of his exclamations,
broke forth into such a hideous yell as made the whole company
tremble, then, seizing a pewter pint pot that stood by him, squeezed
the sides of it together, as if it had been made of pliant leather,
grinding his teeth at the same time with a most horrible grin.
Guessing the cause of this violent transport, I bade the woman
wash off the salt, and bathe the part with oil, which she did, and
procured him immediate ease. But here another difficulty occurred,
which was no other than the landlady's insisting on his paying for
the pot he had rendered useless.
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