be seen on either side, as far as the eye could reach, but a long

perspective of red coats and white trousers, fixed and motionless.

Mr Pickwick had been so fully occupied in falling about, and

disentangling himself, miraculously, from between the legs of horses,

that he had not enjoyed sufficient leisure to observe the scene before

him, until it assumed the appearance we have just described. When

he was at last enabled to stand firmly on his legs, his gratification and

delight were unbounded.

Can anything be finer or more delightful?' he inquired of Mr Winkle.

Nothing,' replied that gentleman, who had had a short man standing

on each of his feet for the quarter of an hour immediately preceding.

It is indeed a noble and a brilliant sight,' said Mr Snodgrass, in whose

bosom a blaze of poetry was rapidly bursting forth, 'to see the gallant

defenders of their country drawn up in brilliant array before its

peaceful citizens; their faces beaming - not with warlike ferocity, but

with civilised gentleness; their eyes flashing - not with the rude fire of

rapine or revenge, but with the soft light of humanity and intelligence.'

Mr Pickwick fully entered into the spirit of this eulogium, but he could

not exactly re-echo its terms; for the soft light of intelligence burned

rather feebly in the eyes of the warriors, inasmuch as the command

'eyes front' had been given, and all the spectator saw before him was

several thousand pair of optics, staring straight forward, wholly

divested of any expression whatever.

We are in a capital situation now,' said Mr Pickwick, looking round

him. The crowd had gradually dispersed in their immediate vicinity,

and they were nearly alone.

'Capital!' echoed both Mr Snodgrass and Mr Winkle.

What are they doing now?' inquired Mr Pickwick, adjusting his

spectacles.

I - I - rather think,' said Mr Winkle, changing colour - 'I rather think

they're going to fire.'

Nonsense,' said Mr Pickwick hastily.

I - I - really think they are,' urged Mr Snodgrass, somewhat alarmed.

Impossible,' replied Mr Pickwick. He had hardly uttered the word,

when the whole half-dozen regiments levelled their muskets as if they

had but one common object, and that object the Pickwickians, and

The Pickwick Papers