''
He passed on, and Richard, starting up in a
storm of anger and despair, found, as he would have
called after him, that his voice, betwixt thirst and
agitation, refused its office. ``Water, water!'' he
said, laying hold, at the same time, of one of the
assistants who followed Seelencooper by the sleeve.
The fellow looked carelessly round; there was a
jug stood by the side of the cribbage players,
which he reached to Middlemas, bidding him,
``Drink and be d------d.''
The man's back was no sooner turned, than the
gamester threw himself from his own bed into that
of Middlemas, and grasping firm hold of the arm of
Richard, ere he could carry the vessel to his head,
swore he should not have his booze. It may be
readily conjectured, that the pitcher thus anxiously
and desperately reclaimed, contained something
better than the pure element. In fact, a large proportion
of it was gin. The jug was broken in the
struggle, and the liquor spilt. Middlemas dealt a
blow to the assailant, which was amply and heartily
repaid, and a combat would have ensued, but for
the interference of the superintendent and his assistants,
who, with a dexterity that showed them
well acquainted with such emergencies, clapped a
strait-waistcoat upon each of the antagonists.
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