Our bridegroom, finding himself at last brought up, or, in other
words, at the end of his career, took the opportunity of this first
pause, to desire the huntsmen would lend him a hand in dismounting;
and by their condescension, safely placed on the grass, where he
sat staring at the company as they came in, with such wildness of
astonishment in his looks, as if he bad been a creature of another
species, dropped among them from the clouds.

Before they had fleshed the hounds, however, he recollected himself;
and, seeing one of the sportsmen take a small flask out of his
pocket and apply it to his mouth, judged the cordial to be no other
than neat Cognac, which it really was; and expressing a desire of
participation, was immediately accommodated with a moderate dose,
which perfectly completed his recovery.

By this time he and his two horses had engrossed the attention of the
whole crowd: while some admired the elegant proportion and uncommon
spirit of the two animals, the rest contemplated the surprising
appearance of their master, whom before they had only seen en
passant; and at length, one of the gentlemen, accosting him very
courteously, signified his wonder at seeing him in such an equipage,
and asked if he had not dropped his companion by the way. "Why look
ye, brother," replied the commodore, "mayhap you think me an odd
sort of a fellow, seeing me in this trim, especially as I have lost
part of my rigging; but this here is the case, d'ye see: I weighed
anchor from my own house this morning, at ten A.M. with fair
weather, and a favourable breeze at south-south-east, being bound
to the next church on the voyage of matrimony: but howsomever, we
had not run down a quarter of a league, when the wind shifting,
blowed directly in our teeth; so that we were forced to tack all