In the midst of it all the form of the drunken man slipped back upon the sofa, and sitting there leaning on his hands, which rested on his knees, and with his head heavily hanging forward, he lifted his forehead, and, seeing the utterly discomfited group standing perplexed before him, he said, with a foolish smile,

“Let’s all sit down.”

There was a moment of hopeless and helpless inaction.  Then suddenly General Belch laid his hands upon the sofa on which Abel was lying, and moved it toward the window.

“Now,” cried he to the others, “open the blinds, and we’ll make an end of it.”

Enos Slugby raised the window and obeyed.  The crowd below, seeing the opening blinds and the lights, shouted lustily.

“Now then,” cried the General, “boost him up a moment and hold him forward.  Heave ho! all together.”

They raised the inert body, and half-lifted, half-slid it forward upon the narrow balcony.

“Here, Slugby, you prop him behind; and you, Ele and Condor, one on each side.  There! that’s it!  Now we have him.  I’ll speak to the people.”

So saying, the General removed his hat and bowed very low to the crowd in the street.  There was a great shout, “Three cheers for Newt!” and the three cheers rang loudly out.

“’Tain’t Newt,” cried a sharp voice:  “it’s Belch.”

“Three cheers for Belch!” roared an enthusiastic somebody.

“D——­ Belch,” cried the sharp voice.

“Hi! hi!” roared the chorus; while the torches waved and the drums rolled once more.

During all this time General Arcularius Belch had been bowing profoundly and grimacing in dumb show to the crowd, pointing at Abel Newt, who stood, ingeniously supported, his real state greatly concealed by the friendly night.

“Gentlemen!” cried Belch, in a piercing voice.

“H’st! h’st!  Down, down!  Silence,” in the crowd.

“Gentlemen, I am very sorry to have to inform you that our distinguished fellow-citizen, Mr. Newt, to compliment whom you have assembled this evening, is so severely unwell (oh! gum! from the sharp-voiced skeptic below) that he is entirely unable to address you.  But so profoundly touched is he by your kindness in coming to compliment him by this call, that he could not refuse to appear, though but for a moment, to look the thanks he can not speak.  At the earliest possible moment he promises himself the pleasure of addressing you.  Let me, in conclusion, propose three cheers for our representative in the next Congress, the Honorable Abel Newt.  And now—­” he whispered to his friends as the shouts began, “now lug him in again.”

The crowd cheered, the Honorable Mr. Newt was lugged in, the windows were closed, and General Belch and his friends withdrew.

“I tell you what it is,” said he, as they passed up the street at a convenient distance behind the crowd, “Abel Newt is a man of very great talent, but he must take care.  By Jove! he must.  He must understand times and seasons.  One thing can not be too often repeated,” said he, earnestly, “if a man expects to succeed in political life he must understand when not to be drunk.”