Chapter I.—France.
Our story opens in the early part of the
year 17—. France was rocking wildly
from centre to circumference. The arch
despot and unscrupulous man, Richard the
III., was trembling like an aspen leaf upon
his throne. He had been successful, through
the valuable aid of Richelieu and Sir Wm.
Donn, in destroying the Orleans Dysentery,
but still he trembled! O'Mulligan, the
snake-eater of Ireland, and Schnappsgoot of
Holland, a retired dealer in gin and sardines,
had united their forces—some nineteen
men and a brace of bull pups in all—
and were overtly at work, their object being
to oust the tyrant. O'Mulligan was a
young man between fifty-three years of age,
and was chiefly distinguished for being the
son of his aunt on his great grandfather's
side. Schnappsgoot was a man of liberal education,
having passed three weeks at Oberlin
College. He was a man of great hardihood,
also, and would frequently read an
entire column of “railway matters” in the
Cleveland Herald without shrieking with
agony.
