Burlesques William Makepeace Thackeray

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The archers replied, "You seem so young and jolly, and you spend your gold so very like a
gentleman, that we'll receive you in our band with pleasure. Be ready, for we start at halfpast
two!" At that hour accordingly the whole joyous company prepared to move, and Otto
not a little increased his popularity among them by stepping out and having a conference
with the landlord, which caused the latter to come into the room where the archers were
assembled previous to departure, and to say, "Gentlemen, the bill is settled!"—words never
ungrateful to an archer yet: no, marry, nor to a man of any other calling that I wot of.
They marched joyously for several leagues, singing and joking, and telling of a thousand
feats of love and chase and war. While thus engaged, some one remarked to Otto, that he
was not dressed in the regular uniform, having no feathers in his hat.
"I dare say I will find a feather," said the lad, smiling.
Then another gibed because his bow was new.
"See that you can use your old one as well, Master Wolfgang," said the undisturbed youth.
His answers, his bearing, his generosity, his beauty, and his wit, inspired all his new
toxophilite friends with interest and curiosity, and they longed to see whether his skill with
the bow corresponded with their secret sympathies for him.
An occasion for manifesting this skill did not fail to present itself soon—as indeed it
seldom does to such a hero of romance as young Otto was. Fate seems to watch over such:
events occur to them just in the nick of time; they rescue virgins just as ogres are on the
point of devouring them; they manage to be present at court and interesting ceremonies,
and to see the most interesting people at the most interesting moment; directly an adventure
is necessary for them, that adventure occurs: and I, for my part, have often wondered with
delight (and never could penetrate the mystery of the subject) at the way in which that
humblest of romance heroes, Signor Clown, when he wants anything in the Pantomime,
straightway finds it to his hand. How is it that,—suppose he wishes to dress himself up like
a woman for instance, that minute a coalheaver walks in with a shovel-hat that answers for
a bonnet; at the very next instant a butcher's lad passing with a string of sausages and a
bundle of bladders unconsciously helps Master Clown to a necklace and a tournure, and so
on through the whole toilet? Depend upon it there is something we do not wot of in that
mysterious overcoming of circumstances by great individuals: that apt and wondrous
conjuncture of THE HOUR AND THE MAN; and so, for my part, when I heard the above
remark of one of the archers, that Otto had never a feather in his bonnet, I felt sure that a
heron would spring up in the next sentence to supply him with an aigrette.