APPEARANCE OF (LESAR. 199 



up his flight ; but next evening we found him dead, on 

 the sea-shore, close to the point of embarkation for 

 Schooley's Mansion. 



We did not quit St. John's until very late ; the moon 

 shone reflected in the wake of our boat, in whose bows 

 the spoil of our rifles was accumulated. 



During supper, each guest related the most interesting 

 hunting stories he could remember. One of them, in 

 reference to the law forbidding the entrapping of the 

 deer during night by means of fire, a kind of poaching 

 very popular in the United States, told us a tale which 

 I shall faithfully transcribe for the benefit of my readers : 



It was an autumn evening, three years ago. The 

 air was fresh, almost to coldness ; and though the stars 

 glittered on the horizon, a penetrating humidity prevailed, 

 and condensed into a heavy mist, to descend afterwards 

 in big drops as of rain on the trees planted round the 

 pleasure-house of my friend Ramson, the richest planter 

 in South Carolina, and known, I believe, gentlemen, to 

 every one of us. My friend's overseer was conversing, in 

 front of the house, with a negro who had brought him 

 a letter. 



" Ah, you are back from Charleston, and you have 

 been talking to the master, as I see. Why, you scamp, 

 why did you tell him the deer came every night and eat 

 up his beans?" 



" Massa Slouch," the negro replied, laughing, " it was 

 riot I who said this to Squire Ramson." 



"You lie, Caesar. The hope of obtaining a shilling 

 loosened your tongue, and yet I advised you not to make 



