108 MORE THIEVES. 



Planter's House at last I walked, when the insufficiently 

 attentive man at the bar told me that through the telegraph 

 I had been expected, but they had not deemed it expedient 

 to have a place ready for my dogs. It was then four o'clock 

 on that most uncomfortable morning, when, by dint of ex 

 postulations and of a bribe to a porter, I commenced my 

 search in the streets of St Louis for a sufficient place in 

 which to put my man and dogs. We went to two tene 

 ments in vain, but at last were directed into one of those 

 wretched places for horses and mules which the Ameri 

 cans deem it no sin to call stables, and in that dirty and 

 confined elongated hovel I discovered a loose box, and to 

 its shelter consigned George and his charge, while the 

 " watchman," as he was called, on the premises, went to 

 fetch him some straw, and myself to obtain him some 

 bread and coffee. " You may be quite easy," said the man 

 at the bar of the hotel, " that the watchman will take care 

 of your dogs, and your man can come in for refresh 

 ment." " Thank you," I replied, " my man will not 

 quit his charge, and to-morrow he will seek better accom 

 modation; I will see that he has his coffee where he is." 



Soon after my servant and my dogs had been left to 

 their repose, and I had gone to the Planter's House, in 

 spite of the boasted watchman, George heard a footfall 

 stealthily approaching in the dark, and then some one 

 clambered up on to the top of the loose box. 



" Who's there ? " exclaimed George. 



" Oh, are you there, young man ? " replied his un 

 known visitor ; "if you'll come with me we'll have some 

 thing to drink." 



" I've had plenty to drink," said George, " and what's 

 more, if you come down here I'll lay rny stick over your 

 head." 



