TOM SPEAKS OUT. 323 



with my hand to some wildfowl on the water, I asked 

 him why he had not used his own eyes ; then standing 

 upon the seat of the ambulance, I took a view of the 

 great extent of plain, in the hope that the waggons were 

 near enough for me to send the scoundrel after them to 

 bring them back. They were, however, out of sight ; 

 so not wishing to give the mules more work than neces 

 sary, on account of keeping them in saleable condition, 

 I put up with the affront, and resolved for the future to 

 give my orders to the men. Tom, who was not yet 

 gone far on, having charge at that time of my horses, 

 and who really loved sport, for the first time then spoke 

 out in regard to Mr CanteralFs delinquencies, and said 

 that Mr Canterall had made no inquiries at all, but that 

 he had hurried on the waggons because all he now wish 

 ed to do was to get home as soon as possible^ 



Had Tom not been afraid to speak all the truth, he 

 could have added the reason of this haste to get the tra 

 vel over, and that reason would have been that Mr Can 

 terall was in terror of his life, that I should detect his 

 thefts on my wine and other things, as well as that 

 perhaps some of the men, who all hated him, but were 

 afraid of him, might prove that which some of them 

 were well able to do, that he had cheated me at every 

 purchase made by him of corn for my horses. Eesolving 

 to intrust this fellow with no more orders further than I 

 could see them obeyed, I then continued my journey, 

 overtook the baggage-waggon, and arrived early at Mud 

 Creek, where we encamped. While dinner was getting 

 ready a lad came to us to know if we wanted corn, and 

 while in conversation with him as to the game in that 

 vicinity, he said there were " loads of coons about the 

 creek," and that he and others were going to hunt them 



