THE UNFAITHFUL OVERSEER. 203 



magnificent two years old colt : the ball bad struck him 

 in the shoulder, and sunk deep into the flesh. 



" What on earth shall we do 1 " said Slouch j " shall we 

 bury the beast ? The stench will betray it. Or throw it 

 into the pond? That will be just as bad. Oh, I have 

 it ! " said he, as if struck by a sudden thought. " Help 

 me, Pompey ; I have hit on a means of concealing my 

 ill-luck, and no one will be a whit the wiser." 



The two poachers dragged the animal towards a hedge 

 composed of stakes piled one upon another, and thrust 

 the pony on one of them, exactly at the place where the 

 bullet had penetrated his body. 



" To-morrow," said Slouch, " the eagles and buzzards 

 will attack the beast, and before evening not a soul will 

 be able to tell how he met his death ; it can only be 

 guessed that he impaled himself in attempting to leap 

 the hedge. Now, Pompey, while I return to the house, 

 do you go as far as the postmaster's, and take to Jack the 

 stag I have killed. Tell him to place it on the coach for 

 Charleston, and see that it is delivered at the address he 

 knows of. Go, and remember to be silent and prudent. 

 You shall have a dollar for your trouble, and two pounds 

 of tobacco. One moment ! A thought has occurred to 

 me : instead of riding my horse, mount Mr. Ramson's 

 niare ; this will keep her away from the grounds, and 

 prevent her looking after the colt. On your return, let 

 her loose in the fields, and if anything happens to her, 

 so much the worse ! " 



The two poachers separated j and while Slouch, the un- 

 faithful overseer, went to sleep tranquilly, Pompey, obey- 

 ing his orders, found out the mare, saddled her, placed on 

 her back the venison, intended for sale at Charleston, and 



