THE DOG TRIBE. 199 



except once ; and then, being off my guard, he pitched me " neck 

 and crop," as the saying is, over his head. A large brown wasp of 

 the country had issued from its nest under a wooden bridge, over 

 which we were going, and stung him in the face. Hence the true 

 cause of the fracas. I don't think it would have happened but for 

 the wasp, as Philip was by no means frisky that morning, and we 

 were going gingerly along. I remember well the circumstance on 

 this account, my head came in contact with the ground, and when 

 I arose, I staggered and fell three times, feeling much confused. 

 So I sat me down on the side of the wide trench which flanked the 

 highway, and when composure was restored, took out my lancet, 

 and drew some twenty ounces of blood from my arm. This pre- 

 vented bad consequences, and put all to rights. Another time 

 Philip seemed particularly prone to mischief. I prepared for a storm, 

 and the mule made a dead stop. It brought to my mind the affair 

 which Sterne had with his own mule, in the " Sentimental Journey." 

 " Philip," said I, " I can't afford to stop just now, as I have an 

 appointment ; so pray thee, my lad, go on." " I won't ! " said he. 

 " Now do, my dear fellow," said I, patting him on the shoulder as I 

 spoke the words ; "we must not remain here, a laughing-stock to 

 every passing nigger." Philip declared that he would not move a 

 peg. " Then, Master Obstinacy/' said I, " take that for your pains ;" 

 and I instantly assailed his ears with a stick which I carried in lieu 

 of a whip. "It won't do," said Philip, "I 'm determined not to go 

 on ; " and then he laid him. down, I keeping my seat on the saddle, 

 only moving in it sufficient to maintain an upright position, so that, 

 whilst he lay on the ground, I appeared like a man astride of a 

 barrel. Nothing would induce the mule to rise. Niggers, in passing 

 by, laughed at us, some offering assistance. Here a bright thought 

 came into my head. The swamps of Demerara being below the 

 level of the sea at high water, each plantation has a sluice to effect 

 a drainage when the tide goes out. An old nigger lives in a little 

 hut close by the road-side, and he has the sluice under his charge. 

 He was standing at the door grinning at us, with his mouth wide 

 open from ear to ear. " Daddy," said I, "bring me a fire-stick." 

 " Yes, massa," said he; and then he drew one, hotly blazing from 

 his fire. " Put it, red hot as it is, under Philip's tail." He did so ; 



