you?"

"Yes, Mass' George."

"Why, it was to carry the head on, one at each end."

"Oh!" cried Pomp, jumping up as if made of springs, and showing his
teeth; "I knew dat a hall de time."

"You wicked young story-teller," I cried, raising the pole quarter-staff
fashion, and making an offer at him, when Pomp dropped on his knees
again, and raised his hands for mercy.

"Ah, you deserve it," I said; "telling a fib like that."

"Was dat a fib, Mass' George?"

"Yes; you didn't know it all the time."

"No, Mass' George; not till you tell um. I tought you cut de big 'tick
to whop poor nigger all black and blue."

"Why, how could I?" and I roared with laughter as I looked at his shiny,
ebony skin.

"Dunno, Mass' George. Hit berry hard, make um bruisum all ober de body,
same as you say when you tumble down--you say make um all black and
blue."

"There, come along," I said; "let's get the thing home. Phew! Look at
the flies already."

"Whish--whoosh--whoosh!" cried Pomp, breaking off a bough and sweeping
it round. "Nebber mind, Mass' George; fly keep on eat lit bit all de
way home; not hab so much a carry."

"But how are we to manage? Here, you must find some tough cane to lay
the head on."

"I know now," cried Pomp, taking the pole.

"What are you going to do?" I said.

"Put um down um troat. So."

As he spoke, he ran the pole through the open jaws and out at the neck,
so that the head was safely swinging in the middle.

"Dah," he said, "now you carry dat end, I carry dis end. Dat end nice
an' tin for Mass' George."

"Why, you cunning young rascal," I said, "you want me to carry the dirty
wet end, do you?"

Pomp grinned, and broke off some thick leaves to carefully clean the
sullied end, chuckling merrily the while.

"Um was horrid nassy, Mass' George," he said. "Now all right."

I took up and shouldered the gun, and then seizing one end of the pole,
we marched triumphantly back with our grisly trophy, accompanied by
quite a cloud of flies which kept up a tremendous humming noise.

I went first, and easily found the spot where the ammunition had been
set down by Pomp in his excitement; and after he had thrown the
pouch-straps over his shoulder and I had decided not to load again, as
we were going straight home, we prepared for a fresh start.

"Mass' George like to come dis end?" said Pomp.

"No," I said; "I'll go first;" and we went on till Pomp began to grunt
and shudder.

"What's th