he well-roasted ducks, to
smell their appetising odour, and to taste the juicy, tender bits about
the bones.

"I heard you shoot um, Mass' George," cried Pomp, excitedly. "Got
lubbly fire. How many?"

"Three," I said.

"Oh!"

"What's the matter?"

"On'y got flee. Dat two Mass' George, and on'y one for Pomp, an' I so
dreffle hungly, I mose eat bit a 'gator."

"There'll be plenty," I said. "I shall only eat one."

"Eh? Mass' George on'y eat one duck-bird?"

"That's all."

"Mass' George sure?"

"Yes. Let's cook them."

"But is Mass' George quite sure?"

"Yes--yes--yes!"

"Oh! Den Mass' George hab dis bewfler one wid um green head. Dat's
biggess and bess."

"Here, what are you going to do?" I cried, as Pomp suddenly seized the
three ducks and threw them into the fire. "That's not the way to roast
ducks."

"Pomp know dat, Mass' George," cried the boy, poking the birds about
with a long, sharp-pointed stick, one of several which he had cut ready.
"Pomp fader show um how to do ober dah."

"Ober dah" evidently meant Africa.

"Dat a way to get all de fedder off fuss. Dah, see dat?" he cried, as
he turned one out scorched brown. "Now Mass' George see."

As I watched him, he cleverly ran his sharp-pointed stick through this
first duck, stuck the point down into the sand, so that the bird was
close in to the glowing embers, and then deftly served the others the
same.

"Mass' George shoot um duck, Pomp cook um; same Pomp cook and make de
cake at home. Pomp fader nebber cook. Pomp cook de fis, and de yam,
and make um hominy. Pomp berry clebber 'deed, Mass' George. Ah, you
try burn you 'tick an' tummle in de fire, would you, sah? No, you
don't! You 'top dah an' get rock nice for Mass' George."

As he spoke he made a snatch at one of the sticks, and turned the bird,
as he stuck it afresh in the sand, closer to the glowing embers, for the
flame and smoke had nearly gone now, and the ducks were sputtering,
browning, and beginning to give forth a tempting odour.

As the boy was evidently, as he modestly said, so "clebber," I did not
interfere, but took off my shoes and stockings, wrung the latter well
out, and laid them and the shoes in the warm glow to dry, a little
rubbing about in the hot dry sand from the bluff soon drying my feet.
Then I carefully reloaded the gun, in accordance with Morgan's
instructions, making the ramrod leap well on the powder charge and wad,
while Pomp looked on e