. I know he 's a corpse."

"Are you sure on 't?" asked Tooler.

"There arn't any barn door deader," cried Tom. "Here, I'll lug um out
an' show yar."

"No, no!" shouted Tooler, as Tom proceeded to pull out the luggage.
"I marn't stay for that. I 'm an hour behind now, blarm un! jimp up,
genelmen!"

Tom Titus and his companions, who wanted the bull-terrier as a trophy,
entreated Tooler to allow them to have it, and, having at length
gained his consent, Tom proceeded to empty the boot. Every eye was, of
course, directed to everything drawn out, and when Tom made a solemn
declaration that the boot was empty, they were all, at once, struck
with amazement. Each looked at the other with astounding incredulity,
and overhauled the luggage again and again.

"Do you mean to say," said Tooler, "that there arn't nuffin else in
the boot?"

"Darnged a thing!" cried Tom Titus, "coom and look." And Tooler did
look, and the gentleman in black looked, and Bob looked, and Harry
looked, and Bill looked, and Sam looked, and all looked, but found the
boot empty.

"Well, blarm me!" cried Tooler. "But darng it all, he must be
somewhere!"

"I' ll taake my solum davy," said Bill, "that he _was_ there."

"I seed um myself," exclaimed Bob, "wi' my oarn eyes, an' didn't loike
the looks on um a bit."

"There cannot," said the gentleman in black, "be the smallest possible
doubt about his having been there; but the question for our mature
consideration is, where is he now?"

"I 'll bet a pint," said Harry, "you blowed um away?"

"Blowed um away, you fool!--how could I ha' blowed um away?"

"Why, he _was_ there," said Bob, "and he baint there noo, and he baint
here nayther, so you mus ha' blowed um out o' th' boot; 'sides, look
at the muzzle o' this ere blunderbust!"

"Well, of all the rummest goes as ever happened," said Tooler,
thrusting his hands to the very bottom of his pockets, "this ere flogs
'em all into nuffin!"

"It is perfectly astounding!" exclaimed the gentleman in black,
looking again into the boot, while the men stood and stared at each
other with their mouths as wide open as human mouths could be.

"Well, in wi' 'em agin," cried Tooler, "in wi' 'em!--Blarm me if this
here arn't a queer un to get over."

The luggage was accordingly replaced, and Tooler, on mounting the
box, told the men to get a gallon of beer, when the gentleman in black
generously gave them half a crown, and the horses started off, leaving
Tom wi