The corporal, with a sort of desperation, laid hold of the dog by the tail, drawing him back till he could swing him round. In a second or two, Snarleyyow was whirling round the corporal, who turned with him, gradually approaching the trunk of the elm-tree, till at last his head came in contact with it with a resounding blow, and the dog fell senseless. "Try it again, corporal, let's finish him." The corporal again swung round the inanimate body of the dog; again, and again, and again, did the head come in contact with the hard wood; and then the corporal, quite out of breath with the exertion, dropped the body on the grass. Neither of them spoke a word for some time, but watched the body, as it lay motionless, doubled up, with the fore and hind feet meeting each other, and the one eye closed. "Well, I've a notion that he is done for, any how," said Smallbones, "at last." "Mein Gott, yes!" replied the corporal. "He never get on his legs again, be he tog or be he tyfel." "Now for to come for to go for to bury him," said Smallbones, swinging the dog by the tail, and dragging him towards the ditch. "I wonder if we could get a spade anywhere, corporal." "Mein Gott! if we ask for a spade they will ask what for, and Vanslyperken may find it all out." "Then I'll bury him and cover him up, anyhow; he'll not come to life again; if he does, may I be knocked on the head like him, that's all." Smallbones dragged the body into the ditch, and collecting out of the other parts of the ditch a great quantity of wet leaves, covered the body a foot deep. "There, they won't find him now, because they won't know where to look for him. I say, corporal, I've a notion we had better not be seen here too long." "No," said the corporal, wiping his forehead, putting his handkerchief in his cap, and his cap on his head; "we must go now." They went to the washerwoman's, delivered the bundle, and then returned on board, when the whole crew were informed of the success of the expedition, and appeared quite satisfied that there was an end of the detested cur; all but Coble, who shook his head. "We shall see," says he; "but I'm blessed if I don't expect the cur back to-morrow morning."