THE LOVE-CHILD. 557 



gone to roost. I sat down by the side of the ditch which fenced off the 

 copse from the field, and having nothing better to do,, I began to amuse 

 myself by imitating the bark of a fox. Presently I saw the dim figure of 

 man glide noiselessly through a gap, and approach me ; at the distance 

 of about twenty yards he stopped, knelt down, and I heard the click of 

 his trigger. To throw a somerset backwards, which lodged me safe- 

 ly in the mire of the ditch, was the work of a moment, and I had 

 the good luck to escape with only two or three shots in the lower 

 part of my right leg. 



Although but little hurt, I screamed out "Murder" at the very 

 top of my shrill pipe, and in a few seconds, three or four men ap- 

 peared. One of them turned the glass of a dark-lanthern upon me ; 

 while a second, throwing himself flat on the ground, so that his head 

 and shoulders overhung the edge of the ditch, reached down and 

 obtained such a clutch of my capacious apparel as enabled him to lift 

 me up. While doing this he exclaimed, " Why the twoad comes 

 out as light as a loose cork !" 



" I'll be jiggered," said another, as I was thrown upon the bank, 

 " if Ezra han't ashot the farmer's scare-crow !" 



Peals of laughter ensued, and I found that I had fallen into the 

 hands of squire Patch's detestable posse of game-keepers, who were 

 evidently prowling for Blue Peter the poacher. 



Ezra now came nearer, and in a quivering tone observed, " Scare- 

 crow or no scare-crow, nobody can deny there were a fox barking ; 

 and as the squire don't hunt, 'twere my duty to kill un, if so be as 

 I could. But then what d'ye make o' the cry of ' murder/ 'twere 

 awful like, doantee think so?" 



A pause ensued, which was broken by a shriek from myself, occa- 

 sioned by one of the party having poked me in the ribs with the 

 muzzle of his gun. In spite of all the impediments I could offer, my 

 diminutive carcase was now speedily " shelled." After having as- 

 certained the trivial nature of my wounds, one of the keepers tied 

 up my duds with a hazel and slung it across his fowling-piece, while 

 Ezra tenderly wrapped me in his great coat and bore me off. In 

 about half an hour we reached his cottage, at the door of which he 

 took possession of my scare-crow costume, and after having stated 

 that he should serve me up with the breakfast things at the squire's, 

 he wished the other keepers a hurried "good bye" and carried me 

 into his kitchen. 



His wife immediately hailed him from the room above. ff Ezra \" 

 said she, " what's the matter ?" 



" Nothing at all." 



" I know there is I can tell it by the burr o' thy voice. Is Peter 

 shot at last and by thy hand ? Oh ! God ! my poor brother !" 



" No, no : doantee, doantee howl so, missus it's only a boy." 



" Hast killed un dead, Ezra ?" 



The good woman now ran into the room. By the light of the 

 wood fire, which the rush of air on opening the door had caused to 

 burst into a pale blue flame, she saw that blood was dropping from 

 the coat in which he carried his burthen, and, overwhelmed with 

 ngony, she threw herself upon his neck. 



