252 THE POACHERS. 



mittimus, or will you pay the penalties ? I perceive you have been 

 caught with the spoil." 



" We have only got to say, your worship, that we are very sorry we 

 have been caught, and hope you'll not send us to prison," answered 

 the stranger in an affected supplicating voice. 



" I am sorry too," replied the kind hearted old 'Squire ; " at least 

 I'm very sorry that such young healthful-looking men as you all 

 appear to be should come out upon any such expedition, when you 

 know that you are breaking the laws, and might earn an honest liv- 

 ing by industry. It is not the value of a few hares, I so much mind ; 

 although if you carry away as many every night as these, there must 

 soon be a scarcity. But poaching leads to other things- (The stranger 

 smiled and looked at Emma). Last week one of my tenants lost a 

 sheep; now you look to me like men, who, if you could not find hares, 

 would sooner put up with a sheep than go home empty-handed. (The 

 stranger could hold no longer, but burst into a fit of laughter, and 

 slunk behind Woodcock). You may laugh, Sir (with a strong em- 

 phasis) ; but I say that poaching is the first step to the gallows." 



Woodcock, who had stood listening, apparently astonished, when 

 the 'Squire talked about sheep-stealing, gave the hares a hutch upon 

 his shoulders, and thus commenced. 



" I hope your worship's not going to say as how we stole that sheep, 

 because I would wish you to know as how we did'nt. Poaching I 

 never denied ; because I don't see as there's any harm in it, but sheep- 

 stealing, Sir, I deny (and down came his heavy hand upon the table, 

 causing every glass to jingle) ; every body knows as Jack Wood- 

 cock's a poacher, but set that aside, and nobody can say black's his 

 name ; no, no, Sir, we an't sheep-stealers." 



"John Woodcock !" echoed the 'Squire, "why I have committed 

 you to prison four times for this crime." 



"Not once, Sir !" replied Woodcock, " if you had I should'nt been 

 here now, for you to have committed me a sixth. Sheep-stealing 

 is transportation your worship; I learnt that through my being 

 committed." 



" I did not say sheep-stealing, Sir," replied the 'Squire, ee I have 

 committed you, John Woodcock, to prison four times/' ("five," 

 said Woodcock wishing to have the truth) " five times for poaching." 



" Yes, your worship," said Woodcock, " and if you never do any 

 thing worse than that, I wish you may live long enough to commit 

 me fifty (an universal laugh followed Woodcock's singular wish). 

 Your Worship wishes to know what we've got to say in our defence, 

 now, I've just got to say this, Sir, that there is no harm in poaching, 

 because a hare's no man's property before its catched. Now, if a 

 man goes to the market, and buys a sheep, and turns it upon yon 

 scroggs to feed, why it's his property, your honor ; but it's not so 

 with a hare, because if it's on your ground to day, it's on 'Squire 

 Ogilby's to-morrow, and then it's neither his nor yours until its 

 catched. Within my own mind I consider I've as much right to a 

 hare as your worship ; you catch them your way, and I catch them 

 mine, and I can't see as it matters about that ; your worship goes in 

 the day-time, and I go at night, because the hares can't see so well then 



