60 MISADVENTURES OF BIRD-WATCHING 



while in the valley, I noticed that somebody, 

 half concealed in the hedgerow above the furze 

 brakes, was following my every movement with 

 apparently as much interest as I myself derived 

 from prying on the doings of the woodland folk 

 around ; but as the landlord of the estate was a 

 friend, I thought nothing of the incident, and 

 desired only to be left in peace. A few days 

 afterwards, however, Dan the gillie came to me 

 with a tale. Said he, " leuan Ty-bach (John of 

 the Little House) met me this morning, and told 

 me you was a-poachin' under the wood by the 

 farm last Wednesday afternoon, sir." " Poach- 

 ing ! what do you mean, Dan ? " " Well, sir, 

 he says as how you'd lost your ferrut, whatever 

 — ^that she'd stuck in a hole, and you went of! 

 home without her." " What on earth are you 

 talking about, Dan ? " " You needn't be so 

 wild. Mister ; I'm sure there's been a mistake 

 somewhere, but leuan said as how you was 

 lyin' down watching the nets under the trash, 

 and the ferrut stuck, and then you went back 

 and fore a lot of times, but couldn't coax her 

 out nohow. He says as he couldn't make heel or 

 elbow of the business — why you didn't come for 

 a day's shootin' if you wanted it, 'stead of 

 creepin' in and out of the fern like as you was 

 afraid to be seen worldn' a ferrut. To tell truth, 

 sir," and Dan's voice sunk into a whisper, " I 



