182G.] The Young Gipsy : a Village Hketch. 133 



as fearless as Cowper's, that would stand and let you look at them ; 

 would let you approach quite near, before they raised one (juivering ear 

 and darted off; and that even then, when the instinct of timidity was 

 aroused, would turn at a safe distance to look again. Poor, pretty 

 things ! What a pity it seemed to kill them ! 



Such was to be Willy's future habitation. The day after he entered upon 

 his place, I had an opportunity of ottering my double congratulations 

 to the master on his new servant, to the servant on his new master. 

 Wliilst taking my usual walk, I found Tiiomas Laml), Dick, Willy, and 

 Fanny, about half-way up the lane, engaged in the animating sport of 

 unearthing a weazel, which one of the gipsy dogs had followed into 

 a hole by the ditch side. The boys shewed great sportsmanship on 

 this occasion ; and so did their poor curs, who, with their whole bodies 

 inserted into diff"erent branches of the burrow, and nothing visible but 

 their tails (the one, the long puggish brush of which I have already made 

 mention, the other a terrier-like stamp, that maintained an incessant 

 wag), continued to dig and scratch, throwing out showers of earth, and 

 whining with impatience and eagerness. Every now and then, when 

 quite gasping and exhausted, they came out for a moment's air ; whilst 

 the boys, took their turn, poking with a long stick, or loosening the 

 ground with their hands, and Thomas st6od by, superintending and 

 encouraging both dog and boy, and occasionally cutting a root or 

 a bramble that impeded their progress. Fanny, also, entered into the 

 pursuit with great interest, droppmg here and there a word of advice, 

 as nobody can help doing when they see others in perplexity. In spite 

 of all these aids, the mining operation proceeded so slowly, that the 

 experienced keeper sent off" his new attendant for a spade to dig out 

 the vermin, and I pursued my walk. 



After this encounter, it so happened that I never went near the gipsy 

 tent without meeting Thomas Lamb — sometimes on foot, sometimes on 

 his poney ; now with a gun, and now without ; but always loitering 

 near the oak tree, and always, as it seemed, reluctant to be seen. It 

 was very unlike Thomas's usual manner to seem ashamed of being 

 caught in any place, or in any company : but so it was. Did he go to 

 the ancient sybil to get his fortune told ? or was Fanny the attraction ? 

 A very short time solved the quer}'. 



One night, towards the end of the month, the keeper presented 

 himself at our house on justice business. He wanted a summons for 

 some poachers who had been committing depredations in the preserve. 

 Thomas was a great favourite : he was, of course, immediately ad- 

 mitted, his examination taken, and his request complied with. " But 

 how," said the magistrate, looking up from the summons which he was 

 signing, " how can you expect, Thomas, to keep j'our pheasants, when 

 that gipsy boy with his finders has pitched his tent just in the midst 

 of your best coppices, killing more pheasants than half the poachers in 

 the country ?" — " Why, as to the gipsy, sir," replied Thomas, <' Fanny 

 is as good a girl — " " I was not talking of Fanny," interrupted the man 

 of warrants, smiling, — " as good a girl," pursued Thomas — " A very 

 pretty girl !" ejaculated his worhip, — " as good a girl," resumed Thomas, 

 " as ever trod the earth !" — " A sweet pretty creature, certainly," was 

 again the provoking reply. " Ah, sir, if you could but hear how her 

 "little brother talks of her!" — " Why, Thomas, this gipsy has made an 



