DECEMBER IN BROADLAND. 141 



lie outright tu hide his tricks, he ha' tu act full many a one tu screen 'em, and he's 

 so tempted tu act mean as well. I ha' used false whiskers, makin' myself look like 

 other folk, and once I slipped on a shepherd's coat. I wor traced, but got away; 

 but poor owd Barney Hewitt got run in cos they know'd his coat ! It wor only my 

 ownin' up tu the poachin' as saved him a fortnight on the staircase, for they found 

 a couple of pheasants in the pockets when I dropped it. Mind yer, I never showed 

 fight, I walue my neck tew well. No ! if I'm copt (taken), I'm copt, if I ain't I get's 

 away. Tha's logic, ain't it ? Says I, never prop up a rotten beam with a worm- 

 eaten bit o' timber ! 



' Once I got away when I wor took. Duke an' I was out one evening on the 

 old game. We'd got a hare that wor afore hares wor chalked as wermin. We 

 heerd footsteps, and with no more ado we draws ourselves intu a heap of rubbidge 

 hedge-clippin's, briers, brakes, and sich-like, and covered ourselves serene. That 

 dawg didn't make a deen (sound). The keepers wor arter us. One on 'em actu- 

 ally stamped on Duke's fut as he passed by, but the old feller didn't even wince; 

 I felt hi$ breath cum quick an' sharp agin my face. They passed on. Sendin' 

 Duke hoam, for I know'd they'd leave no stone upturned tu git me, I hides my old 

 piece benean a heap of hay (she wor rusty enough when I fetched her agin !) and 

 makes for the willage pub. They wor theer afore me. In a moment the slop 

 (who'd bin called in tu help) had the snips (handcuffs) on me, and out I ha' tu go. 

 They thought they'd got theer bard, but they hadn't. Handcuffed as I wor I 

 bolted, they dashin' arter me. I cud run then, and for a while outdistanced 'em. 

 Presently I trips agin a stone, and comes down whallop ! Luck, however, wor on 

 my side, for one o' the links wor broke. Law ! how I pegged it ! Wai, 'bor, they 

 lost all traces of me. And by a roundabout way I gits intu a barn unbeknown tu 

 'em, and hides benean the straw. I'd a knife in my pocket, and by dint of sawin', 

 by next nunetime had my hands free altogither. I got fearful hungry, but thowt 

 it best tu hide till nightfall. Then I goes round a mile or so tu my brother's he 

 wor a hawker an' put his brumes an' pails, and dwiles (housecloths) an' sitera in a 

 box built behind-like. I begs him tu see me hoam. So, arter a feed, he pops me 

 in hid fust (head first), and puttin' the pony in, off he trots. Law ! that wor a ride 

 if yer like ; 1 had no ind of bunnies (lumps) on my hid when we got tu the house, 

 once when the pony draws intu the hoss-pond I jest about stands upon it. I won- 

 dered what wor up ! Arrived at the house he jerks open the door an' shoots me in 

 like a bale o' goods. I wor laid up with a low fever for some weeks arter that; and 

 in the meantime the affair blowed over.' 



