CH. VIII.] SUMMING UP VEKDICT. 255 



vixen fox, and by her side three fine young phea- 

 sants, part of the buried plunder, which she must 

 have dropped when caught. She had evidently 

 been waiting until the birds were sufficiently 

 " kept," and was going her rounds to replenish her 

 larder with them. "I suppose you let her go," 

 I said. "Oh! in course I did, Sir," answered he, 

 but with the slightest suspicion of a chuckle, as 

 I fancied. Whether or no he did so, remains a 

 matter between him and his conscience ; but all 

 I can say is, that if he did, he must have been 

 a keeper of a very unusually charitable and for- 

 bearing disposition. 



With regard then to the charge of poaching 

 against our " friends," I must, as an honest man, 

 though reluctantly, return a verdict of guilty, 

 coupling it, however, with a strong recommenda- 

 tion to mercy. It is all very well, in pleading for 

 them with farmers' wives, gamekeepers, and others, 

 who cannot be expected to look upon them with 

 very favouring eyes, to 



Be to their faults a little blind, 

 Be to their virtues ever kind ; 



but it is, I repeat, in my opinion, but fair to those 

 who injure their own sport for the sake of others, 

 that the extent to which they do so by preserving 



