72 THE EARLY DAYS OF 



Another o.g'g vendor was "Monkey" Davis, but he never appeared 

 unless he had something good, such as Sparrow-hawk's or Kestrel's 

 eggs for sale. Although as his sobriquet implies, he was not hand- 

 some ; he was a tall, strong fellow, with a face of great determination, 

 and had his lines been cast in suitable positions, he might perhaps 

 have raised himself to fame by deeds of derring do. But here, so 

 the story ran, he was merely a desperate poacher who never turned 

 his back upon a foe. 



Nothing in the shape of live-stock which inhabited the forest was 

 passed by "Monkey" Davis; and in very early days he used to 

 supply the school with squirrels, dormice, rabbits, hardly any- 

 thing with fur or feathers came amiss; and these we used to keep 

 in a corner between the covered play-ground and the fives-court. 

 The bigger boys must have been about the usual rabbit-keeping age, 

 although they appeared like giants in my eyes, and they soon 

 managed to get quite a large menagerie there. This as time went 

 on, became a nuisance when the wind blew over it towards the 

 school, and really I don't know how it came about that the 

 menagerie was ever allowed to be erected. Perhaps the masters 

 were not aware of its existence until the zephyrs told them, and 

 then it ceased at once. 



"Monkey" would also catch badgers, and put them in a sort of 

 cub on market days, and charge a fee for anyone who wished to test 

 the metal of his dog. One day when I was standing near, a 

 dandyfied young farmer came strolling by with a ferocious-looking 

 dog fastened to a chain ; and no sooner did the animal scent the 

 tainted gale, than it made such tremendous charges in the direction 

 of the cub, that its owner found difficulty in restraining it. He was 

 invited to let loose this candidate for honours. But the dandy said 

 it would certainly kill the badger in a moment. " Oh, never mind," 

 the " Monkey" said, " so long as I get my shilling." The dog was 

 accordingly let loose, and away it went swift as an arrow from a 

 bow. On getting inside the cub however it gave an unearthly yell ; 

 and darting out, tore across country as hard as it could go with its 



