MARLBOROUGH COLLEGE. 



73 



tail between its legs, followed of course by a roar of laughter, whilst 

 the farmer looking very fooHsh, swore that he would shoot it directly 

 he got home. 



Many years after, when I was at home from India on furlough, I 

 met "Monkey" Davis in the forest, and when, for old acquaintance- 

 sake, a coin passed from my hand to his, he pulled out of his 

 capacious pockets, 3 squirrel and a dormouse, which he begged me 

 to accept. A straw shows the direction of the wind ; and as this 

 proffered quid pro quo was quite gratuitous, when I said good-bye, 

 leaving my friend in possession of his treasures, I could not help 

 exclaiming, that although in the great struggle for existence he 

 probably had been led to perform some doubtful deeds, I felt sure 

 he was an honest, generous chap at heart. 



Another man we knew as " Fur-cap." But 

 as he was lame, a youthful assistant followed 

 in his wake to climb the trees in search of 

 nests. From him I purchased eggs of the 

 Hawfinch, and Water-rail, which ultim itely 

 I presented with many others to the Oxford 

 Museum when I went to India. The owner 

 of the forest let us roam about it as we 

 pleased, and "Fur-cap" and his tribe would 

 mask their depredations on the game, under 

 pretence they were merely collecting eggs for 

 us. 



It was a gala-day when the Marchioness of 

 Ailesbury, accompanied by out-riders and 

 other forms of state, paid a visit to the 

 School. She used to drive down the "middle 

 path," which, so tradition ran, was reserved 

 tor royalty alone, and then a deputation, 

 headed by the best looking prefects, having 



carefully removed their caps, would approach the lady and demand 

 that the great honour she had done us by coming there, should be 



