82 HUNTING RECOLLECTIONS. 



were, they were glad to catch mice and roast 

 them in the candle. I am bound to say neither 

 of them had the appearance of having been 

 starved in their youth. The friendship, began 

 over the roast mouse suppers, continued until 

 my father's death. 



At Laindon Hills there was an irate farmer. 

 He was standing on a bank, ready with his gun 

 to stop any one of the field who might venture 

 over the fence. " I shall shoot the first man 

 who comes." A young barrister (now a Judge 

 — I wonder if he remembers the incident.^) 

 riding one of Mulvaney's hirelings known as 

 " Patent Safety," thus addressed him. 



" Ah, my good man, you want to shoot ? 

 You can start on me. Now then, shoot away." 



The man was so taken aback, all his anger 

 and importance passed away. 



"Come on," he said, "I don't mind you, 

 and such as you may go where you Hke." The 

 last we saw of him was in the most friendly con- 

 versation with the Barrister from town. 



Another incident of the same sort took 

 place near Tile Wood, Hadleigh. A gallant 

 sportsman was pursued by the angry owner 

 armed with a pitchfork, who called out to a boy 

 who was with him, " Shut the gate, boy, we have 

 got one of them." 



He was rather taken aback when his 

 prisoner quietly turned his horse round and was 

 over the fence by the side before the would-be 

 jailor had time to say " knife." He had quite 

 overlooked the fact that the man and horse he 

 had to deal with were hard to beat over any 



