ZTbe Cofees of Ibolfebam 215 



minister a little punishment to Sir John. Joe put on 

 the gloves, but soon drew them off again ; and turning 

 round upon his backers, exclaimed, ' Not for twice the 

 money would I strike a gentleman ! ' 



One of Joe's colleagues, but of a different sex, was 

 Polly Fishbourne, keeper of the Church Lodge, who 

 when I last heard of her was still alive. She must be 

 about my own age. She had large, black eyes, red 

 cheeks, and white teeth ; her hair was cropped like a 

 man's, and she wore a man's hat. The rest of her attire 

 was feminine. She was irreproachable in character, 

 and, indeed, somewhat of a prude. Polly was the terror 

 of poachers, with whom she had frequent encounters, 

 and would give and take hard knocks ; but generally 

 succeeded in capturing her opponents and making them 

 answer for their misdeeds at Petty Sessions. 



A Norfolk game-preserver once offered Polly a 

 shilling a-piece for a hundred pheasants' eggs. She 

 nodded her head. Soon after she brought Mr. Coke a 

 five-pound note. 'There, Squire,' said she, 'is the 

 price of a hundred of your guinea-fowl eggs." Of 

 course the Squire made Polly keep the five-pound 

 note. 



One time that I was staying at Holkham, a bull killed 

 a labouring man in the salt marshes. The savage brute 

 was standing over his victim, and a crowd was assembled 

 at the gate, when Polly appeared at the opposite side. 

 There was a cry, ' Get out of the way, Polly, or the bull 

 will kill you.' ' Not he,' was the reply ; ' he knows 

 better.' She was right. The moment he saw her he 

 backed astern to the remotest corner of the enclosure. 



