The Fate of '' Putty r 199 



did not seem to indicate that Putty had 

 '* come into his own again." 



'' Hello, Putty ! " I called to him. '' You 

 did not come back that night to try my old 

 brown ale. Did the lawyer give you your 

 money ? " 



''No," said Putty, as he spat into the 

 dust with a grimace of mingled dejection 

 and disgust; ''But he clapped me into the 

 Cage, and I've only just got out again." 



For years 1 did not mention the incident 

 to my legal friend, nor did I ever hear him 

 refer to it. He must have wondered many 

 times who got poor old Putty drunk and 

 set him on to him. To this day I do not 

 know the wag who began the joke, but I 

 told Will, at last, of the small part I had 

 had in it. And quite unreasonably he for 

 ever afterwards set the whole incident down 

 to my account. 



I have, when I come to look at it, had 

 a very good innings, and have been a very 

 lucky man. And nobody could have been 

 supported by a better lot of sporting farmers 



