232 REMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN 



cow. The head woodreeve passes, and seeing the good-wife at 

 the door addresses her thus: "Well, mistress, your husband 

 pleases me very well, now, and has entirely left off his idle 

 habits ; the keepers say they can trust him all over their walks, 

 and that he neither steals wood, deer, nor game. He brought 

 me a little leveret this morning that he had found when he was 

 at work, in a place where he thought it was not safe, so there 

 is half-a-crown for you, and you will all have your dinner at 

 Christmas if your husband continues to conduct himself 

 properly." " Thank you, sir, 11 replies the smiling dame ; " I'm 

 very glad he wishes to oblige your honour ; I'm sure it's better 

 for me and the children, as he never keeps out at night drinking 

 now." With a low curtsey she receives the half-crown, which 

 was two shillings more than her husband could have got for the 

 leveret, had he behaved dishonestly and sold it. The ranger is 

 turning on his way, when the woman asks him to step into her 

 little garden ; he does so, and she says, " Please, sir, will you 

 see what the deer have done to our garden-stuff? there is a doe 

 or two that jumps the fence and comes here at night." He 

 inspects the damage, and sees, not only that the garden is 

 properly fenced for a cottage, but also where the deer have 

 jumped over, and that they have not been let in on purpose or 

 by neglect. " Well," the ranger says, " you know the old forest 

 law is abolished, and now every man has a right to kill and take 

 a deer on his own land for his own use ; therefore, your husband 

 can protect himself." "Yes, sir, we know it," rejoined the 

 woman ; " but we would not think of hurting the deer for fear 

 of displeasing your honour." " Thanks, my good woman ; 

 then, if it is the same to you, I will order the keeper of the walk 

 to lend you a deer-trap, which your husband can look to, and, 

 when the deer is caught, you shall either eat her, or I will buy 

 her of you, whichever you like." 



The ranger said this because he would not give an excuse 

 for the dangerous possession of a gun or trap to a man but just 

 reclaimed from evil habits. What a beautiful scene the forest 

 was then ! its magnificent gorse replete in its auriferous hues, 



