The Confessions of a 'Poacher. 143 



our case was called, and, as we had no good 

 defence to set up, it was agreed that my com- 

 panion should do the talking. Without letting 

 ' it appear so, we had a very definite object in 

 * prolonging the hearing of the case. There was 

 never any great inclination to hurry such 

 matters, as the magistrates always seemed to 

 enjoy them. " We had been taken in the act," 

 my co-worker told the bench. " We deserved 

 no quarter, and asked none. Poaching was 

 right by the Bible, but wrong by the law," 



and so he was rushing on. One of the Justices 

 deigned to remark that it was a question of 

 u property" not morality. " Oh ! " rejoined 

 the " Otter," u because blue blood doesn't run 



