158 The Confessions of a 'Poacher. 



commenced their work, and, thoroughly 

 grasping the programme, worked up to it 

 admirably. Each dog that " found" drove its 

 hare fast and furiously (this was necessary), 

 and, in an hour, a dozen were bagged. There 

 was only this disadvantage. The wood was so 

 large, the smoots so far apart, that many 

 of the hares screamed for some seconds before 

 they could be dispatched. The continuance 

 of this screaming brought up the keepers, and 

 our game was up, and with it what we had 

 bagged. The watchers numbered four or five, 

 and, leaving everything, we ran. In our line 

 of retreat was an abandoned hut built by the 

 charcoal burners, consisting of poles, with 

 heather and fern for roof and sides. We made 

 for this, hoping, in the darkness, to elude 

 our pursuers, then double in our tracks 

 as soon as they had passed. But they were 

 not so easily deceived. As soon as the 

 crackling of the dead sticks caused by our 

 tread had ceased, they evidently suspected 

 some trick, and knew that we were still in the 

 wood. And the hut was the first object of 



