1 68 The Confessions of a Poacher. 



upon me, and they breathed like beaten 

 horses. My legs trembled beneath me, and 

 I was blinded by perspiration. " Seize him," 

 " seize him," gasped the sergeant but I was 

 only a yard from the door. With a desperate 

 feeling that I had won, I grasped the handle 

 and threw my whole weight and that of my 

 load against the door, only to find it locked. 

 I fell back on to the stones, and the stern 

 chase was ended. 



For a minute nobody spoke nobody was 

 able to. I lay where I fell, and the men 

 leaned against what was nearest them. Then 

 the sergeant condescended to say " poor beg- 

 gar " and we all moved off. The fish were 

 turned out on the grass in the police station 

 yard, and were a sight to see. There were 

 ninety trout, thirty-seven salmon-morts, and 

 two salmon. I was not detained. One 

 of the men handed me a mort, telling 

 me I would be ready -for a substantial break- 

 fast. I knew what it all meant, and first 

 thought of bolting, then settled that I 

 would do as I had always done face it out. 



