152 MANAGEMENT OF HOUNDS. 



About two hours after we had all retired to rest, my 

 father's knock at my bedroom door and the dog barking, 

 roused me from sleep. Jumping out of bed, I asked 

 quickly if anything was the matter. *' No," he replied, 

 " but I want you, my boy ; get up quietly, and come 

 down to my room — we must go out." This was nothing 

 unusual; so I dressed at once, and went cautiously down 

 stairs. *' Now," he said, " you will say nothing of this to 

 Mary to-morrow ; but I wish to meet with the man 

 who robbed her — not to injure him, but to give him five 

 pounds, and to see if I can make an honest man of him, 

 for he must have some proper feelings left." We ac- 

 cordingly sallied forth, each with our gun, and a couple 

 of terriers to follow him, should the man run away from 

 us. Carefully and stealthily w^e crept along, until we 

 reached the road near the wood, where we expected to 

 find him — neither were we far out in our conjectures. 

 He had evidently been there, but had heard us approach- 

 ing, and he sought the shelter of the wood again, as the 

 dogs immediately dashed off; but it was so dark we 

 could not follow them, and were obliged to call them 

 back. We searched the wood on the following day, and 

 for two or three nights tried to meet him, but without 

 success ; our hero had decamped. A man, however, 

 answering his description, was captured a short time 

 afterwards in a neighbouring county, by attempting to 

 rob a farmer on horseback in the open day, who roused 

 the neighbourhood in pursuit; and, although the fellow 

 topped the stone walls, as the farmer said, like a grey- 

 hound, at first, he was finally run into and taken at last. 

 His fate T never heard. 



My father liad also a very narrow escape from a high- 



