272 WILD LIFE ON A NORFOLK ESTUARY 



up the chase. He tersely ended the narrative by remarking: 

 " One man took a bad chill and died ; the other didn't" 



Various dodges to outwit keepers and police practised by 

 poachers single-handed, and by those who " did the thing " 

 more largely and scientifically, were detailed the bumbling 

 of wheels with sacks, and encasing the pony's feet with others 

 to deaden sound and confuse footprints and cart-tracks ; the 

 decoying of keepers on to wrong scents, and various other 

 methods which form part of the poachers' creed, were all 

 exceedingly interesting to listen to, even if they did not 

 tend to edification. 



Passing a certain mansion, my friend remarked, pointing 

 thither : 



" You see that house ? Well, old C - lived there ; he 



hated poachers like the and dogs like pizen, and could 



hardly sleep a-nights for thinkin' of his precious game. No 

 one dust bring a dog through the village but he must go 

 after 'em, no matter who they was, and ax no ind of ques- 

 tions what didn't consarn him. * Be careful ! that's all,' he'd 

 say, and watch 'em go away. He was dowst hard on poachers 

 when they cum up afore him, and gave 'em all the law'd allow, 

 and more, if he dust. Two poachers owed him a grudge one 

 of 'em especially. So one night they must go and make a reg'lar 

 good haul, and they wanted him to know it, but it wasn't safe 

 hardly, of course, to 'rite him aforehand. So afore they quits 

 the grounds they goes and sits for a rest on his doorstep. 



" ' Hardly worth wastin' time ? ' axes J . 



" ' Dunno, why ? ' axes the other. 



" c Suppose we git a cuppel or three ready for to-morrer's 

 dinner ? ' says he, takin' three or four out of the sack. 



" Now pluckin' a long-tail ain't pertickler hard work, nor 

 yet a very noisy job. So they just plucks the two brace, and 

 spreads the feathers nicely round the door steppin' for 

 Squire C 's 'special eddyfication next mornin'." 



" How did he take it ? " I asked, smiling. 



"Well, 'bor," said he, " dorit axt ! There was a pretty 

 how-to-do, I can tell yow. He was just lost for wudds ! " 



It is hardly necessary to narrate anything more desperate, 

 but if I have made it plain to my reader that it is worth 

 while to collect information from such hardy and interesting 

 sons of Nature, I have said sufficient. 



