IN " THE GOOD OLD TIMES." 125 



aim and fired at him from where he was in hiding. 

 It warn't to be, however; 'twas a flint -gun he'd 

 got, same as they all had then in these parts, and 

 it flashed in the pan. By the light of that flash 

 the miller seed his face as plain as if 'twere day- 

 light. He kept quiet though, and never showed 

 that night as he'd seen him. Only next day they 

 had him, fur the miller was well liked by all the 

 folks round, high and low, and they was all up in 

 arms together. 'Twas proved agin him, and he was 

 sent to Botany Bay. There warn't no model prisons 

 in those days, and he was transported fur life, and 

 good riddance. The rest of his gang swore all 

 manner of vengeance on the miller, but the mill 

 was too well looked alter fur them to come sneakin' 

 round ; they knowed they'd shoot 'em down like 

 dogs, his men would, if they offered to molest the 

 master. 



" But they could kill a man's stock or injure it 

 if they couldn't hurt himself. There was one of 

 'em I knowed well went by the name of Moocher. 

 They all had nicknames, and they called him that 

 because he was allus a-mouching round, like a hungry 

 fox, grabbing hold of anything he could. If ever 



