152 The Amateur Poacher 



1 You were not there/ the Clerk remarked quietly. 

 f Now, Oby, what is your defence ? Have you got 

 any witnesses ? ' 



' No ; I ain't got no witnesses. All as I did, I 

 know I walked up the hedge to look for mushrooms. 

 I saw one of them things ' meaning the wires on the 

 table ' and I just stooped down to see what it was, 

 'cos I didn't know. I never seed one afore ; and 

 I was just going to pick it up and look at it ' (the 

 magistrates glance at each other, and cannot suppress 

 a smile at this profound innocence), c when this fel- 

 low jumped out and frightened me. I never seed 

 no rabbit.' 



' Why, you put the rabbit in your pocket,' interrupts 

 the first witness. 



' Never mind,' said the Clerk to the witness ; ' let 

 him go on.' 



' That's all as I got to say,' continues the defend- 

 ant. ' I never seed no such things afore ; and if he 

 hadn't come I should have put it down again.' 



* But you were trespassing,' said the Clerk. 



' 1 didn't know it. There wasn't no notice-board. 1 



'Now, Oby,' cried the head-keeper, 'you know 

 you've been along that lane this ten years.' 



' That will do ' (from the chairman) ; ' is there any 

 more evidence? ' 



