224 The Amateur Poacher 



The farmer, who was sitting down to table, quietly 

 ate his breakfast, and then strolled over to the keepers 

 cottage with the bird. This was the first intimation : 

 the keeper could hardly believe it, till he himself went 

 down and followed the trail of foot-marks. There 

 was not the least difficulty in tracing the course ol 

 the poachers through the wood ; the feathers were 

 lying about ; the scorched paper (for they used 

 muzzle-loaders), broken boughs, and shot-marks were 

 all too plain. But by this time the gang were well 

 away, and none were captured or identified. 



The extreme severity of the frost naturally caused 

 people to stay indoors, so that no one noticed the 

 cart going through the village ; nor could the track 

 of its wheels be discerned from others on the snow 

 of the highway beaten down firm. Even had the 

 poachers been disturbed, it is doubtful if so small a 

 staff of keepers could have done anything to stop 

 them. As it was, they not only made a good haul 

 the largest made for years in that locality but 

 quite spoiled the shooting. 



There are no white figures passing through the 

 peaceful wood to-night and firing up into the trees. 

 It is perfectly still. The broad moon moves slow, 

 and the bright rays light up tree and bush, so that 

 it is easy to see through, except where the brambles 



