WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 25 



I could draw a drap o' blood from that old varmint, 

 all the witchcraft would leave that 'ere pig - sty. 

 I got on to that 'ere job quick; but waunt she 

 desprit artful ? Two marnin's she didn't cum 

 out. You knows them 'ere big shawl-pins, with 

 black tops to 'em, don't ye ? well, I nips one o' 

 they from my missus, unbeknown to her like, and 

 carts it about with me, all ready fur the job. The 

 third marnin' I laid up fur her in the fuzzes, an' 

 arter a bit I sees her cum hobblin' out fur tu git 

 water; then I slips up behind her an' jobs that 

 ere shawl - pin into her three or four times, fur 

 witchin' my pigs. Massey oh ! didn't she squawkul 

 an' squall, like some old hen. She dropped her 

 pitcher, an' got back indoors quicker 'an she cum out; 

 an' I kicked her pitcher tu bits, I did." 



This was too much for me : I told him in rough 

 and unmeasured words what I thought of him, 

 winding up by saying that if I had been about 

 when the atrocious deed was done, I should have 

 done my best to get him three months' hard labour. 

 The truth of the matter I found out was this : 

 the poor old creature who had been so brutally 

 treated had warned some woodland lass against 



