1 94 The Gamekeeper at Home. 



One brilliant moonlight night, frosty and clear, the 

 gang came again. A messenger went to the house, 

 and, as previously arranged, two separate parties set 

 out to intercept the rascals. The head keeper had 

 one detachment, whose object it was to secure the 

 main outlet from the wood towards the adjacent town 

 — to cut off retreat. The young squire had charge of 

 the other, which, with the under keeper as guide, was 

 to work its way through the wood and drive the gang 

 into the ambuscade. In the last party were six men 

 and a mastiff dog ; four of the men had guns, the 

 gentleman only a stout cudgel. 



They came upon the gang — or rather a part of it, 

 for the poachers were somewhat scattered — in a ' drive ' 

 which ran between tall firs, and was deep in shadow. 

 With a shout the four or five men in the ' drive,' or 

 green lane, slipped back behind the trees, and two 

 fired, killing the mastiff dog on the spot and ' stinging ' 

 one man in the legs. Quick as they were, the under 

 keeper, to use his own words, ' got a squint of one 

 fellow as I knowed ; and I lets drive both barrels in 

 among the firs. But, bless you ! it were all over in 

 such a minute that I can't hardly tell 'ee how it were. 

 Our squire ran straight at 'em ; but our men hung 

 back, though they had their guns and he had nothing 

 but a stick. I just seen him, as the smoke rose, 



