A Cowardly Blow. 195 



hitting at a fellow ; and then, before I could step, I 

 hears a crack, and the squire he was down on the 

 sward. One of them beggars had come up behind, 

 and swung his gun round, and fetched him a purler 

 on the back of his head. I picked him up, but he 

 was as good as dead, to look at ; ' and in the confu- 

 sion the poachers escaped. They had probably been 

 put up to the ambuscade by one of the underlings, 

 as they did not pass that way, but seemed to separate 

 and get off by various paths. The * young squire ' 

 had to be carried home, and was ill for months, but 

 ultimately recovered. 



Not one of the gang was ever captured, notwith- 

 standing that a member of it was recognised. Next 

 day an examination of the spot resulted in the dis- 

 covery of a trail of blood upon the grass and dead 

 leaves, which proved that one of them had been 

 wounded at the first discharge. It was traced for a 

 short distance and then lost. Not till the excitement 

 had subsided did the under keeper find that he had 

 been hit ; one pellet had scored his cheek under the 

 eye, and left a groove still visible. 



Some time afterwards a gun was picked up in the 

 ferns, all rusty from exposure, which had doubtless 

 been dropped in the flight. The barrel was very 

 short — not more than eighteen inches in length — 



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