Oby and his System. 117 



' There ain't no such chaps for poaching as they 

 navigators in all England : I means where there be a 

 railway a-making. I've knowed forty of 'em go out 

 together on a Sunday, and every man had a dog, and 

 some two ; and good dogs too lots of 'em as you 

 wouldn't buy for ten quid. They used to spread out 

 like, and sweep the fields as clean as the crownd of 

 your hat. Keepers weren't no good at all, and besides 

 they never knowed which place us was going to make 

 for. One of the chaps gave I a puppy, and he growed 

 into the finest greyhound as you'd find in a day's 

 walk. The first time I was took up before the bench 

 I had to go to gaol, because the contractor had broke 

 and the works was stopped, so that my mates hadn't 

 no money to pay the fine. 



' The dog was took away home to granny by my 

 butty [comrade], but one of the gentlemen as seed it 

 in the court sent his groom over and got it off the old 

 woman for five pound. She thought if I hadn't the 

 hound I should give it up, and she come and paid me 

 out of gaol. It was a wonder as I didn't break her 

 neck ; only her was a good woman, you see, to I. 

 But I wouldn't have parted with that hound for a 

 quart-full of sovereigns. Many's a time I've seed his 

 name they changed his name, of course in the 

 papers for winning coursing matches. But we let that 



