306 A MEDLEY OF SPORT 



"Good- morning, Thomas," I cried, as we pulled up 

 before the interesting crowd of gaping marshmen and 

 marshwomen, who lined up like a company of infantry 

 to receive us. 



" Who be yew ? " was the reply to my genial greeting. 



" Oh, only a particular friend of Mr D , who is, I 



believe, the owner of the island ; and this gentleman and 

 myself have, at his invitation, come down for a few days' 

 shooting. I hope the room is ready for us? " 



" No, it bain't, and, what's more, neither yew nor 

 your friend be a-going to stop here unless I gets orders 

 from the governor. I never set eyes on ere a one of yew 

 afore, and I 'ont believe yews got any right here, that I 

 'ont." 



[^^ Having delivered the foregoing polite and hospitable 

 speech, the bailiff, followed by his sixteen-stone wife and 

 nine children, disappeared into the house, slamming the 

 door after them. 



" A pleasant welcome. Jack," I remarked to my 

 companion, who sat in the greasy meat- cart spell- 

 bound. For a few moments there was dead silence be- 

 tween us, and then we both burst into an immoderate 

 fit of laughter, for the whole business was so palpably 

 absurd. My turn was to come, however, and, walking 

 into the brick-floored kitchen, where I found the whole 

 family seated before a huge fire composed of wreckage 

 washed up by the tide, I gave the bailiff such a rating 

 that he very soon began to sing small. Telling one of his 

 lubberly sons to carry the paraphernalia from the cart to 



