2IO The Amateur Poacher 



directions as fast as we could load. Now the cartridges 

 struck branches and shattered them. Now the shot 

 flattened itself against sarsen stones imbedded in the 

 mound. The rabbits had scarce a yard to bolt from 

 one hole to another, so that it was sharp work. 



Little John now gave up all hope, and only 

 pleaded piteously for his ferrets, * Mind as you doan't 

 hit 'em, measter ; doant'ee shoot into a hole, you.' For 

 half an hour we had some really good shooting : then 

 it began to slacken, and we told him to catch his 

 ferrets and go on to the next bury. I am not sure 

 that he would not have rebelled outright but just 

 then a boy came up carrying a basket of provisions, 

 and a large earthenware jar with a bung cork, full of 

 humming ale. Farmer Willum had sent this, and 

 the strong liquor quite restored Little John's good 

 humour. It really was ale — such as is not to be got 

 for money. 



The boy said that he had seen Farmer Willum's 

 hereditary enemy, the keeper, watching us from his 

 side of the boundary, doubtless attracted by the 

 sound of the firing. He said also that there was a 

 pheasant in a little copse beside the brook. We sent 

 him out again to reconnoitre : he returned and 

 repeated that the keeper had gone, and that he 

 thought he saw him enter the distant fir plantations. 



