MY FIRST AFFRAY WITH POACHERS. 29 



of the night to go, and how they might best 

 capture him. Acting according to his direc- 

 tions, the constables went to a certain Inn at 

 Shepherd's Bush, kept by a widow named Jones. 

 This widow had incontinently fallen in love with 

 the burly poacher, and, at great personal risk, 

 was now sheltering him from justice. Had it 

 not been for Dell and his sneaking ways, she 

 would have married William, and we should 

 have had a pretty little tale to tell of the re- 

 formed poacher who married the innkeeper's 

 widow, and kept the inn, making an excellent 

 host, who lived happy ever after, and died at 

 peace with all men. 



It was half-past twelve at night when the 

 constables reached the Inn, which was, of course, 

 by this time shut up and dark ; they rapped at 

 the door. No answer. They rapped again, 

 and again after that. Then at length the widow 

 opened a front window and asked what they 

 wanted. They answered, laconically, that they 

 wanted the door opened. This was done, the 

 widow seeing that they were constables, and 

 that resistance would be useless ; besides she 



