'30 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



thought they would never be able to find Cogdill, 

 who had by this time got safely to his usual 

 hiding place. To her horror and surprise, 

 however, the constables went straight to the 

 cellar and began to tap, with their staves, the 

 barrels. At last they came to a huge beer cask, 

 which sounded hollow and empty when rapped. 

 " Sounds empty," quoth a constable, grimly. 

 *' Things is not always as they seem," remarked 

 another, cheerfully. " Give us a leg up, mate." 

 The cask was about seven feet high, and the 

 men got a trestle, on which one of them clam- 

 bered, and thus threw a light on the top. There 

 was no covering, but inside stood a man, who 

 instinctively turned his face up to the light. It 

 was Cogdill himself They got him out of the 

 empty cask, the widow, meanwhile, weeping 

 piteously and imploring " her Will" to "go 

 quietly along with the gentlemen." He seemed 

 disposed to follow her advice, and offered no 

 resistance whilst they led him out, the constables 

 bidding the widow "good night," kindly 

 enough. The party came at last to a very steep 

 hill, where they all got out of the cart and 



