I02 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



keeper's place, being then just in his prime and 

 full strength, and a very strong man he was. 

 When he developed his bad leg he went to the 

 Hemel Hempstead Infirmary, and Sir Astley 

 Cooper cured him, so, when I went into 

 Wiltshire, he came under my father again. 

 Although his leg was cured he was not much 

 good for anything except light work, such as 

 pruning young Scotch Firs, and Birch, and 

 " looking out," occasionally. So after a little 

 while, as I have before stated, he took a public 

 house at Hyde Heath. 



Old Dick had a great many good qualities ; 

 he would call you at any time of the night you 

 liked, as true as the clock, and you could always 

 depend — and so could the poachers — on him to 

 be at his post at any hour of the day or night. 

 "Military time" with old Dick, always, 

 punctual to the tick, and his appearance was 

 Something, for he was a great big man, and 

 looked an awkward customer to tackle. I think 

 I have delicately hinted, before, that he was not 

 over endowed with pluck, otherwise he would 

 have been foremost in every poaching fray_ 



