208 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



owdacious young swells " in the parish, there 

 is to be a real good flare up or " randy-dandy." 

 It gets noised about that Keeper Baldwin 

 and Landlord Goodman are going to give a 

 grand shooting party, with a noble supper to 

 follow. The poachers have their ears and eyes 

 open, and smell business ; they join your noble 

 crew on the night appointed, one or two of 

 them are in attendance at Mr. Goodman's, 

 ready for any little job he or you may want 

 done, and more especially to show themselves 

 to you, friend Baldwin, for don't you see Pat 

 Lane and one or two other well-known poachers 

 in at Goodman's tap, enjoying themselves over 

 a pot of beer. Goodman either lends them a 

 bob, or else trusts them to-night, for he knows 

 that they along with them, will be at his house 

 to-morrcw spending last night's booty, so that 

 he will get his money back with good interest; 

 he knows also that these men are at his house 

 on purpose to set the keeper perfectly at his 

 ease. So you see mine host has fleeced you — 

 the keeper — and the shooting party, including 

 the two " swells," not content with that, he 



