joslin's donkey. ' 245 



taken they would die first. As I have before 

 mentioned, we only knew three of the men at 

 the time, the two Newmans and Curtis being 

 strangers to us, but Duckey Phillips split on 

 all the rest. He told all he knew, and cor- 

 roborated the evidence of the publican's son, 

 whose story confirmed Phillips' account. 



After laying by a fortnight, I was well 

 enough to go down to Saffron Walden and 

 give evidence before the magistrates ; all six 

 men were sent for trial to Chelmsford. 



At the trial, Jones, being the eldest man of 

 the gang and considered the ringleader, was 

 brought up first, the others following him up 

 to the Bar. He looked round at the witnesses 

 and, when he saw me, he nodded politely, 

 waved his hand, and his lips mouthed " How 

 d'ye do, John ? " I nodded back to him, and 

 the people in Court looked first at him and 

 then at me, astonish'^d to find the prisoner 

 hailing the witness, and the poacher saluting 

 the keeper. They understood it well enough 

 later on, when they heard the evidence as to 

 how he saved my life. 



