258 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



see, I ran off and left the lot." And Joslin 

 seemed very proud of his sagacity. 



" What, your mates and all ? " 



" Yes, sir," said Joslin with the utmost 

 complacency. 



" Good security for yourself, but bad policy 

 for your mates, I must say, Joslin," remarked 

 Captain Byng. 



The Captain told my master, Mr. Maitland, 

 afterwards that he never heard any man admit 

 his cowardice so shamefully as Joslin did. All 

 this occurred considerably over thirty years 

 ago, and both Joslin and Jones have been 

 dead for more than twenty years. 



I am obliged to mention Duckey Phillips 

 once more, though he's barely worth the 

 trouble, if only to show the ingratitude of the 

 man. He was called "Duckey" because he 

 was a poor, duck-hearted chap ; a most rotten 

 sort of man, who would sell his father or 

 mother for sixpence. 



About a year before the great poaching 

 affray I have related, I caught him snaring. 

 I was engaged in watching a snare with a 



