272 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



next morning. Besides, I saw some pheasant 



feathers, quite fresh, brought there last night." 



" Oh ! that looks well, Wilkins ; it looks like 



cubs being there. I wish you to look to the 



other earths in the wood and tell me if you 



think there are any more cubs in them. Be 



at the house at ten to-morrow morning, and 

 let me know." 



Next morning I reported that there were 

 two more litters, thus there were three lots of 

 cubs in Thrupp cover that spring, consisting 

 of five, seven and nine cubs respectively. 



" Wilkins," said my master to me one day. 

 " I want you to go to the pit this evening, and 

 get up into a tree, and see how many cubs 

 there really are in the pit. Come round in 

 the morning, about ten, and report the result." 

 So I went to the pit and made pretty sure 

 that there were nine cubs there. 



When I went up to the house next morning 

 at ten o'clock, the Reverend was not at home, 

 but he came in about half-an-hou later. " Well, 

 Wilkins," says he, " Can your tell me the 

 number of cubs at the pit ? " " Yes, sir, there 



