HUMPHRIES REAPPEARS. 437 



retriever with you, as T want to search for a 

 lamb, or its skin, that was stolen last night." 



"Just loose the dogs," said I, turning to 

 Humphries, and then Scott and I started off, 

 but found nothing. Scott thought we might 

 find out the place where it was killed, or come 

 across the insides and skin in some ditch, but 

 our search proved fruitless. 



Some ten days afterwards Scott came to 

 me, and ^aid : — " Humphries has got some 

 roots of trees in the coppice that he wants 

 me to buy for firewood, I am going over there 

 to-morrow to look at them, do you mind my 

 taking his gun and trying for a rabbit ? " 



" Oh, no ! you may do that, and welcome," 

 said I. 



The day after that Scott came to me again, 

 and said : — " I had a good look at those roots 

 yesterday, and then left Humphries sitting by 

 them whilst I went down the ride in search of 

 a rabbit. Lo and behold ! I came across the 

 print of the boot or shoe I tracked from Green 

 end farm to Parkfield gateway. If you remem- 

 ber, Wilkins, I had grave suspicions that the 



