MY FIRST AFFRAY WITH POACHERS. 33 



succeeded my father as head gamekeeper to Mr. 

 Fuller, told me that Dell bragged to him that 

 if he met me he would " kill me dead." This 

 man, Rose, now lives at the Half- Way- House, 

 where my father resided at the time when Dell 

 and Cogdill were caught. 



When I was visiting Chesham in '83, T came 

 across an old mate of mine, who was formerly 

 at the British School with me. He and I went 

 to an inn to have a glass of beer together, and 

 then he told me what Dell had been saying. 



" Why," said I, " if my father swore falsely 

 about him so did I, and Dick Lovering too, 

 for we were all three witnesses, and swore 

 positively to our men. Dell will want to make 

 out that a man doesn't know his own wife 



next.' 



There were several men listening, and they 

 believed my story, and repeated it broadcast ; 

 and so Dell's false tale was upset. 



In conclusion, I may mention that the men 

 who ran away that night were never caught. 

 They threw down the birds as they were going 

 over the standing corn, and the corn being in 



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