90 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



" Has he been here this morning ? " I asked. 



" No," says one. 



"Yes," said a lot of voices together, all 

 chaffing and laughing. 



" Well, mates," said I. " Here's his bench, 

 and he ain't here ; where is he ? >: For I knew 

 Dabber' s bench. They commenced their chaff 

 again, and one said that " Dabber had just 

 gone out, as I came up, to get a half pint ; he 

 must have gone out the front way and seen me 

 coming, and perhaps, made off, thinking I was 

 after him." All this was said in chaff, the men 

 winking at each other, but I began to think it 

 looked rather queer for me, because if Dabber 

 appeared then there were a dozen men ready to 

 swear he'd been in his shop all the morning, 

 and the rest would hold their tongues. 



At this moment, however, Mr. Webb, the 

 master, appeared. 



" What's all this noise about ? " he demanded. 

 " John Roberts, go on with your work, and all 

 the rest of you do the same." Then, turning 

 to me, he said : " What do you want here, 

 Wilkins?" 



