134 A N ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



stop here and watch. If they see you going 

 off, on the road to Ramsbury, they'll think 

 that now is their chance, and so 1 shall catch 

 them." 



Pounds thought that these snares were set 

 by Alexander, and, as he seemed most anxious 

 to catch him, I did as he suggested. Alexander 

 had, it seemed, caused Tom a lot of trouble by 

 laying night lines for trout in the streams. 



When I had gone, a heavy shower of rain 

 came on, which caused Pounds to leave his 

 hiding place and take shelter behind some large 

 trees further in the copse. After the storm 

 had passed he went back to the snares, and 

 found them gone. 



Tom Pounds told me, on my return, that the 

 poacher had come and removed the snares 

 during the storm. We agreed to meet at the 

 same place early next morning, and then 

 Pounds left. 



When he had gone I walked across to the 

 hedge, as I suspected he had been played an old 

 poaching trick. It turned out that he had, for 

 I found that the snares had not been removed 



