430 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



long, he passed from one dodge to another, 

 to try and get me out of my place ; he told me 

 to my face that I had been lord over the 

 estate long enough, but that I was about to 

 come off my throne. 



"Well," said I, " It will take a better man 

 than you to dethrone me." 



Will it ?" says he, " We'll see all about 

 that, Wilkins." 



This was an anxious time for me, and I 

 deeply regretted having taken him on as 

 underkeeper ; I saw that he intended to do 

 me as much harm as he could, and, as no one 

 but myself knew his slippery character, he 

 could injure me in a hundred ways without 

 drawing suspicion on himself. This man w r as 

 my sister's husband ! I anxiously awaited an 

 opportunity to get rid of him, and at last it 

 came. 



One day he trapped a fox, brought it down 

 into Durrell's Wood, and pegged it down in 

 one of the rides. The hounds were coming 

 that morning, but I happened to walk up the 

 ride before they came, found the fox, and took 



