VERMIN CATCHING, ETC. 123 



Williams is not only an ignoramus in his calling, 

 but a thief and an arrant coward into the bar- 

 gain, bullies always are ; your second keeper does 

 all the work, and your lazy first gets all the 

 kudos. Now I will lay you an even fiver I prove 

 it to you if you like in two days." 



The bet was taken and I had a carte blanche 

 to proceed how I liked. Sending up to 

 Nathan's, I had a nice long black beard and 

 moustache down by the next post. Putting 

 this on, with a different coat and hat from those 

 I usually wore, I walked down to the home 

 cover, about eleven o'clock. 



The second keeper had been put up to it. 



I killed a cock pheasant, and then commenced 

 blazing away blank cartridge. Presently the 

 enraged Williams came dashing into cover. 



"Who the h 1 are you?" he exclaimed. 

 "Drop that game, and come along with I." 



"Drop that game ?" I replied. " Come, come, 

 my good fellow, do you know who I am ? I will 

 drop into you, and that pretty quickly, if you 

 are not off in a brace of shakes. I'm the Duke 

 of Dorset, now be off." 



" I don't believe a word of it," he replied, 



