220 BIRDS' NESTS. 



out the bird which the policeman has in his 

 hands, and said that he had been nesting that 

 morning in Cobb-wood, and that all at once 

 he heard a gun go off, and was frightened at 

 first, thinking that some one was firing at him 

 for trespassing. When he looked round, how- 

 ever, he saw a man whom he did not know, 

 with a gun in his hand, in the act of picking 

 up a pheasant that he had shot. Just then 

 the man turned and saw him, asked him who 

 he was, and what business he had there ? He 

 said, however, he was not to be frightened, 

 and had as much right there as the man, and 

 that he would inform against him for poach- 

 ing, and get the penalty. ( Upon that/ said he, 

 c the man said he did not care, because I did 

 not know who he was, but that I had better 

 not make a stir about it, and that if I would 

 go away quietly, he would give me the bird 

 he had just shot ; but that if I followed him, 

 he should think no more of shooting a jail- 

 bird than a pheasant. So I took it, and came 



