78 ON THE TRACK OF THE MAIL-COACH 



Trains of fish-carts, I remember, carrying bloaters 

 to the London market, creaked along the road at 

 night. This was part of the traffic on which the new 

 railway would have to depend. Coaches still blew 

 their horns in spite of the coming line. 



We comported ourselves as though the county of 

 Suffolk was our private farm. For we secured as 

 assistants two stalwart young poachers, who enjoyed 

 themselves amazingly, especially along the hedgerows 

 and in the copses, and, being native to the soil, 

 apparentl}' knew quite well a cock-pheasant from a 

 wisp of hay, and a hare in her form from a fence- 

 stake. With them we surveyed where we listed. 



A fine growing plantation near Campsey Ash stood 

 in the way of the base-line ; our two poachers went 

 in with sharpened bills and made short work of it. 

 Next morning, when Lord Rendlesham came on the 

 ground, he found a bee-line cut through his young- 

 spruces, wide enough for two men to walk abreast ; 

 but I suppose country gentlemen were hardened by 

 that time to such things, for his lordship, on the 

 whole, took the matter kindly, and made no fuss. We 

 w^ere rather sorry to have cut even a single twig of 

 so courteous an owner's spinnies. 



Some landowners were not so polite. Once while 

 sketching and measuring the pleasure-grounds and 

 out-buildings of a small estate, the owner, with a 

 numerous following, peremptorily ordered us off his 

 property. We submitted, and withdrew. Next morn- 

 ing by daybreak we were there again, and liefore the 



