Old Bex. 131 



when, having caught sight of some one walk- 

 ing up the stream with a gun, " Who's that ? " 

 said I, calling Ben's attention to it. 



"Be hanged," said Ben (shading his eyes 

 from the sun, as he had not got on the white 

 receptacle for all sorts), " if it isn't that young 

 Curnin again. I gee'd he leave to go up there 

 one day, and he has kept on going there ever 

 since, though I've a warned 'un off two or three 

 times." 



'• Too bad," said I ; "it is a good deal too 

 bad, taking advantage of your good nature. 

 The rights of property ought to be respected. 

 I would prosecute him if I were you." 



Ben looked doubtful, and the subject 

 dropped. 



Whenever I saw Ben sitting in our saddle- 

 room of a morning, warming himself at the 

 stove, and looking as cold and miserable as 

 usual, and trying to light the damp tobacco, 

 I knew that something was up; perhaps the 

 snipe had arrived (for snipe are very change- 

 able in their selection of their ground, accord- 

 ing to the weather), and he had come to give 

 me the first intimation of it. Now this 

 certainly was unselfish of Ben, for he could of 



