Old Ben. 137 



pufF out of it. Besides, if he got it clamp he 

 kept it so, for his tobacco pouch was a bladder 

 (and not at all a bad one either), which he 

 always produced from some inner chamber of 

 the big white hat. I think this hat was the 

 most capacious and useful place of deposit the 

 old fellow had about him, for if he had any- 

 thing he had not room for anywhere else, into 

 the hat it went. I am not sure that he did not 

 put game in sometimes. When we wanted to 

 see what was in it we used to ask him for a 

 light ; there were generally a good many lying 

 about, besides a box or two. What he did 

 before lucifer matches were invented I cannot 

 imagine, as, if he used the old brimstone 

 matches and tinder-box, he would have needed 

 to carry a small timber yard about with him, 

 to say nothing of the pleasure of a large dirty 

 tin box on the top of his head. 



Poor old Ben, whatever faults were his, he 

 certainly had a good many good points in his 

 favour : he was sober, honest, and ever ready to 

 go anywhere or do anything he was asked, and 

 I do not believe he had an atom of selfishness 

 about him. He was an untiring walker, and 

 about the best marker I ever came across. He 



