OLD FRIENDS IN VELVETEEN 301 



begin, his eyes twinkling : and then he would ramble 

 off into the history of some wild affray with gipsies 

 or with poachers, enough to make a boy's hair stand 

 on end. 



One time that often came to his mind was when 

 Master Charles plagued the life out of him to be taken, 

 at night, through a bedroom window, by way of a 

 ladder, on a hunt for poachers ; and how at last he 

 yielded to entreaty, though it was as much as his 

 place was worth if Master Charles's guardian got 

 wind of the affair. So he chose a bright moon- 

 lit night, when he was tolerably certain that no 

 poachers would venture forth; whistled beneath 

 Master Charles's window, upraised a ladder, and got 

 the young gentleman safely to ground, in nothing 

 more than nightshirt, greatcoat, and bedroom slippers. 

 Off they went together, and it was the keeper's 

 heart that beat fastest. Arrived in the Long Walk, 

 what should they see but two poachers with bows 

 and arrows, shooting the pheasants in their sleep. 

 The keeper's first idea was to send the young master 

 back to bed ; but he was not to be denied this grand 

 adventure : and with a yell and a bound he was 

 among the poachers before the keeper could say 

 Jack Robinson. It was a desperate affair, not only 

 for the poachers, but more particularly for the game- 

 keeper ; but he still lives to tell the tale, with ever 

 more wonderful variations. 



