CHARLES WATERTON5 ESQ. XXV 
nature. Birds, in particular, used to frequent the 
spacious enclosure, both to obtain food and to enjoy 
security. Many a time have I hunted there the 
foumart and the squirrel. 1 once took a cut through 
it to a neighbouring wood, where I knew of a carrion 
crow's nest. The prefect missed me ; and, judging 
that I had gone into the labyrinth, he gave chase 
without loss of time. After eluding him in cover for 
nearly half an hour^ being hard pressed, I took away 
down a hedgerow. Here (as I learned afterwards), 
he got a distant sight of me ; but it was not suffi- 
ciently distinct for him to know to a certainty that 
I. was the fugitive. I luckily succeeded in reaching 
the out-buildings which abutted on the college, and 
lay at a considerable distance from the place where I 
had first started. I had just time to enter the postern 
gate of a pigsty, where most opportunely I found 
old Joe Bowren, the brewer, bringing straw into the 
sty. He was more attached to me than to any other 
boy, for I had known him when I was at school in 
the north, and had made him a present of a very fine 
terrier. " I We just saved myself, Joe," said I ; 
" cover me up with litter." He had barely complied 
with my request, when in bounced the prefect, by 
the same gate through which I had entered. " Have 
you seen Charles Waterton ?" said he, quite out of 
breath. My trusty guardian answered, in a tone of 
voice which would have deceived any body, " Sir, 
I have not spoken a word to Charles Waterton these 
three days, to the best of my knowledge." Upon 
this, the prefect, having lost all scent of me, gave up 
the pursuit, and went his way. When he had dis- 
