The morning call., 1890-08-31
Grand Opening OF New Fall All Departments This Week.

! have given up the chase, there was nothing for
me to do but to toddle along after them az
though l liked it.
We We're now in the middle Of the woods
and undecided which way to proceed, teing
ignorant of the exact location of tie njgbf
marauders, when tie crashing of bouehs
some distance al cad of us determined cur
course.
We crept slowly al d silently along when
we heard the footsteps vi Cneb My coming
toward us, and the next lns, an two dim
forms appeared through the trees directly
In front of us.
In turning round to tell me to stop Harry,
who was little ahead of me. stl SEX lis
head against projecting bough with sufh-
cient violence to throw him heavily to the
ground. He had barely regained his feet
when two men rushed out from the dark
ness and Immediately attacked US. F0rtu-
nately for US they were armed only with
clubs, like ourselves. having probably thrown
away their guns on hearing us.
Now | am timid man and peaceabls
one, and would go good deal out of my
way to avoid anything like fight, yet here
| was, respectable London lawyer Of some
reputation, having the liveliess rough-and
tumble set-tO with desperate poacher of
twice my size and strength. 1t Is surprising
what unsupported strength is infused into
one when he knows he is fighting for dear
life, and what concentration of purpose it
can impart. All through that terrible strug-
gle had no other thought than that of over
coming my antagonist, never uttering a cry
OF thinking of saving myself by flight; in
fact, but for the sound of the heavy blows
that were exchanged on both sides, no words
escaped us.
Harry, who had three times my strength,
was also busily engaged his opponent
seemed to be somewhat bigger and stronger
than mine, but they v ere both evidently de-
termined to prevent capture and fight to the
last. / remember bringing my club down
with crushing force on the head of my antag-
onist, which he acknowledged with but
grunt and came at me with renewed vigoT.
l was already exhausted, and felt that
the struggle, as far as l was concerned.
would soon come to an end. Harry, with
well-directed blow broke the arm of his OPP
pOnent, who with an oath dropped his club
and took 10 his heels with all possible speed;
turning to help me in making sure OF my
man he was dealt wicked blow between the
eyes by the willy fellow who had tented 10
hit me and thus caught him unprepaIed
Harry dropped as though he had been slot.
and the poacher darted of quickly aud soon
disappeared in the darkness.
With much difficulty l brought Harry
round, and pursuit being out of the question.
lame, bruised and with scarcely reg on our
backs. we staggered back to the house. Alter
drinking a glass of wine and washing ls
blood from our wounds, we felt somewhat
better, and Harry, who was in a towering
rage at what he called 1.-The negligence OF
these two worthless fellows" the game
keepers. ordered the butler to send them up
to him Immediately. "Pll discharge thasa
two fellows tonight, he said fiercely, if they
can't protect the place better than this, III
get somebody who cam" Alter protracted
delay there was shuftiing Of feet outside the
door, and the next minute the TWO game
keepers stumbled into the room; bat
what sight thsy presented, one OF them
had his head tied up in bandages and both
eyes completely closed, while the other car
ried his arm in hastily constructed sling,
and his face swollen and bruised almost
beyond recognition, while their clothing
was in rather worse condition than ours.
.'If you please, SIR" began one of the men.
"We've 'ad an hOrful ~et-to with the pc acb-
ers, there must heve been 'alf dozen II
there was one, wasn't there, Willis" turn
ing to his partner in distress. Willis sol
emily curroborated this statement with
mournful nod, and then said huskily, "Ait
big 'uns, too" Before they could proceed,
Harry and myself, Notwithstanding our pit
iful and painful condition and the anguish
it cost us even to move, burst out into an
uncomfortable fit of laughter, nor could we
we stop until we had both fallen exhausted
back into our chairs, for the ridiculous truth
flashed simultaneously on us that instead
of meeting the poachers (who had probably
heard us coming and escaped) we had fallen
foul Of each other with the above stated
results.
Harry gave the poor fellows some wine
and slipped 60 into their hands and request
ing them to say nothing Of the affair pade
them goodnight.
The story was too good, however, to te
kept quiet, and somehow or other the truth
came out, and it was long time beiOre q
heard the last Of our affray with poachers.