El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-12
THE POACHER
BY o. W. H.

6sDoNTi go. Joe; don't go: 49,.
The words, spoken as they
- were in a sick woman's weak
voice. appealed with almost irresistible
force to the man to whom they were
addressed.
For a moment Joe Collins hesitated
one hand on the latch and his race
turned towards the speaker
Don't go, Joe; for my sake. DON
goi'
ct shall" he answered doggedly.
'As there is a God in heaven 1t Is no
crime Heaven knows 1 have looked
for work begged for it till 1 am sick.
and 1 cannot stand it no longer What
right has the squire to everything ana
/ with nothing? Am not l as good
man as he? Are not you as much TO
me as his fine lady is to him? Are not
our kids flesh and blood the same as
his brats? Why should we starve here
like dogs when there is enough out
there for us all and to spare.
He waved his hand towards the great
stretch of moreland and plantation
known as the Crofter estate.
Il don't want no pheasants," he con-
tinued; "a couple of rabbits will do me,
and 1 mean to have them You are III
and the kids are hungry, and II am
desperate, and mean to do somethlnS
or shall go mad 1 went up and saw
the vicar this afternoon, and what dld
he tell me. That / was to be content
ed in the station Of life to which il pad
pleased the Almighty to call me- L
wonder how long he would be content
ed on an empty belly? Seems to me
these parsons forget there is bit OF
scripture which says feed the hungry
what about that, eh?"
He gave grim, mirthless laugh, and
before another protest could be utter
| ed had passed out into the blackr esS
of the night.
Bans, bangl bang,
Through the silence of the n1gn'
broke the report Of a gun fired three
times in quick succession Then silence,
dead silence. 1t was a glorious night.
clear and frosty, with a sky Of blush
silver. and a great full moon that flood
| ed the countryside with its beams.
| Down in squire Crofter's plantation II
was still as the grave.
Slowly the bushes parted and the
white, strained face of Joe Collins look
ed out across the little clearing.
He had attained his object. Two fat
| bunnies were buttoned securely beneath
his coat, and his one anxiety now was
to return unnoticed. He listened in
tentiy. Not a sound fell on his ear.
Away in the distance light twin
killed.. the light of his own cottage.
Coming, Polly lass" he whispered
and stepped out into the opening AS
he did so there was a shill whistle,
shout. and dark figures breaking from
! hedge and ditch rushed towards him.
Joe gave a frantic look around. On
! every hand he was surrounded big
gamekeeper seized him. Got you
my"
He never finished the sentence. fol-
Joe's. fist stopped the flow Of words.
Then, like a stag shaking off the
hounds. he broke away and ran Away
| over ditch and fence, through tracts
Of mud. across heather covered moor
land. and down in wooded hollows.
Suddenly he stopped. cry OF exul-
| tation broke from the men behind. II
acted on the hunted man as nothing
| else would have done
He turned sharply round and faced
| them. Bang
His rifle spoke. and the big game
| keeper flung up his arms and tottereo
| forward on his face
Bang BangI Bang
Three answering shots, and Joe reel.
| ed clutched wildly at the air, AND tel
| senseless to the earth.
And away on the moorsic9 slrR