The Holly chieftain., 1914-03-27
D.tLET(HEP ROBINSON


There was still no reply.
81 understand the foxes are very
troublesome"
Warner threw down his spade and
strobe up to where We stood. His
eyes had In them the dumb agony OF
wild thing In trap.
81 am married man. SIR" he said.
For my wife's sake take me away
quietly"
II haye not come to arrest you.
Jake Warner said Peace. III you
are responsible for your masters
death. It was by sheer accident. But
the question Is. are you responsible"
No, sir. am not But can never
prove IT,"
Perhaps 1t would be best If you ex-
planned"
We remained where we we're, with
the fence between us. while he told
his story.
''It was on Monday afternoon. sir"
said Jake Warner, addressing Ad.
dington Peace Of the Criminal Investl.
cation Department Of Scotland Yard.
Il was crossing the public path that
runs near the other end OF the lake.
when | fell In with a middle-aged,
spectacled gentleman. who was stroll
Ing along with a tin collecting. case
on his back. such as botanists use.
we fell to talking, and one thing led
TO another, until, when | turned OF
down to the lake to see after my
ducks, he came with me. He never
meant no harm as know Of. but
would give all have never to have
seen him."
What was he iike?" asked the in.
spector.
"A short fellow, with a brown full
beard and slight stutter. Very
pleasant he was to talk to; but this ID
outside the point. sir, as you will see.
we walked down the causeway, and
Just before the pavilion what should
we come across but three dead birds.
all with their heads bitten clean on
It made me wild, for the foxes have
been plagutng me cruel this spring
SIT William never would have one
shot, though he had given up hunting
many years. AS for the young mas
ter, couldn't say as to his views
Tor | had never set eyes upon him.
The stranger. he sympathized very
Kindly with me. and | told him my
troubles How they can expect q
Keeper to rear decent lot OF wild
duck with a plague OF foxes In his
midst, I'm dashed II I know | said
lie allowed that fox who would XIII
ducks like that was as bad as a man.
eating tiger. She's cunning old
vixen as wont let me get within shot
OF her. | told him. but I've half a
MIND to set spring gun for her on
the causeway here
Bless my soul, how that fellow
laughed. He threw back his head and
crowed with Joy at my idea. "A spring
gun for fox he says; why. keeper.
It's the very thing! Think OF the sim
piicity of It and the certainty of it
and the security Of it. Those we're
his words. After that he sobered
down and began talking more serious.
Did | really understand how TO set a
spring gun? | told him no, and then
he explained how he had friend
from India who had often used them
to XIII 1ackais. Whether | did right
or wrong, the fact is that | agreed
to set the gun when he sent me the
Instructions
We'll. sir, his letter arrived yes
terday morning with careful little
plans and all. | loaded my gun with
buckshot and carried 1t down to the
causeway shortly after dusk. had
lost several more ducks each day. and
my mind was made up to have that
old vixen. fixed the gun, with a
thread OF strong cotton across the
path and round the trigger. You NAV
think took wicked risk, bur had
hardly ever known any one to mass
along the causeway in the DAYTIME
far less nt night. Yet, for safetys
sake. meant to take 1t up again at
dawn.
81 walked home and sat smoking
my pipe for while But | was wor.
ried and disturbed. couldn't got II
from my mind that there was danger
In that spring gun left to itself as II
were. Even II bagged the old vixen
some one might hear the shot and
find the body. A dead fox womb
make me marked man amongst all
the hunting people about. I didn't
like that thought neither. At last /
couldn't stand It no longer, and 40,
off back to the causeway. | was mora
than halfway when heard the shot
and that set me running When I saw