Year: 1877

a cry that sounded like "Hclpr' come
out of the wood. There was only hedge
between it and the field, and scrambled
through gap, and ran to where the sound
had come from, and there was Jenkins
and a young girl I had seen once before.
He'd got his arm around her, and was
holding her, while she was fg ghting hard
to get away. Just as I come up she gave
another cry, and I didn't stop to say any
thing to him, but just knocked him down,
when he lay quite still on the ground, pre-
tending to be stunned.


"Thank you," she says, quietly, but
trembling little. II am very much
obliged to you;" and she gives me her
hand, smiles, says "Good evening"" and
goes quickly away.


AS soon as she was gone he picked him.
self up, looking as black rs thunder, and
says lie:


"Jcm Smith, 1 know you, and 1
shan't forget you. And shan't forget
this"


And he touches his forehead where I'd
hit him.


II hope you won't, and that it'll be a
lesson to you," says


And then, knowing as I was tres
passing, thought it best to be off home


After that never met him but that he
glowcred at me, as much as to say, "Wait
a bit"


The name of the girl was Mary Dennis,
and she was house-maid at the rectory. I
often used to meet her by accident; and,
as she was always willing to stop and
speak, got into the way of going out on
purpose to meet her every evening. She
was bright-looking girl, with soft, dark
eyes, and soft dark hair; and she had a
great deal more sense than any other girl
lever saw. Well, one day she told me
that the keeper chap had been following
her again, and that he wanted to marry
her, and, when she refused him, had been
rude, and threatened to make her re-
pent it.


"Mary," says I, "I'll telryou what would
be the best thing to do. Be Mrs.
Smith,"


And before she went home we'd settled
it. She was to be my wife I'M a month
from that, and to come and live at the
cottage with me and mother I saw her
back as far as the rectory gate, and when
she had gone in turned round, and there
was jenkins looking over the stile on the
other side of the road. It wasn't too dark
to see who it was, nor yet to sec that he
shook his fist at me. '


We were married at the time we fixed;
and, as we rarely saw Jenkins, we had
almost forgotten him before many months
were gone. We were very happy for a
a whole year, and then a little bit of a
baby came, that mother used to make a
tremendous fuss over. But after that
things began to grow wrong. Ihad three
to work for, instead Of one, and vet I
couldn't get near so much work as I used
to. People who used to have me regular
to do their gardens took to having diff
ferent man when they could get him, and
only put up with me when they couldn't.
l tried to get other work but no one
would take me-. became sure at last of
one thing-that was, that it was Jenkins
doing. He had told different people that
l was one of the poachers who had been
making good bags of the squire's game
of a night.


And so it came about that one day,
when it was broiling hot, was going
home at about twelve o'clock to get some
dinner, through the very field where l
had heard Mary call out for help. Ihad
been thinking about what heard of pco-
pie going out to America or Australia
where they say it is as easy as possible to
get living, and was wondering whether
we could get out there, when l began to
feel giddy, the sun was so strong. had
some distance to walk yet, and so looked
round for some shady place, where could
sit down for a few minutes. On one side
of me was the field, glaringly bright,
with scarcely foot of shadow; On the
other side was the wood, and it looked SO
cool and shady under the trees that l
wouldn't think about not having any
business there, but just goes and gets
through, and sits down there. 1 went
bang Oft to sleep in about minute, and
got dreaming all kinds Of things


Twas wandering through forest, like
the squlrc's preserves grown much bigger
with gun in my hand, bent on killing
something to take home to the wife and
little one, because I thought they were
starving. But though all kinds Of strange
animals ran past me, I could not raise
my gun to take aim. Something seemed
always to keep me from firing.


At last I came to where, from the
branch of tree, hung fine kind of
short-h0rned deer or roebuck.
i "Some one has bsen here and shot it."
l says to myself, land they've hung it
there, meaning to come back and fetch it
in q day or two. Well: whoever it be-
longs to, I'll have it and take it home,
sooner than they shall want food any
longer


The next minute some one says, "Why
it's Jem Smith,


I jumps up with q start, and there was
two Of the gamekeepers standing looking
at mc-Jenkins and another, one as I
didn't know: the name of.


80 it's you, is it, 6mith2" said jenkins,
with sort Of sneer-'.it's you as sets
wires for tlf1 1bhares?"


=: 'No, it isn't" says I; 'being here
doesn't make me poacher."


"Whats this. then9n says the other, and
ne picks up hare from just where I'd
j E.''tYonre caught this. time, my friend"