Part 13 (1/2)

A little farther on, the road ran across a field, and when he was near the h it looked like aon, as if he had seen nothing, until he was close to the gorse, he left the track and walked swiftly but softly across the grass When he reached the bush ato his feet He was tall and roughly dressed, and looked like a shepherd or farm-hand

”Weel,” he said with a truculent air, ”what is it ye ith me?”

The question so, thin net in the grass

”I was curious to see what you were doing Then Ithere?”

”To stay the night I was directed to a change-house where they'd take er, and ye'll tak' the road again the morn?”

Foster said he meant to do so and the other pondered

”Weel, there's a soft flohere ye et mired if ye left the road, which is no' that plain, and I could set ye on the way, but there's a bit job I'll hae to finish first” He paused and added with a grin as he indicated the net: ”Maybe ye hae a notion what it is”

”I ies, but that's notor two richer if you show me the way”

”Then the sooner I'h I doot we hae fleyt the paltrig Bide ye by the whinns, and when ye see me at the dyke come forrad with the net If I lift my airm, ye'll stop”

He went off with the end of the net, and Foster waited, half a nothing about the poaching byhim an accomplice, but this did not matter uide By the way the net unwound and slipped across the grass he thought there was another man at work, but he carried his part forward as he had been told and then dropped it and sat down a towards each other and he got up presently when one signaled When he joined theh the net

”Hae!” said a man who opened the meshes, and added when Foster picked up two limp birds: ”We've no' done so bad”

Then Foster re the road

”How ?” he asked

”There's twa o' us her I' that's a' ye need ken”

”It's what I etically ”Still I passed another fellow hiding, a short distance back”

The an to roll up the net Foster had now four partridges, which they seeether so as to hold them conveniently when he heard a rattle of stones Then a dark figure leaped down from the wall and soe o' nuht, and for a ht the man would shoot, and it would be aard if he was arrested with the partridges in his hand Springing suddenly forward, he struck, from beloards, with his stick There was a flash and a report, but he felt hiaun drop, and then turned and, keeping in the shadow of the wall, ran across the field

When he was near the opposite end, he saw anotherthe top of the dyke swung hi withered fern and ran back behind the wall towards the spot where he had left his first antagonist, until he struck a sh which water flowed This see-place, but Foster knew better, although he followed it for a short distance One can often hide best in the open and it was prudent to avoid the obvious line of search Creeping out of the hollow, he made for a clump of rushes and felt satisfied when he lay down behind it His waterproof and cap were gray, and his pursuers would have to search all the field before they found him, unless they were lucky

After a few ed into the hollow, the other sat on top of the wall This seemed to be the fellow he had struck, and Foster was relieved to see he was not badly hurt

Theposition, because Foster's chance of reht above the ground He knew fro that a very sht he must avoid is nearly horizontal, but the fellow on the wall could see over the rushes In consequence, immobility was his only resource, and he very cautiously turned his head enough to enable hiamekeeper who had entered the hollow presently caan to walk retted his rashness in helping with the net The poachers had vanished, but the others seeaood, and although he ed his place when the fellow in the field was farthest away, he feared that a movement would betray him to the other on the wall

In the h his ot nurass for fear they should show in the ht, and buried his face in the rushes, which prickled his skin He could, with soh the clump and anxiously watched the felloho came steadily nearer Now and then he turned aside to examine a whinn bush, and Foster saw that he had acted wisely when he dropped behind the rushes Had he chosen a proht

At length, the searcher crossed the field on a line that would bring him close to where Foster lay, and the latter let his face sink lower and tried to check his breathing He durst not look about, but heard the rass, until the fellow suddenly stopped Foster thought he had seen him, but did not ht a jack-rabbit by carefully -place, but had not seen it afterwards until he nearly trod upon the crouching ani to remember that his pursuers had not watched hiht, Jock?” the keeper near him called, and Foster was conscious of keen relief

”Naething ava,” answered the other ”If he went doon the burn, he's no' come oot”