The Persecution of Bob Pretty Read online

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  "Any help I can give you shall be given cheerful," he ses to the keeper.

  "When I want your help I'll ask you for it," ses Mr. Cutts.

  "Thankee," ses Bob Pretty. "I on'y 'ope I sha'n't get my face knockedabout like yours 'as been, that's all; 'cos my wife's so partikler."

  "Wot d'ye mean?" ses Mr. Cutts, turning on him. "My face ain't beenknocked about."

  "Oh, I beg your pardin," ses Bob; "I didn't know it was natural."

  Mr. Cutts went black in the face a'most and stared at Bob Pretty as if 'ewas going to eat 'im, and Bob stared back, looking fust at the keeper'snose and then at 'is eyes and mouth, and then at 'is nose agin.

  "You'll know me agin, I s'pose?" ses Mr. Cutts, at last.

  "Yes," ses Bob, smiling; "I should know you a mile off--on the darkestnight."

  "We shall see," ses Mr. Cutts, taking up 'is beer and turning 'is back onhim. "Those of us as live the longest'll see the most."

  "I'm glad I've lived long enough to see 'im," ses Bob to Bill Chambers."I feel more satisfied with myself now."

  Bill Chambers coughed, and Mr. Cutts, arter finishing 'is beer, tookanother look at Bob Pretty, and went off boiling a'most.

  The trouble he took to catch Bob Pretty arter that you wouldn't believe,and all the time the game seemed to be simply melting away, and SquireRockett was finding fault with 'im all day long. He was worn to ashadder a'most with watching, and Bob Pretty seemed to be more prosperousthan ever.

  Sometimes Mr. Cutts watched in the plantations, and sometimes 'e hid'imself near Bob's house, and at last one night, when 'e was crouchingbehind the fence of Frederick Scott's front garden, 'e saw Bob Prettycome out of 'is house and, arter a careful look round, walk up the road.He held 'is breath as Bob passed 'im, and was just getting up to foller'im when Bob stopped and walked slowly back agin, sniffing.

  "Wot a delicious smell o' roses!" he ses, out loud.

  He stood in the middle o' the road nearly opposite where the keeper washiding, and sniffed so that you could ha' 'eard him the other end o' thevillage.

  "It can't be roses," he ses, in a puzzled voice, "be-cos there ain't noroses hereabouts, and, besides, it's late for 'em. It must be Mr. Cutts,the clever new keeper."

  He put his 'ead over the fence and bid 'im good evening, and said wot afine night for a stroll it was, and asked 'im whether 'e was waiting forFrederick Scott's aunt. Mr. Cutts didn't answer 'im a word; 'e waspretty near bursting with passion. He got up and shook 'is fist in BobPretty's face, and then 'e went off stamping down the road as if 'e wasgoing mad.

  And for a time Bob Pretty seemed to 'ave all the luck on 'is side.Keeper Lewis got rheumatic fever, which 'e put down to sitting aboutnight arter night in damp places watching for Bob, and, while 'e was inthe thick of it, with the doctor going every day, Mr. Cutts fell ingetting over a fence and broke 'is leg. Then all the work fell on KeeperSmith, and to 'ear 'im talk you'd think that rheumatic fever and brokenlegs was better than anything else in the world. He asked the squire for'elp, but the squire wouldn't give it to 'im, and he kept telling 'im wota feather in 'is cap it would be if 'e did wot the other two couldn't do,and caught Bob Pretty. It was all very well, but, as Smith said, wot 'ewanted was feathers in 'is piller, instead of 'aving to snatch a bit o'sleep in 'is chair or sitting down with his 'ead agin a tree. When Itell you that 'e fell asleep in this public-'ouse one night while thelandlord was drawing a pint o' beer he 'ad ordered, you'll know wot 'esuffered.

  O' course, all this suited Bob Pretty as well as could be, and 'e wasthat good-tempered 'e'd got a nice word for everybody, and when BillChambers told 'im 'e was foolhardy 'e only laughed and said 'e knew wot'e was about.

  But the very next night 'e had reason to remember Bill Chambers's words.He was walking along Farmer Hall's field--the one next to the squire'splantation--and, so far from being nervous, 'e was actually a-whistling.He'd got a sack over 'is shoulder, loaded as full as it could be, and 'e'ad just stopped to light 'is pipe when three men burst out o' theplantation and ran toward 'im as 'ard as they could run.

  "Three men burst out o' the plantation."]

  Bob Pretty just gave one look and then 'e dropped 'is pipe and set offlike a hare. It was no good dropping the sack, because Smith, thekeeper, 'ad recognised 'im and called 'im by name, so 'e just put 'isteeth together and did the best he could, and there's no doubt that if it'adn't ha' been for the sack 'e could 'ave got clear away.

  As it was, 'e ran for pretty near a mile, and they could 'ear 'imbreathing like a pair o' bellows; but at last 'e saw that the game wasup. He just man-aged to struggle as far as Farmer Pinnock's pond, andthen, waving the sack round his 'ead, 'e flung it into the middle of it,and fell down gasping for breath.

  "Got--you--this time--Bob Pretty," ses one o' the men, as they came up.

  "Wot--Mr. Cutts?" ses Bob, with a start. "That's me, my man," ses thekeeper.

  "Why--I thought--you was. Is that Mr. Lewis? It can't be."

  "That's me," ses Keeper Lewis. "We both got well sudden-like, BobPretty, when we 'eard you was out. You ain't so sharp as you thought youwas."

  Bob Pretty sat still, getting 'is breath back and doing a bit o' thinkingat the same time.

  "You give me a start," he ses, at last. "I thought you was both in bed,and, knowing 'ow hard worked Mr. Smith 'as been, I just came round to'elp 'im keep watch like. I promised to 'elp you, Mr. Cutts, if youremember."

  "Wot was that you threw in the pond just now?" ses Mr. Cutts.

  "A sack," ses Bob Pretty; "a sack I found in Farmer Hall's field. Itfelt to me as though it might 'ave birds in it, so I picked it up, and Iwas just on my way to your 'ouse with it, Mr. Cutts, when you startedarter me."

  "Ah!" ses the keeper, "and wot did you run for?"

  Bob Pretty tried to laugh. "Becos I thought it was the poachers arterme," he ses. "It seems ridikilous, don't it?"

  "Yes, it does," ses Lewis.

  "I thought you'd know me a mile off," ses Mr. Cutts. "I should ha'thought the smell o' roses would ha' told you I was near."

  Bob Pretty scratched 'is 'ead and looked at 'im out of the corner of 'iseye, but he 'adn't got any answer. Then 'e sat biting his finger-nailsand thinking while the keepers stood argyfying as to who should take 'isclothes off and go into the pond arter the pheasants. It was a very coldnight and the pond was pretty deep in places, and none of 'em seemedanxious.

  "Make 'im go in for it," ses Lewis, looking at Bob; "'e chucked it in."

  "On'y Becos I thought you was poachers," ses Bob. "I'm sorry to 'avecaused so much trouble."

  "Well, you go in and get it out," ses Lewis, who pretty well guessedwho'd 'ave to do it if Bob didn't. "It'll look better for you, too."

  "I've got my defence all right," ses Bob Pretty. "I ain't set a foot onthe squire's preserves, and I found this sack a 'undred yards away fromit."

  "Don't waste more time," ses Mr. Cutts to Lewis.

  "Off with your clothes and in with you. Anybody'd think you was afraidof a little cold water."

  "Whereabouts did 'e pitch it in?" ses Lewis.

  Bob Pretty pointed with 'is finger exactly where 'e thought it was, butthey wouldn't listen to 'im, and then Lewis, arter twice saying wot a badcold he'd got, took 'is coat off very slow and careful.

  "Bob Pretty pointed with 'is finger exactly where 'ethought it was."]

  "I wouldn't mind going in to oblige you," ses Bob Pretty, "but the pondis so full o' them cold, slimy efts; I don't fancy them crawling up aginme, and, besides that, there's such a lot o' deep holes in it. Andwotever you do don't put your 'ead under; you know 'ow foul that wateris."

  Keeper Lewis pretended not to listen to 'im. He took off 'is clothesvery slowly and then 'e put one foot in and stood shivering, althoughSmith, who felt the