ay
guess. For I was mate of a ship so called once on a time and had some of
my best voyages in her."

The friendship tightened after that Christmas and it weren't till many a
long month later and the fall of another year that anything happened to
strain it.

They had all got to be so friendly as you please and then in the 'Barley
Sheaf' one day, Joseph Ford heard Ned Chown laughing with a customer or
two, and, afore they knew it, he picked up a word. He didn't let 'em guess
he'd heard, however, but ordered his beer and spoke of something else,
which they was very willing to do; for Joseph happened to be a mighty
smart officer, and secret subjects sometimes got mentioned that weren't
meant for his ear.

It happened that poaching was in the air a good bit just then, for the big
Oakshott covers ran half a mile from Little Silver and there had been a
lot more trouble than usual that winter and the old head-keeper dismissed
and a younger and sterner man engaged from up North. But the robbery went
on and there's no doubt a lot of pheasants slipped away to an unknown
market. Joseph Ford was so keen as the game-keepers to lay the rogues by
the heels, for the police had heard a few hard words from the Lord of the
Manor on the subject; but the general opinion ran that some clever rascals
from far ways off in the South Hams were responsible; while the new keeper
from Yorkshire, who had a large experience of poachers' tricks, said most
steadfast that in his judgment it was local men with the advantages of
being on the spot. They raked the poulterers in three market towns round
about, but all gave a very good and straight account of their birds; and
the mystery interested us a lot, for, of course, Little Silver had its
doubtful customers like every other place.

And what Joseph Ford had heard, with a smothered laugh or two, was the
name of his fast friend, Teddy Pegram, along with the disappearance of the
Oakshott game. He gave no sign, but it hit him with a good bit of force,
because he'd marked one or two things himself that made him restless, and
he knew Teddy didn't pretend any great sorrow to think the pheasants were
being stole. The man loved sport, and farmers round about let him shoot
their rabbits and partridges also; but he knew very well pheasants were
different, though he always argued against all game laws. So Joseph
counted to give Teddy a word in season on the quiet, and he done so.

"I heard your name whispered