in the public-house a few nights agone," he
said, "and I didn't like it too well, Pegram, because they named it along
with this here poaching. They little thought I'd heard, of course, and I
didn't undeceive 'em, but--there 'tis--and I'd avoid the appearance of
evil if I was you and bide in on moony nights, which we know very well you
do not."

The other showed much surprise to hear such a thing. He was playing along
with Joey and the little dog at the time, and teaching the puppy to learn
tricks. The creature was full of brains, as mongrels are apt to be, and
Joey loved it dearly, and loved the giver only less. He'd called it
'Choc,' because the puppy loved chocolates so well as Joey himself, and
the dog had grown to be his dearest treasure.

Well, Teddy gave over his games now and stood up and showed a great deal
of annoyance. His bead-black eyes flashed and his jaw stood out, as it
always did when he was vexed.

"Too bad!" he said, "and if I knew who the man was, I'd have him up for
libel I reckon. I may or may not agree about the damn birds, but I
wouldn't have made a policeman my fast friend in this place if I weren't a
straight man, and I'm a good bit surprised, Joseph, that you thought it
worth your while to name such a thing to me. And I'll go out of a moony
night when and where I please so long as it's a free country. So now
then!"

He sulked a bit and didn't come to see the Fords for a week, though Joey
was over often enough to see him, and Joseph felt rather interested to
mark how the little man had taken it. But then 'Santa Claus' made friends
again and came into Sunday supper and brought a pheasant along with him!

He made a lot of fun about it and pretended as he'd shot it in the coverts
over night; and presently he told Joseph that, if he wanted to run him in,
he'd best to go to Mercer's at Newton Abbot first and find out if he'd
bought it all decent and in order, or if he had not. So the matter
dropped, and all was firm friends again till the blow fell.

Poaching went on, and Joseph noted that Teddy was apt to be from home a
bit and would often go away for a day or two. And the new head-keeper, who
was sleepless on the job, traced where a car had come across one of the
drives in Oakshott's by night, for the wheels had scored the grass; and
where the thing had stood was a dead bird the blackguards had overlooked.

The pheasant had been shot roosting and an air-gun was the weapon, for
they found the