revious day.
Holdfast was about to bark, when Edward silenced him, and then advanced
to where the verderer was lying; and who having no dog with him to give
notice of Edward's approach, still remained snoring with the sun shining
on his face. Edward perceived that his gun was under him on the grass;
he took it up, gently opened the pan and scattered the powder, and then
laid it down again; for Edward said to himself, "That man has come out
after me, that I am certain; and as there are no witnesses, he may be
inclined to be mischievous, for a more wretched-looking person I never
saw. Had he been deer-hunting, he would have brought his dog; but he is
man-hunting, that is evident. Now I will leave him, and should he fall
in with anything, he will not kill at first shot, that's certain; and if
he follows me, I shall have the same chance of escape as anything else
he may fire at." Edward then walked out of the covert, thinking that if
ever there was a face which proclaimed a man to be a murderer it was
that of James Corbould. As he was threading his way, he heard the howl
of a dog, and on looking round, perceived that Holdfast was not with
him. He turned back, and Holdfast came running to him. The fact was,
that Holdfast had smelt some meat in the pocket of the verderer, and had
been putting his nose in to ascertain what it was: in so doing he had
wakened up Corbould, who had saluted him with a heavy blow on the head:
this occasioned the puppy to give the howl, and also occasioned Corbould
to seize his gun, and follow stealthily in the track of the dog, which
he well knew to be the one he had seen the day before with Edward.

Edward waited for a short time, and not perceiving that Corbould made
his appearance, continued on his way home, having now given up all
thoughts of killing any venison. He walked fast, and was within six
miles of the cottage, when he stopped to drink at a small rill of water,
and then sat down to rest himself for a short time. While so doing, he
fell into one of his usual reveries, and forgot how time passed away.
He was, however, aroused by a low growl on the part of Holdfast, and it
immediately occurred to him that Corbould must have followed him.
Thinking it as well to be prepared, he quietly loaded his gun, and then
rose up to reconnoitre. Holdfast sprang forward, and Edward looking in
the direction, perceived Corbould partly hidden behind a tree, with his
gun levelled at him. He heard th