f
that heel has been broken off.

"Now, which of these men has got such a boot on? Whichever has, he
is the man."

There was a sudden movement among the accused.

"It's of no use," one of them said, when the policeman approached
to examine their boots. "I'm the man, I'll admit it. I can't get
over the boot," and he held up his right foot.

"That is the boot, sir," the constable exclaimed. "I can swear that
it will fit the impression, exactly."

"Very well," the magistrate said. "Constable, take that man to the
lockup; and bring him before the bench, tomorrow, for final
committal for trial. There is no evidence against the other four.
They can go."

With surly, threatening faces the men left the room; while the
constable placed handcuffs on the prisoner.

"Constable," Mr. Bailey said, "you had better not put this man in
the village lockup. The place is of no great strength, and his
comrades would as likely as not get him out, tonight. Put him in my
dog cart. My groom shall drive you over to Hunston."

Captain Ripon returned with his groom to Netherwood, and set all
the children searching the gorse, copses, and hedges near the
common, by the promise of ten shillings reward, if they found the
missing fowls. Half an hour later, the gypsies struck their tents,
loaded the van, and went off.

Late that afternoon, the ten missing fowls were discovered in a
small copse by the wayside, half a mile from the common, on the
road to Captain Ripon's park.

"I cannot bring your fowls back to life, Emma," that gentleman
said, when he returned home, "but I have got the thief. It was one
of the gypsies on Netherwood Common. We found two of the fowls in
their pot. No doubt they thought that they would have plenty of
time to get their dinner before anyone came, even if suspicion fell
on them; and they have hidden the rest away somewhere, but I expect
that we shall find them.

"They had burnt all the feathers, as they thought; but I found a
breast feather of a Spangled Dorking, and that was enough for me to
give them in custody. Then, when it came to the question of boots,
the thief found it no good to deny it, any longer."

That evening, Captain Ripen was told that a woman wished to speak
to him and, on going out into the hall, he saw a gypsy of some
thirty years of age.

"I have come, sir, to beg you not to appear against my husband."

"But, my good woman, I see no reason why I should not do so. If he
had only stolen a