ould go. This is the only way to treat
temptation in whatever form it appears. Fly from it as you would from
the slippery edge of a precipice.

Instead of acting thus, I sat down on the heather by his side, and,
looking foolish and humbled, I began plucking off the crisp flowers and
leaves, and throwing them to the winds. He asked me if I knew where the
gun was locked up. When I told him that it was not locked up at all,
but merely placed on the mantelpiece in my father's dressing-room, he
laughed at me for fool because I had not before re-possessed myself of
it. Fool I was, in truth; but it was to yield to the bad advice my
false and false-hearted friend tendered. I own that I at first was
rather shocked at what he said; but still I sat and listened, and made
only weak objections, so that he very speedily overcame all my scruples;
and I undertook to get back my gun at all cost, and to join him on the
following morning on a shooting expedition on the property of a
nobleman, some part of which was seen from the hill where we had posted
ourselves.

Doolan could make himself very entertaining by narrating a variety of
wild adventures in which he or his companions had been engaged, or, I
may say, in some of which he pretended to have been engaged; for I since
have had reason to believe that he drew considerably more on his
imagination than on truth for the subjects of his tales, for the purpose
of raising himself in my estimation, thereby hoping to gain a greater
influence over me.

I have often since met such characters, who are very boastful and bold
in the company of lads younger than themselves, or of persons whom they
think will believe them, but cautious and silent in the presence of
those whom they have sufficient discernment to perceive at once take
them at their true value. Observe one of those fellows the instant an
educated gentleman appears in the circle of which he is the
attraction,--how his eye will quail and his voice sink, and he will
endeavour to sneak away before his true character is exposed. I need
scarcely advise my readers not to be misled by such pretenders.

The property on which we had resolved to poach was owned by Lord
Fetherston. We knew that he maintained but few keepers, and that those
were not very vigilant. He also, we believed, was away from the
country, so that we had no fears of being detected.

I said that my father had few enemies. For some reason or other,
however, Lor