cover. The keeper, followed by his men, hurried onwards. A fainter shot was heard, as if from the direction of the high road.

Never mind that,' said he to his men; that's only a decoy to delude us off from the main scent: that report was only a pistol. Deep hands these!-come along!'

In the mean time, Tom Creton and his companion had met, as agreed, at the top of the Riddings, which was situated at no inconsiderable distance from the keeper's cottage. Tom heard the report of the guns; and marking the whereabout of the sound with that attentive ear for which he was noted, said,

A precious lot yonder, after the same purpose as ourselves; they're in the direction of the Old Deer Park. Sure enough Max is from home: come along; but be cautious.'

Bill nodded assent, and followed him as a lurcher-dog follows his master. They passed the cottage, where all was quiet. Fast asleep, I warrant,' whispered Creton, advancing along the side of the cover; and, after putting down half-a-dozen snares in the runs, they got into the very heart of the preserve. The pheasants, perched in the trees, could be distinctly seen, especially by Tom Creton; and, anxious to obtain as many as possible with the least expenditure of powder and shot, he contrived so to place himself, before he pulled the trigger, as to bring down more than two or three at a time; whilst Bill was ready to bag the game. Shot after shot was rapidly fired, and with deadly effect; and, after each discharge, the ear of Tom Creton was ready to drink in the least approach of danger from the Philistines.

Maxwell, whilst pursuing the larger party, heard the report of a gun in the direction of his own cottage. He immediately instructed his men how to intercept those who had at first given the alarm, and returned, alone, in the direction just mentioned. Shot succeeded shot. He hurried onwards; left the tortuous path; and, for a shorter cut, dashed through the thick underwood, in order to pounce upon the aggressor. In the meanwhile, Tom Creton and his companion had come out of the thick part of the cover into the broad riding; and, as Tom was re-charging his gun, he unexpectedly heard the crash through the dense underwood opposite. He threw a withering glance at Bill Ashwood. The thought that he had been betrayed, rushed through his mind; the dogs began to bark frightfully at the cottage; to attempt to escape was useless; the blood boiled in his veins. He slipped down on his right knee beneath the boughs that overhung the riding. Marking for a moment the topmost branches of the opposite hazels quiver in the bright moonlight, Maxwell sprang into the riding.

་

Keep off, Max, or you 're a dead man, by

'Never, for Tom Creton! I have thee at last, villain!'

Bang' went the fowling-piece; the sound roared through the cover with the roar of death, and trembled at its farthest extremities; Mathew Maxwell, the keeper, fell upon his back-DEAD! All this was the work of a moment. Tom saw him fall; sprang upon his legs instantly; and, making a rush at Ashwood, who trembled like an aspen, vociferated-Liar! take that!' and struck him a tremendous blow, which felled him to the earth. No time was to be lost. Tom Creton dashed through the underwood like a tiger

through a jungle; nothing impeded his progress; he put the branches aside, as if by magic; soon gained the outside of the cover, and sprang over fence after fence, until he reached the open common. He then paused for a moment to take breath; he turned round to listen; all was still: but even silence pursued him; he panted like a dog; and, occasionally as he cast a look behind, a deep sob almost choked him. But he hurried onwards; ran on the line of the old Eaa; passed along the bridle-road, and was soon at his own cottage. His abrupt entrance alarmed his wife.

'Mind,' says he, 'I've never been here to night,' stowing away his gun at the same moment. Here,' he continued, pulling off his shoes, 'throw these into the well; let me have the other pair; bring me my Sunday jacket and hat; put a shirt in one pocket, and a pair of stockings in the other-instantly.'

Whilst his wife was obeying this imperative summons, he emptied the desk of the money which it contained, and took a desperate draught at a spirit-bottle which he had secreted there. He was re-dressed almost instantly; and, seizing a heavy stick, said, Take care of thyself!' and left his home for ever, whilst his wife stood perfectly astounded at this rapid transaction.

The sound of the fatal shot which had deprived the keeper of his life, brought the two watchers to the very spot where the murder had been perpetrated. They found Maxwell quite dead; and instantly secured Ashwood, who by this time had partly recovered. They carried the body of the unfortunate keeper into his own cottage. His widow had been trembling at the repeated shots; the loud report of which smote her ear and heart with fearful import. She swooned away as the body of her husband was borne into the little parlour. Loud lamentations, and the wringing of hands, and the weeping of children, prevailed in that once-happy home. The report of the murder of the keeper flew throughout the neighbourhood like wildfire.

The jury brought in a verdict of Wilful murder' against Tom Creton. Proclamation was made throughout the whole district; large rewards were offered for his apprehension by the owner of the estate; but Tom Creton could not be fonnd. It was afterwards ascertained that the murderer had availed himself of the assistance of a pot companion-the miller's man,-who concealed him in the upper story of the windmill; the elevated position of which enabled him to mark the approach of constables or police-officers, as it commanded a full view of all the roads in the immediate locality. He remained there three days and three nights. On the fourth night he left his hiding-place, and made his way by by-roads to the nearest seaport. In short, Toin Creton, whose extreme cunning never forsook him, was never heard of again.

Ashwood was tried at the next county assizes, fortunately for him, at a period when a strong public feeling prevailed throughout the country against the game-laws: and the jury acquitted him.

The funeral of Mathew Maxwell presented an extraordinary scene. It was attended by the whole country around, anxious to mark the respect in which he was held, and to evince their commiseration at his unhappy fate.

And now the magnificent beech-tree, of which we have spoken, extends its protecting branches over the KEEPER'S GRAVE.

INDEX

TO THE TENTH VOLUME.

Ballad Literature of Ancient Greece,
480.

Ballad-My Nora, 137.

Bank of France, a visit to the, 47.
Barber of Beaulieu, by George Soane,37.
Barrister, a Junior, 520.

Bartholomew Fair, a little talk about,
380.

Beggars' Barn, or the Boot, description
of, 60.

Bishop, the, my First Client, by J. B.
O'Meara, 353.

Blue-jacket's Adventure, a, 182.
Boar-Hunt, the, 351.

Butler, Mrs., a Winter's Journey to
Georgia by, 1. 107.

Campaign with the Christinos in 1838
and 1839, 388. 484.

Idleness, Philosophy of, 79. See Phi- Manager, the absent, 15.