Behind the lurcher came her master, and Teddy, with something in his hand
that glinted, popped by, silent as a ghost and was gone into the covers.
But Joseph knew he'd be bound to come out on the high road, same way he
went in, so he bided there and an hour passed and then twenty minutes
more, and meantime the policeman heard the purr of a motor and saw a small
car without lights draw up on the dark side of the lane twenty yards off.
There was only one man in it and Joseph felt glad there weren't more. He
chanced Pegram for a minute then and nipped out on the driver just as he
was lighting a cigarette. He proved to be a young fellow from so far off
as Torquay, and he didn't put up no fight whatever, feeling no fear on his
own account. He was working for wages and doing what he was told, and he
caved in at once and obeyed the policeman's orders, that worse might not
overtake him. So he sat tight and waited, and then Teddy Pegram and his
dog and his air-gun crept out of the woods with a load of ten birds. They
roosted in the spruce firs, you understand, and 'twas as easy to slay them
as blackbeetles, for Teddy's eyes, helped by the moon, marked 'em above
his head quick enough.
Then Joseph Ford walked out from behind the car and the little man saw his
games were ended, for Ford was a very powerful chap and could have eaten
him if he'd wanted to do so.
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