sted near the trout-stream, they were
full of vicious fury.

'Fust thing, we'll make sure o' this young limb,' said the navvy, when
they had reached the bank of the pool. 'He shall nayther hoot nor run
to carry news of us.'

So, with the aid of Smiley, he soon had Chippy lashed to a small beech,
the handkerchief fastened tightly over his mouth so that he could
neither stir nor speak.

Ten yards away, in cover of a thick patch of hazels, Dick watched
everything. He drew out his knife, opened it, and ran his thumb along
the keen edge. 'All right, my fine fellows,' he said to himself, 'get
to your work'--for the nets had shown him what they meant to do--'and
my chum will be free in a brace of shakes.'

But Dick reckoned without Smiley. That small, sly old poacher was not
there to work; his task was to keep guard. So while the other four
undid their bundle of nets, and prepared for a big haul, Smiley moved
with the tread of a cat to and fro, watching the prisoner, listening,
looking, turning his head this way and that, to detect the first sign
or sound of danger. The beech to which the Raven was bound stood by
itself on the bank, well away from other trees. This rendered it
impossible for Dick to creep up unseen. He would have to dash out into
the moonlight, and the wary watcher would see him and alarm the rest.
No, there was nothing to do but wait awhile and look out for a chance
to slip in, knife in hand. So Dick kept still in cover and watched the
poachers as they worked busily in the light of the sinking moon.

CHAPTER XLII

DRAGGING THE POOL--A LITTLE SURPRISE

First a net was stretched across the head of the pool. Young Bill
jumped into the water and waded across waist deep with one end of the
net, while a confederate paid it out from the bank. The foot of the
net was loaded with leaden weights, and lay close to the bed of the
stream: the top was buoyed with corks and floated on the surface.
Thus, when the net was carried across and pegged into the opposite
bank, a wall of fine mesh lay across the stream.

Now the big navvy waded back, and a second net--a drag-net--was carried
to the foot of the pool. This time three of them plunged into the
water, and drew the net across the stream. Of the three, two remained
in the water, the third clambered out on the opposite bank. The net
was arranged, and then the four poachers began to draw it slowly
up-stream, one working on each bank and two in t