Mr. Cutts didn't answer 'im. He went down on 'is knees and cut the
string that tied up the mouth o' the sack, and then 'e started back as if
'e'd been shot, and 'is eyes a'most started out of 'is 'ead.

"Wot's the matter?" ses the squire.

Mr. Cutts couldn't speak; he could only stutter and point at the sack
with 'is finger, and Henery Walker, as was getting curious, lifted up the
other end of it and out rolled a score of as fine cabbages as you could
wish to see.

I never see people so astonished afore in all my born days, and as for
Bob Pretty, 'e stood staring at them cabbages as if 'e couldn't believe
'is eyesight.

"And that's wot I've been kept 'ere all night for," he ses, at last,
shaking his 'ead. "That's wot comes o' trying to do a kindness to
keepers, and 'elping of 'em in their difficult work. P'r'aps that ain't
the sack arter all, Mr. Cutts. I could ha' sworn they was pheasants in
the one I found, but I may be mistook, never 'aving 'ad one in my 'ands
afore. Or p'r'aps somebody was trying to 'ave a game with you, Mr.
Cutts, and deceived me instead."

The keepers on'y stared at 'im.

"You ought to be more careful," ses Bob. "Very likely while you was
taking all that trouble over me, and Keeper Lewis was catching 'is death
o' cold, the poachers was up at the plantation taking all they wanted.
And, besides, it ain't right for Squire Rockett to 'ave to pay Henery
Walker five shillings for finding a lot of old cabbages. I shouldn't
like it myself."

[Illustration: "You ought to be more careful," ses Bob.]

He looked out of the corner of 'is eye at the squire, as was pretending
not to notice Henery Walker touching 'is cap to him, and then 'e turns to
'is wife and he ses:

"Come along, old gal," 'e ses. "I want my breakfast bad, and arter that
I shall 'ave to lose a honest day's work in bed."

End of Project Gutenberg's The Persecution of Bob Pretty, by W.W. Jacobs

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