rving game. Old Fulcher had
not got far into the car before he put his foot into a man-trap. Hearing
old Fulcher shriek, I ran up, and found him in a dreadful condition.
Putting a large stick which I carried into the jaws of the trap, I
contrived to prize them open, and get old Fulcher's leg out, but the leg
was broken. So I ran to the caravan, and told young Fulcher of what had
happened, and he and I went and helped his father home. A doctor was
sent for, who said that it was necessary to take the leg off, but old
Fulcher, being very much afraid of pain, said it should not be taken off,
and the doctor went away, but after some days, old Fulcher becoming
worse, ordered the doctor to be sent for, who came and took off his leg,
but it was then too late, mortification had come on, and in a little time
old Fulcher died.

'Thus perished old Fulcher; he was succeeded in his business by his son,
young Fulcher, who, immediately after the death of his father, was called
old Fulcher, it being our English custom to call everybody old, as soon
as their fathers are buried; young Fulcher--I mean he who had been called
young, but was now old Fulcher--wanted me to go out and commit larcenies
with him; but I told him that I would have nothing more to do with
thieving, having seen the ill effects of it, and that I should leave them
in the morning. Old Fulcher begged me to think better of it, and his
mother joined with him. They offered, if I would stay, to give me Mary
Fulcher as a mort, {264} till she and I were old enough to be regularly
married, she being the daughter of the one, and the sister of the other.
I liked the girl very well, for she had been always civil to me, and had
a fair complexion and nice red hair, both of which I like, being a bit of
a black myself; but I refused, being determined to see something more of
the world than I could hope to do with the Fulchers, and, moreover, to
live honestly, which I could never do along with them. So the next
morning I left them: I was, as I said before, quite determined upon an
honest livelihood, and I soon found one. He is a great fool who is ever
dishonest in England. Any person who has any natural gift, and everybody
has some natural gift, is sure of finding encouragement in this noble
country of ours, provided he will but exhibit it. I had not walked more
than three miles before I came to a wonderfully high church steeple,
which stood close by the road; I looked at the s