The Broad Highway

"But some one was following me."

"Well, it weren't I. A keeper I be, a-lookin' for a poachin'

cove just about your size, and it's precious lucky for you as you

are a-wearin' that there bell-crowned 'at!"

"Why so?"

"Because, if you 'adn't 'appened to be a-wearin' that there

bell-crowner, and I 'adn't 'appened to be of a argifyin' and

inquirin' turn o' mind, I should ha' filled you full o' buckshot."

"Oh?" said I.

"Yes," said he, nodding, while I experienced a series of cold

chills up my spine, "not a blessed doubt of it. Poachers," he

went on, "don't wear bell-crowned 'ats as a rule--I never seed

one as did; and so, while I was a-watchin' of you be'ind this

'ere 'edge, I argies the matter in my mind. 'Robert,' I says to

meself, 'Robert,' I sez, 'did you ever 'appen to see a poachin'

cove in a bell-crowner afore? No, you never did,' sez I. 'But,

on the other 'and, this 'ere cove is the very spit o' the

poachin' cove as I'm a-lookin' for. True!' sez I to meself,

'but this 'ere cove is a-wearin' of a bell-crowner 'at, but the

poachin' cove never wore a bell-crowner--nor never will.' Still,

I must say I come very near pullin' trigger on ye--just to make

sure. So ye see it were precious lucky for you as you was

a-wearin' o' that there--"

"It certainly was," said I, turning away.

"--that there bell-crowner, and likewise as I'm a man of a

nat'ral gift for argiment, and of a inquirin'--"

"Without doubt," said I, vaulting over the gate into the road

once more.

"--turn o' mind, because if I 'adn't 'a' been, and you 'adn't 'a'

wore that there bell-crowner--"

"The consequences are unpleasantly obvious!" said I, over my

shoulder, as I walked on down the road.

"--I should ha' shot ye--like a dog!" he shouted, hanging over

the gate to do so.

And, when I had gone on some distance, I took off that which the

man had called a "bell-crowner," and bestowed upon it a touch,

and looked at it as I had never done before; and there was

gratitude in look and touch, for tonight it had, indeed, stood my

friend.

Slowly, slowly the moon, at whose advent the starry host "paled

their ineffectual fires," mounted into a cloudless heaven, higher

and higher, in queenly majesty, until the dark world was filled

with her glory, and the road before me became transformed into a

silver track splashed here and there with the inky shadow of

hedge and trees, and leading away into a land of "Faerie."