him if he'd wanted to do so.

But Teddy used his tongue for all it was worth, though at first he didn't
guess he was up against it.

"Lucky 'twas you," he said. "If it had been your mate, I'd have met with a
difficulty. Very smart, Joseph! You've bowled me out all right, so we'll
cry quits and least said soonest mended."

But the policeman wasn't in no mood like that.

"Come, Pegram," he answered. "I'd sooner have took any man on earth but
you, and you've put me in a cruel fix, and that's all there is to it. Give
me that air-gun and get in the car and say nought if you please."

T'other had a lot to say, however. They talked for ten minutes, but the
poacher couldn't move the policeman, though he appealed to his friendship
and so on. Then Joseph saw a look that he never had seen afore in the
little man's eyes and was startled, but not afeared. For a minute Teddy
glared like a devil in the moonlight, and an awful evil expression fairly
flooded his face.

"Think twice," he said. "For God's sake think twice, Ford, afore you do
this. There's a lot more to me than you know--a lot I've thought to
overcome--suffering, misery, curses, disgrace. But if you take me to the
'cooler' to-night--hear me on my oath: you'll be sorry as long as you
live, for I'm built that way."

"I am sorry already," answered Joseph, "I'm as sorry as any living man can
be, and 'tis a bitter cruel thing for me that you've forced this upon me.