The Torch and Other Tales | Page 5

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. I warned you--most serious I done so--and what more could I do?
You've none to thank for this but yourself and you well know it. But
my duty's my duty, and I don't break my policeman's oath for you, or
any man living."
"You ain't on duty to-night, however," replied Teddy.
"A policeman's always on duty," said Ford, "and 'tis vain to threat or
argue. I've got no choice."
But the other did argue still, and when he saw he was done, he
threatened also and said hard, terrible words. They went in one of
Joseph's ears and out of the other, of course, and he only wanted to get
a painful job out of hand by now. So he cut it short, and in another
minute pretty well lifted Teddy into the car and bade the driver carry
'em to Little Silver.
Pegram said no more after that, but a fiend glared out of his eyes as he
stared on the other, and Joseph, though he'd seen some hard cases, said
afterwards that he never wanted to look on such a wicked face again.
But the look was dead when they got to the police-station, and Ford
tumbled his man into a cell, then handed the pheasants over to the
Inspector and made his report.
There was a good deal of stir about it and some applause for the
policeman when the Justices gave Teddy two months' hard labour. And
that was that. But what you may call the interesting part of the affair
happened after, for when the two months was up, instead of selling his
house and taking himself off to practise his games elsewhere, if Teddy
Pegram didn't return to Little Silver, meek as Moses, and a reformed
character!
Poor Joey, when he heard his dearest friend was in trouble, had wept a
lot of tears and took on very bad and even said hard things to his father
for catching 'Santa Claus' and sending him to prison. But he'd got

resigned to his loss, for two months is a long time in a child's mind.
And he'd walk every day to look at Pegram's house and pet the
poacher's dog. 'Twas thought the creature ought to be shot, and the
head-keeper at Oakshott's, who knew the cleverness of the animal, was
strong for it; but humanity be full of strange twists and the Squire
himself it was who ordered the cur should live and be tended.
"Let the dog be there to welcome him back," said the Squire in his easy
way. "The dog's done nothing but his duty and done it mighty well by
all accounts."
He was pleased, you see, because he'd got to the bottom of the mystery,
and he had a great trustful faith in human nature and hoped that Teddy
would turn from his bad ways after a taste of klink. And it certainly
looked as if the good man was right.
Little Joey would often take 'Choc' to see his mother on her chain at
Teddy's house while the man was put away. And he'd carry the poor
creature a tidy bone also when he could get one. And how long that two
months was to the lurcher,