THE POACHER’S WIFE BY THE SAME AUTHOR LYING PROPHETS CHILDREN OF THE MIST SONS OF THE MORNING THE STRIKING HOURS THE RIVER THE AMERICAN PRISONER THE SECRET WOMAN KNOCK AT A VENTURE THE PORTREEVE THE HUMAN BOY FANCY FREE MY DEVON YEAR UP ALONG AND DOWN ALONG THE POACHER’S WIFE BY EDEN PHILLPOTTS METHUEN & CO. 36 ESSEX STREET W.C. LONDON _First Published in 1906_ _This story originally appeared in the Weekly Edition of THE TIMES, and is now issued in book form by arrangement with the Proprietors of that journal._ CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. AT THE “WHITE HART” 1 II. HANGMAN’S HUT 15 III. GUNS IN THE NIGHT 27 IV. THE WEDDING DAY 40 V. A GHOST OF A CHANCE 53 VI. THE WEDDING NIGHT 70 VII. THE BAD SHIP “PEABODY” 85 VIII. MR SIM TELLS A LIE 99 IX. IN MIDDLECOTT LOWER HUNDRED 116 X. DAN’S LETTER 130 XI. THE LAST OF THE “PEABODY” 146 XII. HENRY VIVIAN TRIES TO DO HIS DUTY 160 XIII. THE OBI MAN 177 XIV. JESSE’S FINGER-NAIL 195 XV. DANIEL EXPLAINS 210 XVI. “OBI” AT MORETON 225 XVII. THE CONFESSION 238 XVIII. A BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE 247 XIX. MR SIM TELLS THE TRUTH 264 XX. FIVE MILES IN FIVE MINUTES 279 XXI. JOHNNY BEER’S MASTERPIECE 293 THE POACHER’S WIFE CHAPTER I AT THE “WHITE HART” The bar of the “White Hart,” Moretonhampstead, was full, and, in the atmosphere of smoke and beer, a buzz of sound went up from many throats. In one corner, round a table, men sat and laughed, but the object of their amusement did not share the fun. He was a powerful, bull-necked man with a clean-shorn face, grey whiskers, and dark eyes that shone brightly under pent-house brows, bushy and streaked with grey.