He led me out into the big playground, and turned.
“Ain’t a bad house, is it? Some big lord used to live here, and Magglin says his father says it was empty for years, and it was sold cheap at last to the Doctor, who only used to have four boys at first.”
“Who’s Magglin?”
“Ha, ha!” laughed Mercer; “he calls himself a gardener because he comes here to help dig, but I know: he’s a poacher, that’s what he is. You ask Hopley.”
“But I don’t know Hopley,” I said, laughing.
“You soon will. He’s General Rye’s keeper. I buy birds off him to stuff.”
“What, geese?” I said, as I recalled that my companion spoke about a goose just before.
“Geese? no. Magpies and jays and hawks. I stuff ’em with tow; I’ll show you how. Old Hopley says Magglin’s a rank poacher, and first time he catches him on their grounds he’ll pull him up before his master, you know. General’s a magistrate. But he won’t catch him. Magg’s too artful. I say, got any money?”
“Yes, I have some,” I said.
“That’s right. Don’t you spend it. You save up same as I am. Magg’s got a gun I want to buy of him. He says he won’t sell it, but I know better. He will when we offer him enough. I did offer him ten shillings, but he laughed at me. I say!”