Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 3).djvu/102

 my old Friend no slight Dudgeon. "But it will go hard," said he, "but they shall smart for it properly!"

I could not but admire the Industry of this worthy Man, that had gotten together so large an Estate at so small Outlay; for Sir Ogre assured me that he had inherited from his Father but a Field of ten Acres in those Parts, having acquired the other ten thousand Acres by a sedulous and unflagging Pursuit of the Plan I have described, without so much as purchasing a Foot of it.

I was much interested in watching the Result of a Charge that had been preferred against a certain Fellow that was notorious in the Neighbourhood for unseemly Resistance at Law against those that possessed more Money than himself, and so were in the Right.

It seemed that this Fellow had taken a Rabbit upon a Piece of public Land but lately enclosed by Sir Ogre. On this Fellow being brought up before Sir Ogre and charged with this Offence, I was taken with a great Admiration for my Friend's Freedom from Bias, and great Desire to do Justice: for he would by no Means hear a Word of what the Defendant had to say, fearing that in the Flurry of the Position he might haply incriminate himself still more deeply, but dealt with the Case summarily, passing upon the Fellow no harder Sentence than one Year with hard Labour: which, I take it, was but a slight Punishment to undergo, for a low Fellow that had no means.

That Night there was a great To-Do in the Village hard by; for there was to be a Burning of an Image or Effigies of the good Knight, upon the Pretext that he had put up a Barrier upon a Path that had been a public Way for Centuries: whereupon Sir Ogre lost no time in having the Fellows locked up for Causing an Obstruction: "For," says he, "the Roads and Ways are intended for the Public to pass along them; and this proper Use of them is not to be hindered by this or that Rascal that hath a mind to turn them to his own Devices."

Such is ever the Modesty of Sir Ogre, that he is by no Means of a Mind to make a Figure in his neighbourhood; and, indeed, he protested to me when on the Subject of the burning of the Effigies, that the making of a Figure is to him a Matier of Abhorrence.

I am now content to leave the Reputation of the good old Knight in the hands of the Public; being of a most certain Conviction that, whatever the Voice of Slander may be inclined to speak of it, it can in no way suffer Deterioration.