A little farther on, the road ran across a field, and when he was near the middle he saw something move behind a gorse bush.  Although it looked like a man’s head, he did not stop.  Going on, as if he had seen nothing, until he was close to the gorse, he left the track and walked swiftly but softly across the grass.  When he reached the bush a man who had been crouching behind it sprang to his feet.  He was tall and roughly dressed, and looked like a shepherd or farm-hand.

“Weel,” he said with a truculent air, “what is it ye want with me?”

The question somewhat relieved Foster, who now noted the end of a long, thin net in the grass.

“I was curious to see what you were doing.  Then I meant to ask the way to Langsyke.”

“What are ye wanting there?”

“To stay the night.  I was directed to a change-house where they’d take me in.”

“They might.  Ye’re a stranger, and ye’ll tak’ the road again the morn?”

Foster said he meant to do so and the other pondered.

“Weel, there’s a soft flow where ye might get mired if ye left the road, which is no’ that plain, and I could set ye on the way, but there’s a bit job I’ll hae to finish first.”  He paused and added with a grin as he indicated the net:  “Maybe ye hae a notion what it is.”

“I imagine it’s connected with somebody else’s grouse or partridges, but that’s not my business.  You’ll be a shilling or two richer if you show me the way.”

“Then the sooner I’m finished here, the sooner we’ll be off, though I doot we hae fleyt the paltrig.  Bide ye by the whinns, and when ye see me at the dyke come forrad with the net.  If I lift my airm, ye’ll stop.”

He went off with the end of the net, and Foster waited, half amused.  The fellow probably wanted to ensure his saying nothing about the poaching by making him an accomplice, but this did not matter much.  It was an adventure and he was anxious to find a guide.  By the way the net unwound and slipped across the grass he thought there was another man at work, but he carried his part forward as he had been told and then dropped it and sat down among some rushes.  Two indistinct figures were moving towards each other and he got up presently when one signaled.  When he joined them a number of small dark objects showed through the net.

“Hae!” said a man who opened the meshes, and added when Foster picked up two limp birds:  “We’ve no’ done so bad.”

Then Foster remembered the man he had seen as he came along the road.

“How many of you are in the gang?” he asked.

“There’s twa o’ us her.  I’m thinking that’s a’ ye need ken.”

“It’s what I meant,” said Foster apologetically.  “Still I passed another fellow hiding, a short distance back.”

The men, saying nothing, took out the birds and began to roll up the net.  Foster had now four partridges, which they seemed to expect him to carry, and was putting their legs together so as to hold them conveniently when he heard a rattle of stones.  Then a dark figure leaped down from the wall and somebody shouted:  “Stand where ye are or I’ll put a chairge o’ number four in ye!”