Carping souls often said that Tom Cobb had never done an honest day's work in his life.

Yet he was the smartest man in the village, the most neatly dressed, always with money in his pocket.
It was common knowledge that his fortunate state arose from his constitutional disability to observe those admirable laws which have been passed for the protection of the English pheasants from all dangers save the small shot of those who have them fed.

Tom Cobb waged war, a war of varying fortunes against the sacred bird.

Sometimes for a whole season he would sell the victims of the carnage of the war with never a check to his ardor.

In another season some prying gamekeeper would surprise him glutting his thirst for blood and gold, and an infuriated bench of magistrates would fine him.