1831.] the First of September. 401 



paths, a number of nice little round white pebbles about the size of swan- 

 shot ; these I kept in my pocket till a proper occasion for their use pre- 

 sented itself. One day when the boy had gone into the next field to cut 

 a turnip for a dessert after his dinner, and had left the gun in my care, 

 I put in nearly a handful of these little round pebbles, rammed them 

 well down with stiff brown paper, put in plenty of priming, and then 

 with the gun upon half-cock, I went in search of game. There was a 

 path, on each side of which were plantations ; and I knew I should find 

 there hares in plenty, and rabbits out of number. I got there with all 

 speed, approached on tiptoe along the grassy edges of the path, and be- 

 held four hares nearly within shot, scratching up the gravel, and then 

 scattering the dust with their hind legs with the greatest impudence 

 imaginable. I hid myself behind a tree, cocked my gun, and waited for 

 them. In a short time a fine jack-hare came within a few yards. I 

 put the gun to my shoulder — took aim — shut my eyes, and pulled the 

 trigger. I heard a bang — and felt one, which sent me nearly lifeless on 

 the ground. When I recovered, I found myself lying in my own bed 

 with a dislocated shoulder. 



After that I was sent to school that I might be out of the way of mis- 

 chief. Here I contrived to have a little sport occasionally. It was the 

 custom of our worthy dominie during the summer season to take us out 

 every Saturday to angle in a brook within about a couple of miles of his 

 " Establishment." For this he had two good purposes in view, it went 

 to the increase of our health, and to the reduction of his expenses ; for the 

 proceeds of the Saturday's sport always went to the Sunday's dinner. 

 When we had caught as many as we could, we put away our lines and 

 hooks, divested ourselves of all extei'nal covering, and plunged into the 

 water. One luckless day I was diving where there was a great depth of 

 water a little distance from the rest, and as I was throwing out my feet 

 I felt myself to my inexpressible horror and pain, hooked just below the 

 tendon-achilles. I prepared to rise to the surface, but felt the hook tug- 

 ging in a contrary direction. As soon as I could clear the water from 

 my eyes, I discovered a little cockney urchin, who had lately joined the 

 school, standing on the edge of the stream, and wondering what sort of 

 a fish he had hold of I brought my complaint with my wounded leg 

 before the master, but the bow-bell and bow-kneed imp whimpered out 

 as an excuse, (the pun is his, not mine) — " Vy, I vas only a fishing for 

 heels,'' and he was allowed to go with a reprimand, and a desire to drop 

 the aspirate in future. Rods I always disliked since I first came in con- 

 tact with them ; and lines, except poetical ones, I have never made use 

 of from that hour. 



This, though it damped my ardour for sport a little, did not lessen 

 it. It only determined me to confine my pursuit of it to the land. 

 There was a subscription pack of hounds kept in the neighbourhood, 

 and they hunted during the season twice a week. Our excellent 

 pedagogue always indulged us, upon half holidays, with the enjoyment 

 of following the chase on foot, and at convenient places observing it at 

 a distance. This I did with as much excitement as the red-coated and 

 top-l)ooted gentlemen themselves ; but I longed to cross a horse, and 

 mingle in the mounted throng. There I thought was all the enjoyment ; 

 and the ])leasure to be derived from lumting on one's own legs 1 began 

 t4» think, was a mere nullity comprn-cd witli that of carrying on the sport 

 on tlior^e of others. Once, as I was running along the side of a hedge. 



