A VALUABLE ALLY. 121 



moment the hawk was forgotten for the snipe, and it 

 was not until the afternoon, in a distant bog, that I 

 again recognized my little friend, the merlin, hover- 

 ing about, and every now and then appearing about 

 to leave us, but as quickly returning, and evidently 

 hanging on in expectation of our starting some 

 of his favourite game. As for the snipe, they lay 

 like stones while he continued overhead ; old Pluto 

 pointed them one after another, even Fan conde- 

 scended to "back," and I had to kick them up 

 under the nose of the former, as they sprang 

 reluctantly from the rushes, and presented a suc- 

 cession of the most satisfactory shots imaginable ; 

 which was the more gratifying as they had been 

 unusually wild during the previous part of the 

 day. After bagging several, at last one rose at a 

 considerable distance quite out of shot and 

 away went the merlin after it. We watched the 

 chase for a long time, both birds appearing 

 equally matched, but they disappeared before it 

 came to a close, and the shades of evening soon 

 afterwards reminded me that I had five miles to 

 walk home before dinner. 



Well, on my return a few days afterwards, there 

 was the merlin again on the same bog ! I could 

 perceive him, as I topped a hill which commanded 

 an extensive view of the country, scudding along 

 towards us in a joyous sort of flight, as if to say 



G 



