CHASSE AU MIROIR. 129 



at this moment, the shooters, having all reloaded 

 during a pause in the battle, are awaiting the 

 approach of the next detachment. The newly 

 arrived stranger casts his eyes about and seefe 

 heaps of the dead and dying, but nothing as yet 

 on the wing to explain the meaning of all those 

 anxious upturned glances that he notices around 

 him. Presently a voice exclaims " Here they 

 are, look out ! " and a cluster of dark specks be- 

 comes visible at a great distance. In a few mo- 

 ments he perceives that this is a flock of larks : 

 but surely it is not possible that they will notice 

 that miserable toy which is now spinning rapidly, 

 urged by the frantic exertions of a gentleman in 

 bright yellow gaiters and bran-new shooting-coat, 

 crossed with a virgin shot-belt, who pulls the 

 string violently with one hand, while with the 

 other he wields his full-cocked gun as carelessly 

 as if it were a shillelagh ! He is mistaken : they 

 suddenly descend with rapidly closed pinions, to 

 Within a few yards of the very spot where he 

 stands, or perhaps to a rival lure in the same or in 

 an adjoining field, and, hovering over it in appa- 

 rent delight and admiration, patiently suffer them- 

 selves to be shot at and massacred in considerable 

 numbers. 



The birds thus killed are comparatively lean 

 and worthless, not fetching, in the market, within 



G5 



