BLACK COCK SHOOTING. 7 



bag some grous, from two to four brace : tbeir beat is 

 about Churt, a district well known to sportsmen. But I 

 can speak from more positive knowledge than this. On 

 one occasion Waring Kidd, Mr. Mellersh, his man Friday 



I mean Chalcraft, and Dick Rook, completed the 

 party. I must introduce Dick Rook : he was a character, 

 and so was liis father ; they both followed ostensibly the 

 calling of ' broom-squarer/ that is, they cut the common 

 ling for the purpose of making brooms : both, however, 

 dabbled a little in other matters. The father bred game 

 cocks, and made a good bit of money by them too ; he 

 lived in Acham-bottom, in such a dilapidated dwelling that 

 you might see the sky through every ceiling in the house. 

 Dick liked anything better than work, and was always at 

 the service of any gunner who would give him a day's em- 

 ploy as fag and marker : and a better marker never lived ; 

 he would mark a covey of partridges with a nicety, a truth, 

 that I have never seen approached, much less equalled. 

 But to return to the black cock. We I should say they 



were beating the hill-side, all abreast, and at regular 

 distances, when Dick said to Waring, " Now, Sir, keep 

 higher up, he lays just yonder," pointing higher up the 

 brow ; " if you keep well up you'll be sure to flush him, 

 and have the first shot ; he'll fly across Mr. Mellersh as he 

 goes towards the bottom." This arrangement was agreed 

 on ; and while Waring was working upwards, Mellersh 

 moved a few yards downwards ; and Dick, who knew to 

 an inch where the black cock lay, mended his pace and 

 walked right into him. Up rose the fine old fellow, spread 

 his curly tail, and was going off like the wind. " Mark," 

 cried Dick, with ill-suppressed pleasure, for he made sure 

 he had saved his bird : but as the word left his lips, the 



