32 WOLF-HUNTING. 



11 clitters " of rock and granite tors. No finer cover in the world 

 for the plunderers that frequent it, the fox, the wolf, and the tusky 

 boar. 



But our business, at present, is with the woodcock ; and as, 

 during the late full moon, a cold easterly wind, with a point of 

 north in it, had prevailed, large flights were known to have 

 arrived in the neighbourhood, the best covers of which were 

 unquestionably those of Ty-meur and the adjoining district ; so 

 we fully anticipated a fine day's sport. The proprietor of the 

 estate being a wealthy banker, resident at Brest, we were received 

 at the grand old chateau by a Breton garde-du-bois, left in charge 

 of it and the woods, and apparently the whole property. A 

 greater ruffian I certainly never encountered in Brittany, where 

 the peasantry are usually a quiet, well-conducted set of men ; but 

 this fellow, at nine o'clock a.m., was so drunk and so dangerous, 

 that he several times fell head foremost, loaded gun and all, into 

 the midst of our dogs, and, on recovering his feet, used the 

 grossest language my ears ever listened to. 



I am not strait-laced, nor a very nervous subject, but candidly 

 own the prospect of being accompanied by this garde-du-bois 

 filled my mind with apprehension and disgust : the chance of 

 being potted like a partridge was not a pleasant one, but the 

 brutality of his conduct was far less endurable. Our party of four 

 guns being divided into two lots, Kergoorlas and St. Prix going 

 in one direction, and Keryfan and myself in another, the Breton 

 garde-du-bois constituted himself my guide for metallic reasons, 

 of course, as every Englishman is believed to be a travelling 

 Croesus ; but, as he affirmed, for the purpose of showing the 

 stranger the most favoured cock-ground in the Ty-meur covers. 

 My mortification at this arrangement I can scarcely describe ; 

 but, although I did my best to conceal it, St. Prix saw at a glance 

 what my feelings were in the matter. 



" See you," said he, calling me on one side, " yonder knoll in 



