WILD SPORT IN BRITTANY. 305 



carefully, and seven out of the eight birds bagged in so many shots ; 

 the eighth would probably have shared the same fate had he not 

 risen wildly at a long distance, and so escaped. An outburst of 

 applause from the Captain, followed the success of every shot ; 

 and so enthusiastic was the spirit in which he entered into the sport, 

 that if the setters had not been too quick for him, he would have 

 saved them the trouble of retrieving the game as it fell dead or 

 fluttering into the prickly gorse. No schoolboy out for a holiday, 

 or on a poaching excursion, could have been more eager to 

 handle his birds than he was j then he arranged their feathers, 

 admired the beautiful plumage on the breasts of the cock-birds, 

 and finally, ere depositing them in the carnassiere, which Owen 

 Mawr pointedly held wide open, he declared they were the finest 

 red-legs he had ever seen in Brittany. 



All the while there was so much simplicity in his manner that 

 it was impossible to suspect he had any ulterior object in view 

 beyond the mere admiration of the birds and the love of sport ; 

 added to which, although he continued to work like a day labourer 

 in beating for us, he steadily still refused to use his gun for the 

 rest of the day. So, altogether, we were not a little puzzled to 

 account for the unusual, and, in the matter of shooting, the disin- 

 terested part he took during the time he remained in our com- 

 pany. But the secret came out in five minutes after he had 

 quitted us for Concarneau. Shafto, having insisted on his carry- 

 ing back with him a good portion of the game, proceeded forth- 

 with to pack the modest and empty carnassiere borne by the Breton 

 attendant full to the very brim; and not only did the Captain 

 offer no objection to this measure, but his eyes sparkled with 

 delight as he stood by and watched Shafto cramming bird after 

 bird into the bag, till it positively could not have held another 

 head. He then, after many protestations of gratitude and kindly 

 feeling, bid us adieu, and went on his way rejoicing. 



In the meantime the Breton had revealed to Owen Mawr that 



