V * 386 ./ , .^ .A,F,ARMER^S YEAR ^ ' ^ a. 



^jj is my respect for the clergy, although there are exceptions (I my- 



' self know one), I confess that I am not fond of going out shooting 



with them, since on these occasions they are apt to display too - 



active a trust in a watching Providence. When I was a young 



fellow there lived in our neighbourhood a retired naval chaplain, 



■ fAA ^ *■> Avho in private life was a most delightful old gentleman, but who 



when armed with a gun became a perfect terror. On one occasion 



' 1 was joining a party of shooters who were advancing up a turnip 



'j>>CA, C\ i field, and, seeing among them my reverend friend, I was par- 



^, j ticularly careful to show myself and call out to him. When he 



/' ^ arrived within about twenty yards of me, however, a partridge 



?V ^ttAt^LS"*-'- ^°^^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^'- ^^'^ ^^^ straight past me, whereon, without the 



slightest hesitation, he sent the contents first of one barrel and 



then of the other slap into the fence within about a foot of my 



face. 



' Mr. B. ! Mr. B. ! ' I exclaimed reproachfully, ' you very nearly 

 ^ ^' shot me dead.' 



* ii' ' Oh,' he grunted in answer, 'shouldn't have been there, you 



j^^ ^ .,^ know ; shouldn't have been there ! ' 



' v^-^ f^ ''^'"W. On another occasion the same dear old gentleman nearly blew 



'j^\ the middle out of one of my brothers, indeed he only escaped the 



'^ charge by doubling himself up with a wonderful rapidity. After 



, / U that experience we dared not ask him to shoot any more. This 



, gave him great offence, as he believed that the omission was due 



to personal reasons. It is very difficult to make the dangerous 



ti^K^jJit man understand what a thing of fear he is to all his neighbours. 



A^ i^- /> Here is a further reminiscence of a parsonic sportsman. The 



»/ parson and another friend entered at the top of a long covert 



with a view to walking down it in line and shooting rabbits, 



,-, . ^ ^ ,^ while I stood at the bottom waiting for pheasants. There were a 



**^ ' good many shots fired in the covert, varied by occasional shouts, 

 ' 'dnd at last my friend staggered out at the end looking very hot and 

 flustered. 



' You had some shooting there,' I said. 



' Shooting ? ' he answered in a fury. * That infernal parson _^ 



4 



