10 Sporting Sketches in Pen and Pencil. 



be of such a fine family ; but, for all that, I thinks we must spile 'em 

 a bit, and the sooner the better, or we'll never get nighst 'um at all. This 

 way, sir." And after going down the road a short distance we turned 

 into a large bit of mustard hard by a farm, and set the dogs to work. They 

 beat it all over carefully, but made no sign. 



"Where in natur' can 'em be?" said Sam. "Bound to be here somewheres. 

 Stop a bit, there's a bit o' cow cabbage as big as a bandanner t'other side o' 

 the hedge, and they've run through the drain into it." And so it proved, 

 for as we surmounted the gate, it seemed as if all the cabbages in the field 

 turned brown and got up in the air at once ; and a prodigious cloud of birds 

 got up while we were in difficulties, and made off without our getting a shot, 

 but we marked them into some rape, and followed them at once. 



Again it seemed as if half the field was getting up ; but this time we got 

 four barrels into them, though we only got two ; 'and the covey out of pure 

 cussedness skewed away to the left — the only direction they shouldn't have 

 gone — and got just out of our beat into bad hands ; and the farmer was a 

 nasty-tempered man too. What was to be done ? 



" Can't you look for a wounded bird ? " 



"Won't do," said Tom; "if I only went once on his ground to look for 

 a wounded bird, he'd come on mine every day to look for two." 



" Worst on't is, if they find they can be quiet there, drat 'em, they'll alius 

 go there. Stop a bit! I has it! 'Ere, Bill; see poor Joey the softy yonner? 

 Jus' you get 'long side o'n, and tell'n there's a wosburd's nest under the thorn 

 bush in Grimes's bents. He's that cur' us he's sure to go'n look vort. No 

 one minds what he dooes, and he's sartain sure to put 'em up." 



The errand was featly sped. SiUy Joey walked right into the middle of 

 them, and no one regarded him, and once more we had the satisfaction of 

 seeing the big covey in our mustard. In spite of all our caution, however, 

 the birds went back again to Grimes, and we only got three ; so we left 

 them and took a light lunch of bread and cheese, some cold pickled pork, 

 half an hour's smoke under a shady hedge heavy with traveller's joy and 

 honeysuckle, and laden with blackberries. Here, on a turfy bank we lolled 

 at ease over another Lopez, talked over the morning, and planned the 

 afternoon to our satisfaction. 



