Mark Coek! 29 



I heard Marshy bustling through the thick, and the next moment I heard 

 the well-known "flop, flutter" of the cock, then "bang, bang," and great 

 scattering of twigs, and the next moment the cock came skimming above 

 the trees across the lane ; and nearly over my head. " Bang," and down 

 he came in the ditch most delightfully. Look at that lovely vignette of 

 Mr Cooper's, and you will see exactly how he collapsed in mid flight. I was 

 just picking him up as Marshy pushed through, much scratched and 

 dishevelled. He took in the scene at a glance. I looked a little sheepish, I 

 suppose, though I brazened it out, too. 



"Made a pointer of, by George!" he growled, in intense disgust. I 

 looked very innocent, and suggested that it was " very lucky I happened to 

 be in the lane, or we should have lost him," but it wouldn't do. 



" Made a pointer of ! well, I'm blowed. The next time you want a Kttle 

 dog to flush cocks for you " — 



" I'll do it myself, old man," I said, " and you shall stand in the lane. 

 Turn about's fair play. I've flushed this chap fom' or five times and couldn't 

 get him, so it's only fair you had a try." 



" Ah, well ! By George, he's a fine bird, tho' ! — plump as a partridge and 

 in grand plumage. I wish there was a dozen or two about." 



"So do I; but I know where there's another, but it's a mile from here, 

 and if you are game to walk across to the upper moor above Mainporth, you 

 shall have the shot." 



My exploit had made him keen, and we did walk across, and found the 

 cock in a little ditch on one side of the moor. He had the shot and 

 killed it; so the entente cordiale was restored, and after that we went 

 to a " kittle-a-wink," which was the name of a roadside public in those 

 parts and those days, and had bread and cheese and warm beer with a 

 dash of gin and ginger in it, and as was our wont, played five games 

 of ecart^ with the most dilapidated pack of cards ever seen, for the 

 reckoning ; and, being imbued with the spirit of gambling, we played 

 five more for the cocks and he won them, and I helped to eat them 

 two nights after. How I remember every incident, the kittle-a-wink, 

 dirty cards and all, though it is nearly forty years ago, and "seas 

 between us braid hae roared " sin syne. 



