Sporting Sketches in Pen and Pencil. 



" Please don't point at the pheasants, sir ; please do not. Next you'll be 

 a puUin' of the trigger," Topsawyer would cry. " Awoid temptation, sir, 

 as the parson says, and don't do it, please ;" and if this hint wasn't enough, 

 the offender never had another chance. 



Woodcocks were scarce, and if we got two or three in the day we 

 did pretty well. I saw one whip out from behind a holly bush, along a 

 sunk fence, and into a turnip field on the other side. No one else saw 

 it, as I thought, so calling Julius to me, I whispered what I'd seen, and 

 we made a little detour on oux own hook, and no sooner had I set foot into 

 the turnip field, and while Julius was still on the fence, than up got 

 the cock, and fairly hovered in the air before me right in the open. If 

 I'd winked at him he must have come down, and I bagged him, of course. 

 When I came back and handed the cock to Topsawyer with conscious 

 pride, he nodded approvingly. 



" Werry well, sir, werry well. I likes to see young gents 'ave their 

 heyes about 'em. I see him slip away down the fence, and if you had a- 

 gone by yourself I should 'a stopped you ; but you worn't a-goin' to lose a 

 cock for want of a second gun — werry right, sir, werry right and proper !" 

 and "the young gent as spotted that there cock" was often included in 

 Julius's invitation thereafter. 



Being keen and active I kept up with the dogs pretty well, and got a 

 goodish lot of shooting. 



It was capital fun, the musical tongues of the little beagles, the cheery 

 cry of Old Topsawyer, the crash of branches and brambles, the constant 

 discharge of the guns, the mishaps, the laughter, reckless joviality and high 

 spirits of the party, made a very jolly time of it. The watchers were 

 already laden with rabbits, for there were plenty, and scores had already 

 turned up their little toes, and when we finished the cover a very pretty pile 

 of them was collected ; most of the guns had one or two odd ones in their 

 jacket pockets. We had pockets and used them in those days, and as rabbit 

 after rabbit was dragged out from these recesses and pitched on the heap the 

 laughter and chaff was multiplied. Then a glass of amber ale was passed 

 round, and on we went again. 



The next covert was thicker, and there we had to stand in the rides while 



