Habbit Shooting. 



the dogs beat towards us, and this was pretty safe, provided you took care 

 not to shoot the dogs, which of course every one took especial care not to. 

 This covert took us some time, for a lot of the rabbits doubled back, and 

 we had to take the dogs round and beat it again, and we got more the 

 second beat than we did the first. " Bang ! bang ! bang ! " what a fusillade 

 there was as the rabbits, finding the covert rather hot, sought to break out 

 in various directions. At length we had done it pretty thoroughly, and 

 coming out of one of the rides we found a couple of hayricks, with dry 

 convenient litter, a mighty home-baked loaf, a noble lump of cheddar, and 

 a couple of jars of fine ale. 



" Here's rabbitin'," said a hearty red faced farmer of fifty, a capital 

 shot and fond of the fun. 



"Ah! How about that one yaw missed in the ditch. Barber?" said 

 another, with a guffaw. " Lord 'a never see such a game as yon. There 

 was Barber a spinnin' round and round loike a peg top, an' the rabbit 

 dodged un into the ditch. Bang, goes Barber. ' Blamed if I ain't missed 

 'n,' 'a says. ' Never see such a dodger as yon,' 'a says. ' Blowed if he maunt 

 a zarved his time to a laayer,' 'a says. Haw, haw, haw ! " 



" Ah ! how 'bout that un yaw didn't miss, Giles ? Hold un up, booy ; 

 Taake two hands to un or a'U never hang together. Haw, haw, haw ! " 

 And the boy held up a rabbit cut nearly in two, and hanging together 

 only by a bit of skin. " Haw, haw, haw ! If yon un sarved his 

 apprentice to a laayer, thick un sarved his'n to a laayer' s client I reckon. 

 Haw, haw, haw ! " and there was a great shout as Giles buried his 

 blushing face in a quart pot. 



"Never mind, Giles," said Topsawyer, "better bag 'em than miss 

 'em. Must have some for the stock pot, and there's one less for them 

 sweedlings o' yourn. Ha, ha ! " At this there was another laugh. Mr. 

 Topsawyer's jokes were privileged. 



"Ah, they won't do me much 'arm. Mister Topsawyer. I be goin' to 

 veed they off next week — we shan't fall out over that I reckon," said 

 Giles, and so the fun and chaff went on till lunch was over, and the bread 

 and cheese had vanished. 



After lunch we once more shouldered our guns, and, having exchanged 



