IX A German First of September 481 



' yodled,' seemingly determined to give the birds a 

 hint that they were coming. Suddenly, in the midst 

 of an exquisitely-executed chorus, — 



With noise and flutter, up did rush 



a covey of birds from a patch of kohlrabi at least 

 a hundred and fifty yards before us. To say we 

 fired at them would be saying nothing. The entire 

 line kept up a well-sustained fusillade from both 

 barrels for a minute or two at least. 



I have heard, or read, that French officers con- 

 sidered the rolling fire from the face of a British 

 column the most deadly thing they had ever 

 met with in the course of their experience, which 

 was pretty extensive. This, however, was not the 

 case with us. I do not know whether our fire was 

 not rolling enough, or whether the face of our 

 column shut its eyes when it fired, or whether the 

 enemy was too far off, but somehow we killed 

 nothing, not even one of the dogs, which rather 

 surprised me. Whether that bob-tailed cur who, 

 placing his caudal appendage between his legs, 

 went straight home across-country, enlivening his 

 journey with dismal howls, was ' peppered,' or merely 

 disgusted with our style of shooting, I know not ; 

 he went his way, and we continued ours. 



The enemy having fled, or flown, we celebrated 

 our bloodless victory with more Znch-heisasasas ! 

 Halloah Trallallas ! and before long came into 

 action again. The birds were scarce and wild, — 



2 I 



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