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THE COLONEL LEAVES US. 287 



CHAPTER XL. 



Colonel leaves us Last visit to Achil Snipes and woodcocks Their 

 migration Solitary snipe Cock-shooting in Achil Mountain covers 

 Cock-shooting : its accidents Anecdotes An unlucky companion. 



THE Colonel has left us, and we lose in him the best and 

 safest of friends a true buon camarado. With spirits of 

 youthful buoyancy, a temper unsoured by time, and indiffe- 

 rent to worldly annoyances, years have only mellowed his com- 

 panionable qualities, while they added deeply to his anecdote 

 and information. Few men of a certain age succeed in retain- 

 ing their places as first favourites with others some quarter of 

 a century their juniors ; but the Colonel is an exception : we 

 shall feel a blank in our society ; and in this gay and careless 

 spirit lose a dear companion, who seemed to put time at de- 

 fiance, and forbade gout itself to interrupt his comfort, or 

 " mar his tranquillity." 



The last two days have been dry, the wind is favourable, a 

 white frost has been visible this morning, and we are about to 

 pay our parting visit to Achil. We have again sent to our 

 ancient entertainers, the Water Guards, to beg a shelter for 

 the night ; for the days have so sensibly shortened, that we 

 shall have enough to do to reach Dugurth at nightfall. 



" Merrily, merrily bounds the bark," and an hour landed 

 us at the Ridge Point. Our establishment is on a minor scale 

 to what we sported on our first descent ; we have only some 

 two or three hangers-on, and have brought but two brace of 

 orderly and antiquated setters. 



I have seen much of snipe-shooting* in many parts of 



* The common residence of the snipe is in small bogs, or wet grounds, 

 where it is almost constantly digging and nibbling in the soft mud, in 

 search of his food, which consists chiefly of a very small kind of red 

 transparent worm, about an half inch long ; it is said also to eat slugs, 

 arid the insects and grubs, of various kinds, which breed in great abund- 

 ance in those slimy stagnant places. In these retreats, when undisturbed, 

 the snipe walks leisurely with its head erect, and at short intervals keeps 

 moving the tail. But in this state of tranquillity it is very rarely to be 

 seen, as it is extremely watchful, and perceives the sportsman or his dog 

 at a great distance, and instantly conceals itself among ths variegated 

 withered herbage so similar in appearance to its own plumage, that it is 

 almost impossible to discover it while squatted motionless in its seat: it 

 seldom, however, waits the near approach of any person, particularly in 



