FOR YOUNG SHOOTERS 97 



I thought to myself, " If you're anything like these 

 other Johnnies, it's no good pulling out the music- 

 >stop with you." On the first morning he seemed 

 a shade anxious at breakfast, and said he was going 

 to try a new plan of beating his coverts, which it 

 had given him a lot of trouble to arrange as he 

 wanted. Off we went after breakfast. We had 

 about half a mile to walk before we got to the first 

 wood, and I kept puzzling my brains the whole way 

 about this blessed new dodge of beating. 



'" Where are the beaters?" I said to 

 Whichello when we got there, for devil a bit of one 

 did I see. . 



'" You'll find them out directly," says 

 Whichello, looking sly and triumphant ; " just you 

 stand here and wait. You'll get some shooting, I 

 warrant you ; " and, with that, he posted the other 

 guns at the far end of the covert, told me and 

 another chap we were to walk outside, in line with 

 the beaters, and walked off. Suddenly he gave a 

 whistle. Then what do you think happened ? I'll 

 give you a hundred guesses, and you won't be on it. 

 Out of a little planting, about fifty yards off the 

 piece we were to shoot, came marching a troop of 

 rustics, dressed as rustic beaters usually are, but 



