DAYS IN THE STUBBLES 49 



whizzing all round me, and leaves dropping 

 on to me shot off just above my head when 

 out with my father, as it must be confessed 

 he did not add safety to his other shooting 

 virtues ; a dangerous shot is however, a very 

 good school for the young idea, and some of 

 our lucky escapes may have made my brothers 

 and me more careful than we might otherwise 

 have been. My father certainly never hurt 

 any one seriously, though he peppered most 

 of his friends and neighbours ! 



" Mr. Wolfe Murray wud shoot his gran'- 

 mither if she war risin' afore him," was the 

 comment of a keeper at some neighbour's 

 covert shoot when the order " no hen 

 pheasants " having been given my father 

 promptly shot three consecutively. His keen- 

 ness certainly exceeded his caution, but for 

 all that he was a fine type of the old-fashioned 

 sportsman, preferring to go in search of his 

 quarry rather than have it brought to him, 

 as the fashion of to-day has, alas ! become to 

 such a great extent. Mounted on his Russian 

 shooting pony Moscow, who paid no more 

 4 



