52 BRITANNY AND THE CHASE. 



puss coming straight upon me. She had probably been 

 hit, and the dogs running her close had thought her onlj 

 danger was in the rear, and had I stood still I believe she 

 would have come bolt against me, but I spared her the 

 trouble and gave her the coup de grace, when she rolled 

 over and over almost to my feet. My man began to think 

 he should be loaded ; and as it was feeding time and a 

 good place, we got out the tin case, the dogs rolling 

 about with great joy and gradually settling upon their 

 ends, with eyes fixed on me watching for their turn of the 

 entertainment, to which they always applied themselves 

 with much good breeding. Belle fed first in right of age 

 and sex, and Ponto never interfered until she was served, 

 waiting for his turn with great patience. After feeding we 

 started again and picked up a couple of snipe on our way 

 to a likely partridge ground, w^here, as it was drawing near 

 to their feeding time also, I expected to find them. In 

 crossing a turnip field a single bird rose under my feet, 

 which I killed, and the same moment arose a most horrible 

 yell in the next field, and a man appeared on the hedge- 

 bank screaming and making antics like one possessed with 

 a demon. " Go and see what is the matter," said I. My 

 man went, and great was the gesticulation, and long and 

 loud the talk. " He says you have shot him, monsieur," 

 shouted Jean; and sure enough I had peppered him smartly. 

 I had never seen him, but the shot had touched him in de- 

 scending, and suggested the idea of making a franc or two 

 out of it. After this I found some more birds which I 

 missed, and evening coming on I made for the high road, 

 lighted my pipe, and began my march of some four miles 



