WARWICK WOODLANDS. 19 



ter, and we'll find beef ; eh, Frank? and now look sharp, for 

 we must be up in good time to-morrow, and, to be so, we must 

 to bed betimes. And now, Tom, are there any cock ?" 



' l Cock ! yes, I guess there be, and quail, too, pretty plenty ! 

 quite a smart chance of them, and not a shot fired among them 

 this fall, any how !" 



" Well, which way must we beat to-morrow ? I calculate to 

 shoot three days with you here-; and, on Wednesday night, 

 when we get in, to hitch up and drive into Sullivan, and see if 

 we can't get a deer or two ! You'll go, Tom ?" 



" Well, well, we'll see any how ; but for to-morrow, why, I 

 guess we must beat the 'Squire's swamp-hole first ; there's ten 

 or twelve cock there, I know ; I see them there myself last Sun- 

 day ; and then acrost them buck-wheat stubbles, and the big 

 bog meadow, there's a drove of quail there ; two or three bevys 

 got in one, I reckon ; leastwise I counted thirty-three last Fri- 

 day was a week ; and through Seer's big swamp, over to the 

 great spring !'* 



" How is Seer's swarnp ? too wet, I fancy," Archer interposed, 

 " at least I noticed, from the mountain, that all the leaves were 

 changed in it, and that the maples were quite bare." 



" Pretty fair, pretty fair, I guess," replied stout Tom, " I 

 harnt been there myself though, but Jem was down with the 

 hounds arter an old fox t'other day, and sure enough he said 

 the cock kept flopping up quite thick afore him ; but then the 

 critter will lie, Harry ; he will lie like thunder, you know ; but 

 somehow I concaits there be cock there too ; and then, as I was 

 saying, we'll stop at the great spring and get a bite of summat, 

 and then beat Hell-hole ; you'll have sport there for sartin ! 

 What dogs have you got with you, Harry ?" 



" Your old friends, Shot and Chase, and a couple of spaniels 

 for thick covert !" 



"Now, gentlemen, your suppers are all ready." 



" Come, Tom," cried Archer ; " you must take a bite with 

 us Tim, bring us in three bottles of champagne, and lots of 

 ice, do you hear ?" 



And the next moment we found ourselves installed in a snug 

 parlor, decorated with a dozen sporting prints, a blazing hickory 

 fire snapping and sputtering and roaring in a huge Franklin, 

 stove ; our luggage safely stowed in various corners, and Ar- 

 cher's double gun -case propped on two chairs below the 

 window. 



