26 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



look out that you mark every bird to an inch ! You, Mr. Fores- 

 ter, go in there, under that butter-nut; you'll find a blind track 

 there, right through the brush keep that 'twixt Tim and Mr. 

 Archer ; and keep your eyes skinned, do ! there'll be a cock up 

 before you're ten yards in. Archer, you'll go right through, 

 and I'll 



"You'll keep well forward on the right and mind that no 

 bird crosses to the hill ; we never get them, if they once get 

 over. All right ! In with you now ! Steady, Flash 1 steady I 

 hie up, Dan !" and in a moment Harry was out of sight among 

 the brush-wood, though his progress might be traced by the 

 continual crackling of the thick underwood. 



Scarce had I passed the butter-nut, when, even as Tom had 

 said, up flapped a woodcock scarcely ten yards before me, in the 

 open path, and rising heavily to clear the branches of a tall thorn 

 bush, showed me his full black eye, and tawny breast, as fair a 

 shot as could be fancied. 



" Mark 1" holloaed Harry to my right, his quick ear having 

 caught the flap of the bird's wing, as he rose. " Mark cock 

 Frank !" 



Well steadily enough, as I thought, I pitched my gun up I 

 covered my bird fairly ! pulled ! the trigger gave not to my 

 finger. I tried the other. Devil's in it, I had forgot to cock 

 my gun ! and ere I could retrieve my error, the bird had topped 

 the bush, and dodged out of sight, and off " Mark 1 mark ! 

 Tim !" I shouted. 



" Ey ! ey ! sur Ay see's um !" 



" Why, how's that, Frank ?" cried Harry. " Couldn't you 

 get a shot ?" 



" Forgot to cock my gun !'' I cried ; but at the self-same mo- 

 ment the quick sharp yelping of the spaniels came on my ear. 

 ' Steady, Flash ! steady, sir 1 Mark 1" But close upon the 

 word came the full round report of Harry's gun. " Mark I 

 again !" shouted Harry, and again his own piece sent its loud 

 ringing voice abroad. " Mark ! now a third ! mark, Frank !" 



And as he spoke I caught the quick rush of his wing, and saw 

 him dart across a space, a few yards to my right. I felt my hand 

 shake : I had not pulled a trigger in ten months, but in a second's 

 space I rallied. There was an opening just before me between a 

 stumpy thick thorn-bush which had saved the last bird, and a 

 dwarf cedar; it was not two yards over ; he glanced across it; 





