WARWICK WOODLANDS. 33 



it was open, with soft black loamy soil, covered with docks and 

 colts-foot leaves under the shade of large but leafless willows, 

 and here we picked up a good many scattered woodcock ; 

 afterward we got into the heavy thicket with much tangled 

 grass, wherein we flushed a bevy, but they all took to tree, and 

 we made very little of them ; and here Tom Draw began to 

 blow and labor ; the covert was too thick, the bottom too deep 

 and unsteady for him. 



Archer perceiving this, sent him at once to the outside ; and 

 three times, as we went along, ourselves moving nothing, we 

 heard the round reports of his large calibre. "A bird at every 

 shot, I 'd stake my life," said Harry, " he never misses cross 

 shots in the open ;" at the same instant, a tremendous rush 

 of wings burst from the heaviest thicket : " Mark ! partridge ! 

 partridge !" and as I caught a glimpse of a dozen large birds 

 fluttering up, one close upon the other, and darting away as 

 straight and nearly as fast as bullets, through the dense branches 

 of a cedar brake, I saw the flashes of both Harry's barrels, 

 almost simultaneously discharged, and at the same time over 

 went the objects of his aim ; but ere I could get up my gun 

 the rest were out of sight. " You must shoot, Frank, like 

 lightning, to kill these beggars ; they are the ruffed grouse, 

 though they call them partridge here : see ! are they not fine 

 fellows F 



Another hour's beating, in which we still kept picking up, 

 from time to time, some scattering birds, brought us to the 

 spring head, where we found Tim with luncheon ready, and 

 our fat friend reposing at his side, with two more grouse, and a 

 rabbit which he had bagged along the covert's edge. Cool 

 was the Star champagne ; and capital was the cold fowl and 

 Cheshire cheese ; and most delicious was the repose that 

 followed, enlivened with gay wit and free good humor, soothed 

 by the fragrance of the exquisite cheroots, moistened by the last 

 drops of the Ferintosh qualified by the crystal waters of the 

 spring. After an hour's rest, we counted up our spoil ; four 

 ruffed grouse, nineteen woodcocks, with ten brace and a half of 

 quail beside the bunny, made up our score done comfortably 

 in four hours. 



"Now we have finished for to-day with quail," said Archer, 



k" but we '11 get full ten couple more of woodcock ; come, let us 

 >e stirring ; hang up your game-bag in the tree, and tie the 

 otters to the fence ; I want you in with me to beat, Tim ; you 

 ,. 



