WARWICK WOODLANDS. 41 



up with him. In a few minutes they were lost behind a swell 

 of woodland, round which the road wheeled suddenly. At the 

 same moment Tom and his companions re-appeared from the 

 stables, where they had been securing their four-footed friends ; 

 and, after a few seconds, spent in running ramrods down the 

 barrels to see that all was right, inspecting primings, knapping 

 flints, or putting on fresh copper caps, it was announced that all 

 was ready ; and passing through the farm-yard, we entered, 

 through a set of bars, a broad bright buckwheat stubble. Scarcely 

 an hundred yards had we proceeded, before we sprung the finest 

 bevy of the largest quail I had yet seen, and flying high and 

 wild crossed half-a-dozen fields in the direction of the village, 

 whence we had started, and pitched at length into an alder brake 

 beside the stream. 



u Them chaps has gone the right way," Tom exclaimed, with 

 a deep sigh, who had with wondrous difficulty refrained from 

 firing into them, though he was loaded with buckshot ; " right 

 in the couise we count to take this forenoon. Now, Squire, keep 

 to the left here, take your station by the old earths there away, 

 under the tall dead pine; and you, Bill, make tracks there, straight 

 through the middle cart- way, down to the other meadow, and 

 sit you down right where the two streams fork ; there'll be an 

 old red snooping down that side afore long, I reckon. We'll go 

 on, Mr. Forester ; here's a big rail fence now r ; 1*11 throw off the 

 top rail, for I'll be darned if I climb any day when I can creep 

 there, that'll do, I reckon ; leastwise if you can ride like Ar- 

 cher he d ns me always if I so much as shakes a fence afore 

 lie jumps it you've got the best horse, too, for lepping. Now 

 let's see ! Well done ! well done !" he continued, with a most 

 boisterous burst of laughter " well done, horse, any how !" as 

 Peacock, who had been chafing ever since he parted from his 

 comrade Bob, went at the fence as though he were about to take 

 it in his stroke stopped short when within a yard of it, and 

 then bucked over it, without touching a splinter, although it was 

 at least five feet, and shaking me so much, that, greatly to Tom's 

 joy, I showed no little glimpse of day-light. 



44 1 reckon if they run the meadows, you'll hardly ride them, 

 Forester," he grinned ; 44 but now away with you. You see the 

 tall dark pin oak, it hasn't lost one leaf yet ; right in the nook 

 there of the bars you'll find a quiet shady spot, where you can 

 see clear up the rail fence to this knob, where I'll be. Off with 

 you, boy and mind you now, you keep as dumb as the old wo- 



