64 WARWICK WOODLANDS, 



" there, now take your chance at it, and for Heaven's sake do 

 leave a drop for Jem and Garry ; by George now, you shall not 

 drink it all /" as Tom poured down the third cup full, each be- 

 ing as big as an ordinary beer-glass. " There was above a pint 

 and a half in it when you began, and now there's barely one 

 cup-full between the two of them. An't you ashamed of your- 

 self now, you greedy old devil ?" 



" It doos go right, I swon 1" was the only reply that could 

 be got out of him. 



" That's more a plaguy sight than the bullets will do, out of 

 your old tower musket; you're so drunk now, I fancy, that 

 you could'nt hold it straight enough to hit a deer at three rods, 

 let alone thirty, which you are so fond of chattering about." 



" Do tell now," replied Tom, " did you, or any other feller, 

 ever see me shoot the worser for a mite of liquor, and as for 

 deer, that's all a no sich thing ; there arnt no deer a this side 

 of Duck-seedar's. It's all a lie of Teach man's and that Deck- 

 ering son of a gun." 



" Holloa ! hold up, Tom- recollect yesterday ! -I thought 

 there had been no cock down by the first bridge there, these 

 six years ; why you're getting quite stupid, and a croaker too, 

 in your old age." 



" Mayhap I be,'' he answered rather gruffly ; " mayhap I be, 

 but you won't git no deer to-day, I'll stand drinks for the com- 

 pany ; and if we doos start one, I'll lay on my own musket agin 

 your rifle." 



Well ! we'll soon see, for here we are," Harry replied, as af- 

 ter leaving the high-road just at the summit of the Bellevale 

 mountain, he rattled down a very broken rutty bye-road at 

 the rate of at least eight miles an hour, vastly to the discomfit- 

 ure of our fat host, whose fleshy sides were jolted almost out 

 of their skin by the concussion of the wheels against the many 

 stones and jogs which opposed their progress. 



"Here we are, or at least soon will be. It is but a short half 

 mile through these woods to Teach man's cottage. Is there a 

 gun loaded, Tim ? It's ten to one we shall have a partridge 

 fluttering up and treeing here directly ; I'll let the dogs out 

 get away, Flash ! get away, Dan ! you little rascals. Jump out, 

 good dogs, Shot, Chase hie up with you !'' and out they went 

 rattling and scrambling through the brush-wood all four 

 abreast ! 



At the same moment Tim, leaning over into the body of the 



