WARWICK WOODLANDS. HI 



and picked Up their birds there, quite as fast as Frank himself 

 desired three ruffed grouse they had bagged, and four rabbits, 

 in a small dingle full of thorns, before they reached the corn ; 

 and just as the tin horns were sounding for noon and dinner 

 from many a neighboring farm, they bagged their thirty-fourth 

 quail. At the same moment, the rattle of a distant wagon on 

 the hard road, and a loud cheer replying to the last shot, an- 

 nounced the Commodore ; who pulled up at the tavern door just 

 as they crossed the stepping-stones, having made a right good 

 morning's work, with a dead certainty of better sport in the 

 afternoon, since they had marked two untouched bevies, thirty- 

 five birds at least, beside some ten or twelve more stragglers 

 into the alder brakes, which Harry knew to hold moreover, 

 thirty woodcock, as he said, at the fewest. 



" Well ! Harry," exclaimed Frank, as he set down his gun, 

 and sat down to the table, "I must for once knock under 

 practice has borne out your precepts" 



THE WOODCOCK. 



LUNCHEON was soon discussed, a noble cold quail pie and a 

 spiced round of beef, which formed the most essential parts 

 thereof, displaying in their rapidly diminished bulk ocular evi- 

 dence of the extent of sportinen's appetites ; a single glass of 

 shrub and water followed, cheroots were lighted, and forth the 

 comrades sallied, the Commodore inquiring as they went what 

 were the prospects of success. 



" You fellows/' he concluded, " have, I suppose, swept the 

 ground completely." 



" That you shall see directly," answered Archer ; " I shall 

 make you no promises. But see how evidently Grouse recol- 

 lects those dogs of mine, though it is nearly a year since they 

 have met ; don't you think so, A >?" 



" To be sure I do," replied the Commodore ; " I saw it the 

 first moment you came up had they been strangers he would 

 have tackled them upon the instant ; and instead of that he be- 

 gan wagging his tail, and wriggling about, and playing with 

 them. Oh ! depend upon it, dogs think, and remember, and 

 reflect far more than we imagine " 



