WARWICK WOODLANDS. 125 



most thorny coverts, and in the summer time waist deep in 

 water, and almost inaccessible, though now floored with a sheet 

 of solid ice, firm as the rocks around it due northward was an 

 open field, dividing the wolf-dingle from the mountain road by 

 which we always travel. 



" Our plot had been well laid, and thus far had succeeded. I, 

 with eleven horsemen, drawn up in easy pistol shot one of the 

 other, had taken our ground in perfect silence ; and, as we readily 

 discovered, by the untrodden surface of the snow, our enemies 

 were as yet undisturbed. My station was the extreme left of 

 our line, as we faced westward, close to the first ridge of the 

 southern hill ; and there I sat in mute expectancy, my holsters 

 thrown wide open, my Kuchenre liters loaded and cocked, and 

 my good ounce-ball rifle lying prepared within the hollow of my 

 arm. 



" Within a short half hour I saw the second party, captained 

 by our friend Garry, coming up one by one, and forming silently 

 and promptly upon the hill side and directly after I heard the 

 crash and shout of our beaters, as they plunged into the thicket 

 at its westward end. So far as I could perceive, all had gone 

 well. Two sides, my own eyes told me, were surrounded, and 

 the continuous line in which the shouts ran all along the farther 

 end, would have assured me, if assurance had been needful, for 

 Tom himself commanded in that quarter, that all was perfectly 

 secure on that side. A Jersey man, a hunter of no small repute, 

 had been detached with a fourth band to guard the open fields 

 upon the north ; due time had been allotted to him, and, as we 

 judged, he was upon his ground. Scarce had the first yell 

 echoed through the forest before the pattering of many feet 

 might be heard, mingled with the rustling of the matted boughs 

 throughout the covert and as the beaters came on, a whole 

 host of rabbits, with no less than seven foxes, two of them gray, 

 came scampering through our line in mortal terror ; but on they 

 went unharmed, for strict had been the orders that no shot 

 should be fired, save at the lawful objects of the chase. Just 

 at this moment I saw Garry, who stood a hundred feet above 

 me on the hill, commanding the whole basin of the swamp, 

 bring up his rifle. This was enough for me my thumb was on 

 the cock, the nail of my forefinger pressed closely on the trigger- 

 guard. He lowered it again, as though he had lost sight of his 

 object raised it again with great rapidity, and fired. My eye- 

 was on the muzzle of his piece, and just as the bright stream of 



