140 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



the partridges ; they kept a brushin' up and brushin' up, and 

 treein' every little while ; I guess if I seen one I seen a hun- 

 dred ; why, I killed seven on 'em with coarse shot up in the 

 pines, and I daredn't shoot exceptin' at their heads. If you'd 

 go up there now, to-morrow, and take the dogs along, I know 

 as you'll git fifty.'' 



" Well, if that's all your news, Jem, I won't give you much 

 for it ; and, as for going into the mountains to look after par- 

 tridges, you don't catch me at it, that's all !" said Harry. " Is 

 that all?" 



" Not by a great shot !" answered Jem, grinning, u but the 

 truth is, I know you won't believe me ; but I can tell you 

 what, you can kill a big fat buck, if you'll git up a little afore 

 daylight !" 



" A buck, Jem ! a buck near here ?" inquired Forester and 

 Archer in a breath. 



" I told you, boys, the critter couldn't help it ; he's stuck to 

 truth just so long, and he was forced to lie, or else he would 

 have busted !" 



" It's true, by thunder," answered Jem ; " I wish I mayn't 

 eat nor drink nother, if there's one bit of lie in it ; d n the 

 bit, Tom ! I'm in airnest, now, right down ; and you knows as 

 I wouldn't go to lie about it !" 



" Well ! well ! where was't, Jem ?" 



" Why, he lies, I guess, now, in that little thickest swamp of 

 all, jist in the eend of the swale atween Round Top and Rocky 

 Hill, right in the pines and laurels ; leastways I druv him down 

 there with the dogs, and I swon that he never crossed into the 

 open meadow ; and I went round, and made a circle like clean 

 round about him, and darn the dog trailed on him no how ; 

 and bein' as he's hard hot, I guess he'll stay there since he har- 

 bored." 



" Hard hit, is he ! why, did you get a shot at him ?" 



" A fair one," Jem replied ; " not three rod off from rne ; he 

 jumped up out of the channel of Stony Brook, where, in a sort 

 o' bend, there was a lot of bushes, sumach and winter-green, 

 and ferns ; he skeart me, that's a fact, or I'd a killed him. He 

 warn't ten yards off when he bounced up first, but I pulled 

 without cocking, and when I'd got my gun fixed, he'd got off' a 

 little piece, and I'd got nauthen but fox-shot, but I hot him jist 

 in the side of the flank ; the blood flew out like winkin', and the 

 hounds arter him like mad, up and down, and round and back, 



