162 WARWICK WOODLANDS. 



" Bring up the dogs, old fellow ; I knocked down two, and 

 I've bagged one, but I'm afraid the other's run !" 



" Stand still, then stand still, till I join you. He-here, he- 

 here good dogs,'' cried Harry, striding away through the brush 

 like a good one. 



In a moment he stood by Frank, who was just pocketing his 

 first, a fine hen grouse. 



" The other was the cock," said Frank, " and a very large one, 

 too ; he was a long shot, but he's very hard hit ; he flew against 

 this tree before he fell, and bounded off it here ; look at the 

 feathers !" 



" Ay ! we'll have him in a moment ; seek dead, Shot ; seek, 

 good dogs ; ha ! now they wind him ; there ! Chase has him 

 no ! he draws again now Shot is standing ; hold up, hold up, 

 lads, he's running like the mischief, and won't stop till he reaches 

 some thick covert.'' 



Bang ! bang ! " Mark ma-ark !'' bang ! bang ! " mark, Harry 

 Archer, mark," came down the wind in quick succession from 

 the other party, who were beating some thick briers by the brook 

 side, at three or four fields' distance. 



u Quick, Forester, quick !" shouted Archer ; " over the wall, 

 lad, and mark them ! those are quail ; I'm man enough to get 

 this fellow by myself. Steady, lads ! steady-y-y !" as they were 

 roading on at the top of their pace. " Toho ! toho-o-o, Chase ; 

 fie, for shame don't you see, sir, Shot's got him dead there 

 under his very nose in those cat-briers. Ha ! dead ! good lads 

 good lads ; dead ! dead ! fetch him, good dog; by George but 

 he is a fine bird. I've got him, Forester ; have you marked 

 down the quail ?'' 



" Ay ! ay ! in the bog bottom !" 



" How many ?" 



"Twenty-three !" 



" Then we'll have sport, by Jove !" and, as he spoke, they en- 

 tered a wide rushy pasture, across which, at some two or three 



hundred yards, A and fat Tom were seen advancing toward 



them. They had not made three steps before both dogs stood 

 stiff as stones in the short grass, where there was not a particle 

 of covert. 



" Why, what the deuce is this, Harry ?" 



" Devil a know know I," responded he ; " but step up to the 

 red dog, Frank I'll go to the other they've got game, and no 

 mistake !" 



