The Wild-Fowlers 49 



" Give it to him, Tom! We '11 stand 

 by you ha! ha! ha!*' cried the half- 

 dozen good fellows, fairly bubbling over 

 with delight at Tom Songster's humorous 

 mimic anger. 



" Yes, Torn/' said Seth, pointing his 

 whip straight in Songster's face to make 

 sure of his attention to every word, 

 " they '11 stand by you. Yes, they '11 

 stand by you; they will! There isn't 

 one of the fats who can stand. They 

 might sit by you, but they 'd never 

 stand." 



And Seth gently lashed everybody in 

 range with the string of his whip and 

 nimbly bounded through the saddle-room 

 into the stable proper, and was soon driv- 

 ing past the office door, laughing loudly 

 and flailing his whip at the jolly friends 

 indoors. Don bounded up to the lips of 

 the pony and never seemed more sprightly 

 in his life, while the little horse plainly 

 showed a liking for the setter equal to 

 that of the master. 



