50 Sporting Sketches, 



that which we both detested a fixed point to 

 which we would have to return at evening. And 

 when you take a horse snipe shooting the birds in- 

 variably are most abundant farthest from where you 

 tie the brute, and at nightfall you are apt to find 

 yourself only five miles from home, but eight miles 

 from the horse. Then, of course, you have to 

 but, reader, you understand ! 



We started at dawn, and so soon as we had reached 

 the railroad Tom tersely remarked : 



" Come, shake those long legs. I've got you 

 where I want you now ! " 



This was pregnant with fell intent, and I grinned 

 defiance, for we were about the same age and weight, 

 in fact, six-foot two-hundred-pounders, and about 

 even all around. As is usual when a couple of 

 behemoths get to playing, there was considerable 

 pounding of gravel. 



Before us spread miles of ground, of all degrees 

 of consistency between semi-liquid and putty-like 

 stiffness. A strip of it, perhaps two miles long by 

 one-half broad, began near our feet and ended near 

 a dim blue mass which betokened higher ground 

 and forest, and near those trees was a broad creek. 



" Come on ! I've got you now ! " chortled Tom, 

 and I thought of Kilkenny cats and sighed for the 

 things which I knew would happen and unwittingly 

 for one thing of which neither of us dreamed. For 

 half a mile the footing was fairly good, and, as we 

 both wore ordinary walking boots and leggins, we 

 escaped the harassing drag of the customary wad- 

 ers, which are good enough when one intends to 

 drive home, but worse than useless for a long tramp 



