A Day with the Woodcock 181 



The old man's face was a study and there was a 

 deal of craftiness in it as he suggested "dat dere 

 didn't 'pear to be no sine in de brush, an' he 'lowed 

 de birds must all be in de creek ; " but the other was 

 inexorable, declaring that the original scheme must 

 be carried out to the letter. 



" But de dawg's a-p'intin' agin." 



" No, he's not ; he's got a dead bird there." 



" But yo' done got two in yo' han' ! " 



" Never you mind; I killed three." 



" Yo' killed what ? Now luka hyar, Marse Ned, 

 I'se done comin' out ob de brush right now. Yo' 

 can't fool de ole man no moah, gettin' him to tell 

 yo' 'bout cocks an' den sendin' him to hunt whar 

 he can't find none ob dem. I'se comin' right down 

 dar, and de next one dat jumps I'se gwinter cut 

 loose. Yo' heah me ! " and down he came forth- 

 with. 



Moving on again, the dog soon located another 

 and Duckett claimed the shot, and when the bird 

 flushed he covered it and doubled it up dead as a 

 stone just before it reached over. To say he was 

 triumphant but faintly expressed his feelings; he 

 rose to the sublime, and only returned to his normal 

 condition when his proposal that he " orter hab de 

 next two chances to even up " was firmly vetoed. 



" What, you old reprobate ! Do you think you 

 can come that on me ? Perhaps we'd better hunt 

 every man for himself and the quickest get there ! " 



But Duckett knew better than that ; he had tried 

 it once before and had a wholesome dread of the 

 snap shooting that would follow, for Marse Ned was 

 " pow'ful sudden " when he chose to hurry. 



