MANAGEMENT OF MOORS 79 



wings and settled, " what have they bagged this 

 time ? " 



But one glance was all the counting required — 

 his faithful spouse and second or third son (there 

 was always some ambiguity as to this gentleman's 

 precise position on the family tree) alone settled 

 beside him. 



" Four down ! " he exclaimed. " Very respect- 

 able shooting. AVhite-gaiters got in his barrels 

 this time evidently. Well, not a bad 12th, eh ?" 



"Excellent," assented his son proudly. 



" I suppose we may call it over now," added 

 the Old Cock a little regretfully. "They will 

 hardly follow us up here.'' 1 



All through the warm afternoon they stayed 

 in this quiet little valley, but the whole time 

 they kept drawing instinctively towards the hill- 

 side they called home. Now and then they 

 heard the guns, but as they considered their own 

 adventures over they paid little attention to the 

 sounds. 



It was wearing towards evening when they 

 found themselves close upon the watershed of 

 the valleys. Perhaps it was the sunshine and 

 the reaction after their spell of excitement that 

 made them careless, but certainly the Old Cock 

 was never more staggered in his life than when 

 he suddenly found himself crouching once more 

 under the palpitating white muzzle. 



"Powder, wads, and bread sauce V he exclaimed, 

 " fairly caught this time ! " 



