26 Random Rkcollections of the 



capital snipe shooting as well, proposed that 

 they should have a day amongst the longbills, 

 and they started accordingly. After firing 

 about fifty shots apiece without effect, the 

 squire, upon whom the well-known ''scape" 

 seemed to act as the agitating ensign to a bull, 

 suggested that they should go home and take 

 the harriers out. This commended itself 

 equally to my friend, and the twain started, the 

 master nominally in command of the pack, and 

 his guest fancying he was going to do the 

 duties of M^hip. Hares were plentiful and 

 hounds soon in full cry, and the huntsman, 

 riding to a few couples and his amateur whip, 

 whom they had never seen in their lives before, 

 attempting to keep the scattered forces together, 

 confusion became worse confounded, and ended 

 in the pack getting squandered all over the 

 country. However, the squire was not a man 

 to be moved by trifles such as this, and 

 assuaged my friend's qualms of conscience 

 about the lost hounds by assuring him that 

 they would be sure to turn up sometime in the 

 night, ignoring the perils of unfortunate mem- 

 bers of bewildered flocks which the pangs of 

 hunger might lead them to appropriate. As 

 the sportsmen arrived near home, at dusk^ 



