378 llEMINISCENCES OF A HUNTSMAN. 



near each other once, in a wood at Spetchley Park, 

 near Worcester, the property of my brother-in-law, 

 Mr. Robert Berkeley, where there was a good deal 

 of ground game. Having taken up our positions, | 



although I kept sight of the oak tree under which I * 



had left Mr. Minasi, on taking my place I called out 

 to him to answer me, that I might still be the better 

 assured of his locality, and received in reply the 

 words " Here I am." Well assured of his position, 

 I shot game each side of him, rattling the shot I have 

 no doubt in his vicinity, but taking care that they 

 went in a safe direction. I had just reloaded, and 

 was on the point of firing again, when I heard the 

 words, " Here I am," directly from the spot towards 

 which my gun was levelled, and had they been uttered 

 half a second later, I should to my horror have 

 bagged my friend as well as the rabbit. Having told 

 Mr. Minasi, then, " to keep where he was," the 

 ground game again began tumbling all round him, 

 and very soon after the words " Here I am," arose in 

 a new place, and it was the greatest possible mercy 

 that this nervousness and change of position had not 

 led to a serious accident. Not long after this, my 

 friend, from some other hand received a shot in the 

 upper lip. 



Spetchley is a beautiful place for game, com- 

 bining first-rate pheasant, hare, and rabbit shoot- 

 ing, with very good partridge shooting ; its park 

 aftbrds some excellent venison, and its little lake 

 some wildfowl. The best partridge shooting I ever 

 had, was at Prestwood, the beautiful seat of Mr. 

 John Foley, also in Worcestershire, than which I 

 know not a more enjoyable place in the kingdom. 

 It has around it a very handsome park, beauti- 



