ROOKS FOR SCARECROWS 133 



barrel, and consequently carried to a great distance, 

 and it was for this reason that the weapon was 

 regarded with so much favour. " These modern 

 guns are all very well in their way," he would say, 

 " but give me my old rifle for a good day's sport ; 

 its a reg'lar devil for killing ! " 



So it actually proved ; for, hiding himself in a 

 ditch, he waited for the Rooks to come to the field 

 to feed, and had not waited long when the flock 

 arrived, though they settled far out of range ; 

 stragglers came to within about eighty yards' 

 distance, however, and my friend got ready to 

 fire. " Let 'em get a bit nearer," he muttered ; 

 but the birds scented danger and prepared to fly. 

 Bang ! A loud report rent the air and echoed 

 and re-echoed round and round, and when the 

 smoke had cleared away there were two Rooks 

 lying dead on the land, the distance when 

 measured proving to be a little over seventy 

 yards. 



The two dead Rooks were propped up in the 

 field so as to resemble as far as possible living 

 birds in the act of feeding, and the others did not 

 venture into the field again. It was very interest- 

 ing to watch them as they flew homewards past 

 the fatal spot ; every now and then one would leave 

 its companions to fly down near to the dead birds, 



