A BIG DAY'S WORK. 197 



Lang, bang, from all our guns followed ; in five minutes 

 we had fifteen birds on the ground, and more flushing 

 every moment. What luck we were in! We had 

 evidently got out of bed on the right side that morning, 

 and were in for a big day's work. While retrieving the 

 birds two more fell to our aim, making seventeen out 

 of the covey, a pretty good account ; and, better still, 

 those that had not been shot at, did not continue their 

 flight more than two hundred yards, when they lit 

 on the brow of a sunny bank. Having bagged our 

 game, and handed them to Hank (for that was our 

 charioteer's name), we hunted up the survivors, and 

 soon were at work again; the dogs struck them off 

 at once, and, save that two escaped, who were out of 

 bounds, and took a lengthened journey out prairie- 

 wards, we bagged all. 



Our charioteer now returned, and gave us the satis- 

 factory information that there were plenty more, but at 

 the same time adding, " Look you here, jist leave some 

 to breed." We found that our fat friend was correct, for 

 before ten minutes we were again enfilading a second 

 covey. I must tell you how splendidly Beau found 

 this pack. When ranging two hundred yards off, at 

 his usual swinging gallop, he stopped, and sticking his 

 old, knowing head perpendicularly in the air, com- 

 menced walking straight forward, with a delicate, care- 

 ful step, well suited for progression over eggs. As I had 

 seen him do so previously, I knew what was coming, 

 and called my friends' attention, so that they might 

 gradually close up towards the keen-nosed setter. 

 Belle soon saw what Beau was up to, and followed him 

 with equally cautious, gingery steps. H., who was off 

 on my right, flushed a bird, which he cleverly cut 



