DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 73 



This suggestion attracted attention, and we were 

 all in time to see the speaker's chin come up with 

 a snap as if the owner of it was astonished that 

 it should have dropped while he was only thinking. 

 I know now that my friend has a face that auto- 

 matically puts on a look to fit the occasion. His 

 wife knew it then, apparently, for she said : 

 " Your innocent face would not save your ears 

 if we could but reach them. Kiss you indeed ! 

 had we a ladder we would both mount it and box 

 your ears. But, George, are you not forgetting 

 Wilson? He is there by this time." 



" Oh yes, I had quite. Now then, you fishers, 

 pack up your rods and come along." 



We were soon being bumped from here to there 

 and back again on the seats of the carriage as the 

 driver negotiated, as speedily as he might, the 

 grass-grown rutty lane that leads to and from the 

 meadows. The high double banks that hedge this 

 old-world road and the rush-grown ditches whence 

 they have been thrown afford splendid hiding- 

 places for artful running pheasants when October 

 comes and the wood is shot. Foxes have a great 

 liking for these double banks, and it was not at all 

 uncommon for Carlo and Dash, a useful couple of 

 Cocker spaniels, to turn one out of them. An 

 aged, yard-hunting, mangy beast that had vexed 

 our host for a long time, had made a home in them, 

 but, although often seen, he could not be trapped or 

 shot. I had seen him break cover more than once 

 and canter off in quite a leisurely way too far ahead 

 to be in any danger. 



On a memorable morning I got to the bottom 

 of the lane by an unusual route before the dogs 





