184 ROUND THE GREAT WHITE HORSE 



Alas, two birds only ; the pace had apparently been 

 too much for us. 



We then moved on to another swede field, and 

 found that, as in the first, the birds had all run to 

 the edge. Here we made the mistake of working the 

 down-wind side first. The kite-flyer walked down 

 the windward edge of the swedes, and soon flushed two 

 big coveys, which flew away somewhere into the next 

 parish but one. We then drew out, and taking up that 

 side, had two good rises and bagged a leash ! If the 

 powder had only been decently straight, it should have 

 been four brace. By this time it was past two o'clock, 

 and the sun was already sinking towards the back of 

 the White Horse Hill, and the misty vapours filling 

 the hollow by Seven Barrows. 



After tying up our kite, and eating some luncheon 

 by a barn, we concluded to try some high rough grass 

 for hares, and then have another turn at the birds. 

 There is something very exhilarating in walking this 

 high uncultivated land, far from houses, except scattered 

 shepherds' cottages, and surrounded with memorials 

 of a dead past in the shape of barrows and ancient 

 camps. The hares were pretty numerous, and un- 

 commonly wild ; nevertheless, we shot three, and 

 eventually a fourth. This last hare went on hard hit, 

 but going fast ; then, after travelling one hundred and 

 fifty yards up hill, it gave three bounds and tumbled 

 Over stone dead. 



We next unfastened our kite and tried some more 

 swede fields. It occurred to me that, as we had sprung 



