38 The Amateur Poacher 



securely lodged, and a limb of considerable size came 

 across in front. Leaning both arms on this, a view 

 could be obtained below and on three sides easily and 

 without effort. 



The mound immediately beneath was grown over 

 with thick blackthorn, a species of cover that gives 

 great confidence to game. A kick or blow upon the 

 bushes with a stick will not move anything in an old 

 blackthorn thicket. A man can scarcely push through 

 it : nothing but a dog can manage to get about. On 

 the meadow side there was no ditch, only a narrow 

 fringe of tall pointed grass and rushes, with one or 

 two small furze bushes projecting out upon the sward. 

 Behind such bushes, on the slope of the mound, is 

 rather a favourite place for a rabbit to sit out, or a 

 hare to have a form. 



The brook was shallow towards the hedge, and 

 bordered with flags, among which rose up one tall 

 bunch of beautiful reeds. Some little way up the 

 brqok a pond opened from it. At the entrance the 

 bar of mud had hardly an inch of water ; within 

 there was a clear small space, and the rest all weeds, 

 with moorhens' tracks. The farther side of the pond 

 was covered with bramble bushes. It is a good plan 

 to send the dogs into bushes growing on the banks 

 of ponds ; for though rabbits dislike water itself they 



