BRITISH GAME-BIRDS. 219 



he must have half-a-dozen brace to send off by coach 

 in two hours' time. * It won't be any trouble,' he 

 said, ' for you can shoot.' You should 'a seen old 

 Mike tear off. He comes to me and asks if I'd seen 

 'em in the forty-acre stubbles, an' I told him yes. 

 Well, if he didn't crawl along the hedge, an' let fly 

 into a covey feedin' ; he slaughtered four on 'em he 

 let drive both barrels. I slipped along after him, 

 an' see him do it. After that he looks over another 

 field, an' there was a lot runnin' up a furrer. He 

 raked 'em, killed the lot leastways one on 'em 

 fluttered over the hedge; I got that. Over he 

 comes, an' he started a bit ; then he begins to talk 

 big, an' taxes me with havin' that bird. I says yes, 

 I knows I have, for I see you shoot one lot feedin', 

 an' the other runnin' up the furrer. You can shoot, 

 Mike. Then he said he didn't want the bird, it was 

 only his fun, I could keep it. No, they don't shoot 

 all on 'em flyin'. Look here, I'm sparrer-shootin', I 

 ain't s'posed to shoot them on the wing. If them 

 partridges feeds close up in the swedes, they ain't far 

 off. I've bin watchin' them leaves wiggle about ; I 

 shall take 'em for sparrers an' shoot. You stop an' 

 see me have a pull. Nobody wun't know on it, fur 



