SNIPE-SHOOTING. Ill 



" On anything ! on any game you mean." 



" I mean, precisely, what I say on anything. And 

 that is the reason why I checked you for shooting a 

 meadow-lark over them the other day, and why I am so 

 particular as to the ' who' I take out with me. If small 

 birds are killed indiscriminately with game, over dogs, 

 before many days you will have as dead points at larks 

 and brown thrushes, as at quail and ruffed grouse. If a 

 man shoots pigeons, larks, and black-birds, or even 

 reed-birds, for that matter, over my setters, he may do 

 so once, but he will have no second chance, I promise 

 you." 



" I expect to see these dogs of yours paragons. They 

 ought to be such, by all the trouble you take with them. 

 I know no one who insists so much on doing every thing 

 ship shape." 



" They are good dogs. The best broke dogs, to my 

 mind, that I have seen in this country ; but this is no 

 fair opportunity to judge them. Their forte is high fast 

 ranging for quail ; and they are going to be tried to-day, 

 in ground, and upon game, such as they never have 

 seen. But come ; you seem to have finished that abomi- 

 nable coffee, so we had better get under way at once. 

 It is a wild, bad morning, and the birds will scarcely 

 lie ; and if we want to make anything like a bag, we 

 shall have to fag hard for it." 



Thereupon, without further words, the two friends 

 took up their guns and got under way ; Timothy follow- 



