His Favourite Gun. 



the level of the ground. Sometimes a peculiar but not 

 altogether unpleasant odour fills the low-pitched sit- 

 ting room — it is emitted by the roots burning upon 

 the fire, hissing as the sap exudes and boils in the 

 fierce heat. When the annual fall of timber takes 

 place the butts of the trees are often left in the earth, 

 to be afterwards grubbed and split for firewood, 

 which goes to the great house or is sold. There still 

 remain the roots, which are cut into useful lengths 

 and divided among the upper employes. From elm 

 and oak and ash, and the crude turpentine of the fir, 

 this aromatic odour, the scent of the earth in which 

 they grew, is exhaled as they burn. 



The ceiling is low and crossed by one huge 

 square beam of oak, darkened by smoke and age. 

 The keeper's double-barrelled gun is suspended from 

 this beam : there are several other guns in the house, 

 but this, the favourite, alone hangs where it did 

 before he had children — so strong is habit ; the rest 

 are yet more out of danger. It has been a noble 

 weapon, though now showing signs of age — the 

 interior of the breech worn larger than the rest of the 

 barrel from constant use ; so much so that, before it 

 was converted to a breech-loader, the wad when the 

 ramrod pushed it down would slip the last six inches, 

 so loosely fitting as to barely answer its purpose of 



