AN OLD SPORTSMAN. 6 1 



steadied. Did you hear of any cock ?" (wood- 

 cock ; these birds are nearly always spoken of 

 in Ireland without the indicative epithet). 



" Callaghan says, yer honour, he put up a 

 brace of 'em as he went gothern furze 'ere 

 yesterday. 'Tis likely enough they are on the 

 mountain now beein dhruv from the planta- 

 tions be the fox-hounds that were huntin' 

 there lately." 



" Then how had we better go, Jack ? 

 Master Willie wants as many shots at snipe as 

 he can get." 



"Well, sir, if we walks up Carty's ground 

 fust, where the plover stand is, we may have a 

 tech (touch) at them. I put up a hape of 

 stones for stealin' on 'em a purpose. Thin, 

 sir, Master Willie can bate for shnipes towards 

 Callaghan's, while your honour might try the 

 ould bawn-field at the end of Callaghan's hay- 

 yard for the quails we saw there a Tuesday. 

 We can meet thin, and I'll get some of the boys 

 out wid sticks to try and knock up the cocks." 



And so this plan of operations is probably 

 adopted. 



I should say here that my uncle Joe was so 



