252 HAPPY HUNTING-GROUNDS 



familiarity and engaging little ways well repay the 

 attention. They follow us as far as the line of hurdles, 

 from which at last I catch sight of another possible 

 mark. Three or four young rabbits are sitting out 

 under the haystack ; but Ben has seen them too, 

 and by dashing forward in the vain hope of catching 

 one effectually prevents the possibility of getting a 

 shot. So we pass through the gate and home over 

 the " rabbit bridge " just above the fall, so-called 

 because there is a gate and wire-netting to prevent 

 the rabbits crossing into the garden. Then we pass 

 the old sundial and find our way home under the 

 copper-beech and across the lawn-tennis ground, 

 having completed the " trivial round," which takes 

 place nearly every fine morning. 



I have seen nothing to tempt me to break my 

 ordinary rule of devoting the morning to work, so it 

 is not until nearly three o'clock that I take down my 

 rod from its hooks, sling my bag over my shoulder, 

 and suspend a light net to a ring attached by a 

 safety-pin to the flap of my left-hand coat -pocket. 

 Ben watches my proceedings with interest, not un- 

 mingled with disgust, and displays some curiosity 

 to ascertain in which direction I mean to turn my 

 steps. If I turn to the right and cross the Oxford 

 road to the upper water, above the mill where I make 

 my electric light by the wheel which formerly used 

 to grind flour, he will condescend to accompany me, 

 but if I start in the direction of our morning walk 

 he will not follow me a yard. Well ! I may as well 

 humour him, so I turn to the right and cross the road 

 by Donnington Hospital, a picturesque almshouse for 

 old men, the charter of which dates from Richard the 



