The First Gun. 



diately protrudes its buds ; and the next morning a 

 bitter frost cuts down every hope of fruit for that 

 year, leaving the leaf as black as may be. Wherefore 

 the east wind is desirable to keep it as backward as 

 possible. 



There was a story that the stock of this gun had 

 been cut out of a walnut tree that was thrown on 

 the place by my great-grandfather, who saw it well 

 seasoned, being a connoisseur of timber, which is, 

 indeed, a sort of instinct in all his descendants. And 

 a vast store of philosophy there is in timber if you 

 study it aright. 



After cleaning the gun and trying it at a mark, 

 the next thing was to get a good shot with it. Now 

 there was an elm that stood out from the hedge a 

 little, almost at the top of the meadow, not above 

 five-and-twenty yards from the other hedge that 

 bounded the field. Two mounds could therefore be 

 commanded by any one in ambush behind the elm, 

 and all the angular corner of the mead was within 

 range. 



It was not far from the house ; but the ground 

 sank into a depression there, and the ridge of it 

 behind shut out everything except just the roof of 

 the tallest hayrick. As one sat on the sward behind 

 the elm, with the back turned on the rick and nothing 



