Farmer Willums Place. 185 



so thick I could not see through. The next instant 

 the cock came over the top of the hedge just above 

 my head. Startled at seeing me so close, he flew 

 straight down along the summit of the bushes a 

 splendid chance to look at from a distance ; but in 

 throwing up the gun a projecting briar caught the 

 barrels, and before I could recover it the bird came 

 down at the side of the hedge. 



It was another magnificent chance ; but again 

 three pollard willows interfered, and as I fired the 

 bark flew off one of them in small strips. Quickened 

 by the whistling pellets, the cock suddenly lifted 

 himself again to the top of the hedge to go over, and 

 for a moment came full in view, and quite fifty yards 

 away. I fired a snap shot as a forlorn hope, and lost 

 sight of him ; but the next instant I heard Orion call, 

 ' He's down ! ' One single chance pellet had dropped 

 the cock he fell on the other side just under the 

 hedge. 



We hastened back to the brook, thinking that the 

 shooting would attract the keepers, and did not stay 

 to look at the bird till safe over the water. The long 

 beak, the plumage that seems painted almost in the 

 exact tints of the dead brown leaves he loves so well, 

 the eyes large by comparison and so curiously placed 

 towards the poll of the head as if to see behind him 



