258 A MEDLEY OF SPORT 



" roughed it " in as many corners of the earth as there are 

 points on a mariner's compass ? And what softer or 

 sweeter bed can be found after a hard day's sport than a 

 blanket-covered truss of deliciously scented hay, laid 

 smoothly in a snug corner of the wainscotted sitting- 

 room of an old-time farmhouse ? I fancy I can see a 

 cynical smile break o'er the face of many of my readers 

 as they peruse this, and to such I would say : 



" Give the hay- couch a trial after a long and tiring 

 day's marshland shooting in the strong sea air, and your 

 slumbers will be as refreshing and dreamless as those of 

 a little child." At any rate, such is the case with our 

 little shooting syndicate, and each member of it sleeps 

 religiously on a lair of hay during periodical visits to the 

 marshes. 



As ill-luck had it, G , the best shot amongst us, sus- 

 tained an ugly fall when cubbing with the Hounds, 



on the very morning preceding " St Partridge " day ; and 

 the man-of-law who took the unfortunate sportsman's 

 place in the line of guns, although a rattling good fellow, 

 proved a devilish bad shot — I sincerely trust he will not 

 read this sketch — as will presently be told. 



The First opened gloriously, and H. B. M. (lawyer) 

 and myself, not forgetting a team of well-broken black 



retrievers, journeyed down to W by a very early 



train from Liverpool Street ; and ere the majority of 

 good citizens had left their beds we were bowling merrily 

 along the seven miles of dusty highway which lay between 

 the quaint little railway station and our destination. 



