PAETRIDGE SHOOTING 261 



covey of partridges got up from a clump of dry rushes 



between H and myself, and although a very long 



shot from the former, he managed to stop one of their 

 number with his second barrel, while I — well, I missed. 

 Thoroughly disgusted w^ith myself, I watched that beauti- 

 ful covey skim over the treeless levels until they appeared 

 but mere specks against the most distant part of the sea- 

 wall. At length I marked them down into what I knew 

 was a small marsh of rough grass. Three and a half brace 

 of birds and an ancient dun- coloured hare, which the 

 bailiff declared had escaped both dog and gun for at least 

 twelve years, were shot in the big lucerne marsh, the odd 

 bird forming my humble contribution to the bag. A 

 description of the manner in which each individual head 

 of game was killed or missed, before a halt was called for 

 luncheon, I shall not attempt. But the aggregate bag, 

 when laid out on the shaded side of the sea-wall, consisted 

 of 11 J brace of partridges, two pochards, one mallard, five 

 hares, and a rabbit. 



It was during the al fresco meal that I heard the 

 following interesting and, to myself, edifying exchange 

 of speech between a couple of our bucolic henchmen : 



" Say, Bill, the long bloke with the white choker 

 round his troat do shoot holy bootiful. Oi only see 'un 

 miss dwo birds all marning." 



" Yes, yes, Tommy, boey, he be a proper sort o' 

 gunner, and no mistake ; and t'other 'un with the fore 

 and aft cap b'aint so fur behind 'un, neither." 



" No, no, Bill, that he b'aint ; but the thin 'un without 



